To the Children, Teens, and Twenty-Somethings of Vancouver

 To the Children, Teens, and Twenty-Somethings of Vancouver 💔🥺

I want to start by saying: I am so sorry. I am sorry that the city you were born into — the streets you walk, the schools you go to, the buses you ride — are so broken. I am sorry that you can’t understand why your parents or grandparents can’t afford bus fare 🚌💸, why they worry about rent 🏠, why sometimes there isn’t enough food 🍞🥛 or heat 🔥, and why they can’t always help you like you deserve.

You see people overdosing 💊💔. You see people sleeping on the sidewalks, in doorways, in parks 🏞️. You see friends or family struggling with substance abuse. Maybe some have died. Maybe your dad or mom works as a police officer 👮‍♂️👮‍♀️, and you notice how stressed, overworked, and unhappy they are. Maybe neighbors fight over money 💰. Maybe some friends go without lunches 🍎🥪, winter coats 🧥, or basic necessities. Maybe you’ve even had to sneak onto a bus because there was no other way to get around.

I want you to know: it’s not your fault. None of it is your fault. You are living in a city and a society where the systems that are supposed to protect and support people are failing — healthcare 🏥, housing 🏚️, social services 💬, schools 📚, policing 👮‍♂️. The people who are supposed to make your life safer and easier — the politicians, developers, and institutions 🏢💸 — often prioritize money, power, and appearances over the lives of ordinary people.

The truth is harsh: thousands of people in Vancouver are unhoused or homeless. Seniors 👵👴 are filling shelters like never before. Indigenous people 🌿 are overrepresented among those living on the streets. Every year, hundreds of people die from overdoses ⚰️💊 — some of them people you may have known, or who could have been your neighbors, your cousins, your friends.

I see the confusion in your eyes. You ask: why are my parents struggling? Why are my friends hungry or cold? Why do so many people around me seem to be suffering while the city keeps building condos 🏢, pouring money into policing 🚓, and ignoring basic human needs?

I don’t have all the answers. But I want you to know that what you see and feel matters. Your empathy ❤️, your awareness 🌟, your frustration 😡 — these are real. They are valid. You are noticing injustice, scarcity, and pain, and that matters more than you know.

I want you to remember that even in a city that often feels harsh, you have the power to see, care, and act. Small acts of kindness ✨ — sharing what you have, checking on a friend 🤝, speaking up about what’s wrong — ripple out in ways you may never see, but they matter.

And I want you to know that it’s okay to be angry 😠. It’s okay to feel sad 😢. It’s okay to feel scared 😨. These are normal reactions when the world around you feels unfair. You are not alone. There are people fighting for change ✊, even if it feels slow. There are others who see what’s happening and are trying to do something about it.

One day, when the systems finally start to catch up, your courage 💪, your understanding 💛, your ability to witness and care, will be the foundation for a better city 🌇. But until then, I want you to hear this: I see you. I hear you. I am sorry you have to live this way. And you are not to blame for the brokenness around you.

You deserve warmth 🧣🔥. You deserve safety 🛡️. You deserve a city where your parents don’t have to choose between rent and food 🍞🏠, and where your friends can go to school and ride the bus without fear 🚌.

Hold on to each other 🤝. Watch out for each other 👀💛. And remember: the fact that you notice, that you care, that you question — that is what keeps hope alive 🌟.