​​WE ARE LISTENING provides a platform for the forgotten voices in our city to be heard. If you have a curious spirit, love to learn and listen to authentic stories, this series is for you.

The Back Door Mission for the Relief of Poverty serves community members who are in need and experiencing homelessness. Our hope is that through the power of story, Oshawa citizens will see the collective strength of our entire community. We believe when people feel seen and heard, positive change is possible.

Stories released every two weeks beginning in November through spring 2022.

Listen with us.

Brought to you by Back Door Mission in association with Story Collector.
The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this storytelling series do not represent the views and opinions of the Back Door Mission and Mission United. 

Tony

​​Tony shares his story from a tough childhood to experiencing discrimination at work. "Every day you wake up, you're waking up to a new day." "People need to care about one another more. I feel the world is losing that, but there's still good people out there." 

Gerrit

Gerrit shares his story with us: from the heartbreaking loss of his mother, his spiral into depression and drugs, and his rebirth. "You can go from having a completely normal life to sleeping on the streets." "There's hope. You gotta change that. You gotta get up every day and keep trying." ​

Don

A love for music and battle with addiction has driven this man to create a repertoire of songs built on strength and perseverance. Having experienced homelessness, poverty and the value of community, Don shares with us a window into his world.
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Release date November 18th, 2021​

Shaun

Having grown up close to addiction and mental illness, Shaun maintains a solid sense-of-self and determined resolve to shape a stable life for his future.
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Release date December 3nd, 2021

Barb

A woman whose charming optimism and warm compassion invites you into her presence. Barb talks about the trauma of losing her father, her love for nature, and thoughts on being happy.
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Release date December 16th, 2021

Ricky

Refusing to accept his reality as a given, this young man shares his desire for an opportunity to escape the debilitating cycle of poverty and addiction. He believes if something is broken, you rebuild. 

​Release date January 11th, 2022

Sliwa

Born in Iraq, Sliwa fled to Syria for safety, then immigrated to the United States (US). Having worked as a translator for the US, his experiences left him in fear of returning to the country. Now a visitor in Canada, Sliwa states "What we are suffering is not poverty, it is a an act of inhumanity."

​Release date January 29th, 2022

Sharon

Sharon describes a series of misfortunes, the last one causing her to leave an alleged volatile living situation. Without a place to live, she has come to know the local community experiencing homelessness and shares her observations of their kindness. 
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Release date February 14th, 2022​

Karen

Karen describes how being noticed and supported helped her come back to herself. Community support services and the staff members that assisted her helped Karen feel deserving of love. Karen now has a place to call home. ​

Karen's story release date: March 11th 

SHAWN

In an effort to raise awareness about the growing addiction crisis, Shawn felt compelled to share his story of losing both his friend and father to overdoses.

Shawn's story release date: April 12th

Mathew

“Selling dope leads to doing dope, and doing dope leads to dying.” Words spoken by Mathew the summer before he passed. In this candid interview, Mat talks about how drugs consumed his life.

​Mathew's story release date: Thursday April 28th

Shawn

Having lived most of his life on the street, Shawn describes the loss of a memorial site he created and maintained before serving time.

Story release date:  June 9th