Word on the street: Unique writing circle giving voice to city's homeless

St Luke's Table in Chinatown has long been a place where members of Ottawa's homeless community can drop in for a hot cup of coffee or a filling breakfast. Now there's a program that offers the budding writers among them an entirely differentkind of nourishment.

The Table Scrapsis a weekly gathering in the church's basement where people can write and share their work with each other.

"Big Dave" Rayner, who spent more than three decades working with the homeless at Centre 454 in Sandy Hill,came out of retirement to start the program about five years ago.

"Over my years, I have seen a number of people who have unrecognized creativity," Rayner said. "This group is highly underrated, the homeless. But they've had a journey they can reflect upon and incorporate in their writing. That's the creative process."

Friendly feedback

As with most writing groups, sessions include discussiononarts and culture, as well as an opportunity for members to read their work aloud. Participants also learn how to offer constructive criticism.

The writers are encouraged to express themselves freely, saidHelen Rossiter, who helps Rayner facilitate the sessions.

"I've participated in other writing groups, but this oneis different. If someone wants to tell a story in their own words, we let them," Rossiter said. "A lot of people have stories to tell, but they have nowhere to tell them."

Chris Duncan had never read his work aloud before joining thiswriting group.

"You just don't know what your own writing is like. You tend to not value it. You think it isn't good enough," Duncan said.

It's not therapy, but it is a therapeutic group.- 'Big Dave' Rayner

Despite his early apprehension, Duncan now regularly shares his short stories with the group.

Like many of the participants, Duncan's work is mostly autobiographical. Most recently, he shared a piece based on his time working as a mechanic.

"I am a keen observer, and I spend a lot of time on the bus where there are a lot of characters," Duncan noted.

Writing as therapy

Raynerbelieves it's important to fostera non-judgmental atmosphere to put the participants at ease. That can help with more than just the writing, he said.

"When you get that type of community, sometimes people will open up about what they've been through. It's not therapy, but it is a therapeutic group," Rayner said.

Rayner hopes to begin publishing collected writing from Table Scraps in the near future. He believes it's something everyone should read.

"I wish people could get a different look at homelessness and say, 'That could be my brother or my sister.' When you find out what life has thrown them, you start to see them as the great survivors," he said.