I am a fourth-year University of Victoria nursing student currently doing a practicum with the Feet First Project at Our Place.

My role involves providing foot care to "family members" who are struggling with homelessness. Family members are not only the homeless population of our city; they are also the elderly, the disabled and the "working poor."

Often during foot care profound conversations take place. Stories of regret and devastation are revealed; stories of resilience and hope are shared. One man told of being called a "stupid Indian" and being bullied throughout his residential school experience. Another man with a crippling medical condition noted he continues to take jobs, although doing so places him in serious danger of injury.

Of course, the stories also expose issues of alcoholism, drug abuse and crime within this population, yet these issues prevail in all levels of society. The middle and upper class are not exempt from drug and alcohol addiction, nor crime and abuse. None of us is exempt from the possibility of being homeless.

As I attend to foot care once a week, I am encouraged by the gratitude and the resulting relationships.

However, it feels as though I am not doing enough. I am certain we, as Victorians, Canadians, global citizens, could do more. We can support those less fortunate by recognizing their needs and the power within us to assist positive change. We are all able to give, whether through our time as a volunteer at local homeless organizations, through donations of items such as clothing or socks or by giving our respect and kindness to all community members.

Although there are resources available, many are limited in their hours of operation. For instance, Our Place is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and must close on weekends due to budget limitations.

Does our government believe our homeless population only deserves warm meals, a place to take shelter and showers during business hours, Monday to Friday? It would appear so. Our Place needs $1 million a year to double its hours of operation, a meagre amount when compared to the $2.5 billion being spent on the 2010 Olympics. Although the Games require a large budget, our government could re-examine its financial decision-making and in future allocate funds to support Canadians struggling with homelessness.

While increasing Our Place hours means increased costs, there are many cost-saving benefits to be realized in the longer term. For example, diseases such as tuberculosis can be prevented by getting vulnerable persons out of the elements, thereby reducing health-care costs and emergency-room overcrowding. The World Health Organization estimates chronic diseases, such as diabetes, are the leading cause of mortality in the world, accounting for 60 per cent of all deaths. Promoting healthy lifestyles, developing strategies to prevent premature deaths and unnecessary disability and facilitating access to equitable, good-quality health care are ways to address this "invisible epidemic."

Our Place has been a huge asset to the homeless community. However, it alone cannot assist the region's growing homeless population, estimated at 1,500 individuals.

Recent health-care budget cuts, especially related to mental-health programs, hint at our culture's normalizing of marginalization and highlight the necessity for immediate change.

Housing, in particular, is critical. Canada is the last major country in the world not to have a housing initiative. It costs more for our government to support a homeless person on the street, at $50,000, as opposed to supporting a homeless person in a subsidized environment, at $17,000.

Reducing homelessness will require financial input from governments, yet investments made now will reap many future benefits in our communities.

We can all lobby for and support these changes by writing letters to our provincial and federal governments, speaking with our MLAs and signing petitions to support affordable housing.

However, our support also need not be large; a small gesture, such as a smile or kind word to a person less fortunate who we pass on the street, can speak volumes.

Jennifer Irvine is a University of Victoria nursing student who plans to graduate in 2010.