Towards the end of the pandemic, our founder, Edwin was provided the opportunity to volunteer with ‘You are Loved Toronto’, a not-for-profit that serves those experiencing homelessness through distribution of hot meals and clothes every Sunday. Through this, he was humbled to gain the trust of several community members and hear their stories. One example is Tom, a gentleman who had been experiencing homelessness for a few years. He shared that he lost his wife to a drunk driver years ago, leading him to lose control of his previously stable life and engage with alcoholism to cope with his loss. Unfortunately, he then lost his job, became homeless, and became a victim of social exclusion. Hearing Tom’s story and that of several others prompted Edwin to reflect on the harms of homogenizing the reasons why someone may be homeless, because each individual’s story is unique. Moreover, he learnt that the homelessness crisis was much more multifaceted than originally perceived.

Upon graduating from Laurier and pursuing further studies at Western University, Edwin felt called to continue his journey in service with the significant rises in homelessness post-pandemic. He wanted more people to hear stories like Tom’s and embrace that homelessness is a difficult circumstance that can happen to anyone; with this desire came the birth of ‘More than Circumstance’ (MTC). Through the help of his extremely talented, driven, and like-minded colleagues, MTC as a volunteer-based not-for-profit advocates for those experiencing homelessness through powerful social media campaigns and direct service initiatives.