Advocate calls for changes after homeless woman dies in clothing donation bin
Posted July 24, 2018 11:20 am.
Last Updated July 24, 2018 12:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A woman is dead after she became trapped inside a clothing donation bin in Vancouver.
It happened early Monday morning in the parking lot of the West Point Grey Community Centre, and when police repsonded to the reports of a man yelling for help, the found “the man who had been screaming because he found his friend unresponsive, stuck half inside” the bin.
“The initial investigation determined the 39-year-old woman’s death was not criminal in nature,” says Sgt. Jason Robillard. The victim was homeless.
Nicole Mucci with the Union Gospel Mission says this was an “avoidable tragedy.”
She tells us there have been about five deaths like this one across Metro Vancouver and in Calgary in recent years. “It’s too many. It’s a call to action.”
“There is an immediate need for these clothing bins to be redesigned,” she adds.
Related article: Man found dead in Surrey donation bin
Mucci is calling on the community to put their heads together to figure something out. “If an innovative group of students or engineers looked at this as an opportunity to save lives, they may be able to come up with an innovative and out-of-the-box solution.”
“This falls on everybody in the community to examine if they have the skills necessary to figure out how to redesigned these boxes… [It could even be] an interior designer who is looking at this and has a unique perspective. They could save countless lives.”
Mucci says yesterday’s death highlights how many people are in need for basic items. “The need for clothing, bedding, tools and items necessary for survival.”
“If our community can figure out how to avoid tragedy in the future, then that’s what we need to do. If it’s a redesigned clothing bin, if it’s a new distribution and redistribution system — maybe that’s it.”
She adds the UGM has a clothing room available 24/7, if someone is in need of things like shoes, a jacket, or a t-shirt. “They can come right in to our reception and let us know. We will address that immediate need.”
– With files from Alison Bailey
