People First Radio – February 22, 2024People First Radio – February 22, 2024
People First Radio
People First Radio focuses on the health crisis of “street feet”, stories of homelessness, and community responses from British Columbia and beyond. Guests share lived experiences, practical solutions, and reflections on housing, stigma, and simple acts of care.
0:00•23 Feb 2024
Street Feet, Cold Nights, and Warm Hearts on People First Radio
Episode Overview
- Street feet is a serious condition linked to prolonged cold, wet feet and constant walking, and can lead to infection, gangrene, and amputation within days.
- Basic interventions such as warm water foot baths, clean dry socks, well-fitting shoes, rest, and nutrition can significantly reduce harm.
- Shame about foot odour and general stigma often stops people from accessing health and hygiene services, even when they know they need help.
- Donating socks, shoes, and boots, advocating for more accessible services, and treating unhoused people with compassion are practical ways communities can respond.
- Personal stories from Janet, Jason, and Sue show how housing, supportive services, and simple human connection can gradually rebuild health, dignity, and hope.
“Every single person who's living on the downtown east side in these horrible conditions is there because it is the least worst option for them.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction, homelessness, and chronic stress on the streets? This episode of People First Radio brings together frontline stories from reporters, community workers, and people with lived experience to paint a vivid picture of life outside and on the edge. Health reporter Michelle Gamage breaks down “street feet”, a modern-day version of trench foot affecting people living outdoors in rainy British Columbia.
She explains how “what can start as blisters or just very uncomfortable feet can actually end up with people developing gangrene or ending up with feet, toes, legs amputated,” stressing the role of basic care like warm water foot baths, clean socks, and properly fitting shoes. The focus widens to community response.
There’s practical advice about donating socks, boots and shoes, pushing for more accessible hygiene and health services, and, crucially, treating people who are street entrenched with simple kindness and conversation.
Through the Coldest Night of the Year stories, listeners hear from Janet Slater and Jason Schwarzengerber, who describe the emotional toll of homelessness – from “my skin was gray… that’s depression, that’s anxiety, and that is hopelessness” to the quiet relief of finally meeting people who “actually see me for me.” Their words highlight how stable housing, community support, and meaningful work can slowly bring life back.
Community worker Sue Moen then shares her night sleeping in her truck alongside people she serves in Campbell River. She talks about the “vague sense of being a target,” the resilience required to survive outside, and how one warm, well-serviced village of small units is “a great start” but only part of a wider housing puzzle. Throughout, the message is clear: small acts – a pair of socks, a conversation, a vote for better services – really do matter.
Whose story might you be willing to hear a little more closely today?
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