Rambling Rat

Tim's Tilley hemp hat meet its maker Alex Tilley

 Travel the World because of a Hat?

Some of you will already know that the key factor for working with StreetKids International was the fact that I found a Tilley hemp hat in a clothing shop called footprints in Glasgow www.footprintsglasgow.com inside this Hat Alex Tilley states his support for StreetKids, I was so impressed with the work of StreetKids International that I decided to drive around in support of them.

I first met Alex Tilley at the ultimate travel show in Toronto, it was evident on meeting him at what an individual person he is and very down to earth, we chatted a lot about my adventure as he loves to hear unusual travel stories especially when they involve Tilley hats, he has been very supportive with providing me clothing for my expedition and has expressed an interest in meeting me in South America whilst I visit StreetKids projects in Bolivia, Alex and his wife Hillary made a similar visit to Peru last year.

I have now visited several of the Tilley stores around Canada and I am very impressed in the way they do business especially in the fact that 99% of their products are Canadian and all their products are made in Canada this is quite incredible, the new store in Montréal is a great example of clearly reaching into the future for the company.

There is no doubt that Tilley clothing is really good, the basis of this is the quality I now am the proud owner of three hats underwear, socks, trousers, and even a blazer and smart trousers which will be used on the duration of my sea passage to Southampton in May, I have to admit I was very surprised at the full range of clothes they carry.

Alex and Hilary allowed me to visit them at their home in Lake Muskoka and what a great place this is all so earthy with emphasis on living, Alex taught me how to tie knots and also offered me the chance to learn to sail which I am very keen to do at some point, I would like to thank Alex Tilley and all the staff at Tilley and durables for supporting my expedition I have included below some words from them.

What Tilley Say!

Tilley is proud to support Street Kids International (SKI) through the sale of our Hemp Hats and we are thrilled at the opportunity to work with Tim Dennis in his worldwide journey. Tim serendipitously became aware of SKI after buying a Tilley Hat in Glasgow and has been a true supporter of SKI and Tilley ever since. It is his spirit of adventure and quest to raise awareness of and for others that encourages us in our sponsorship/partnership. Tim has taken Tilley Hats and travel clothing to the extreme and is a very valuable gear test resource. We are happy to provide clothing that keeps him looking sharp and Hats that keep him protected from the elements of Mother Nature, while in turn garnering exposure on his website, in the media and around the world through word-of-mouth. We look forward to the ongoing updates from Tim and wish him the best for the next leg of his journey… whichever route and transportation mode he decides to take, we are happy to be a part of it!

 Alex Tilley    www.tilley.com

RamblingRat bridges the gap between the UK and Canadian StreetKids

My time in the city of Toronto

It’s been a long time since I have written a blog, in fact my plan has been to create video blogs and I think this will be a better medium in the future,  I am on a huge learning curve to do with media and given time I will have this sorted, the truth is I keep having problems using my laptop and travelling meeting so many interesting people I have to do a juggling act with the information I collect, and Toronto has given me many new ideas for the website.

So I have bridged the gap between the United Kingdom StreetKids offices and the Canadian offices this has been a milestone achievement from me way back from when I was in the middle of Russia, it has lived up to every expectation StreetKids International is a fantastic organisation with a great staff well run and innovative, I am very proud to be working with them, Kristy Vanderplas has been coordinating me to speak in schools and this has been to great success I have really enjoyed talking to school kids and this has shown its worth in Toronto, I’m hoping this will be expanded in the future as I travel through America later in the year to Mexico, I can now see the benefits of talking to kids in mainstream education, about the importance of food, shelter and water especially when using the interactive campsite and showing them pictures of my expedition in the classroom which gives them a great idea of cultural diversity and the world as a whole.

I have made really good connections whilst being in Toronto, first off I have been using the website www.coachsurfing.com it has been an essential tool for finding accommodation in Toronto also you meet up with the right kind of people, like John Board who used to be an assistant film director for many Hollywood feature films just Google his name and many Cronenberg films will come up under his name, but it is his passion for homoeopathic medicine that I admire the most for the last 10 years he has been making homoeopathic medicine more accessible for people, he has a really funny video on his website that you should watch where he is rapping like a teenager, and given the fact he is in his 70s is great, please check out his website www.hollywoodsurvivalkit.com I have to thank John for letting me stay for a whole month in his home.

  Toronto is where I met Gregory Green, he is a documentary maker and environmentalist and has become a friend, these documentaries which focus on the depletion of oil and the end of suburbia.

He is really interesting and I would also encourage you to look at his website he has an up-and-coming documentary next year where he interviews thin new environmental Minister to the American government.

www.endofsuburbia.com

 Toronto is an incredibly diverse city,  this is evident when driving into Toronto I felt comforted by seeing Portuguese communities and the whole city is intertwined with different cultural areas it’s just wonderful, cities are not my favorite places and I think this comes from a fear I think, they are usually places which are more risky to take the vehicle into and the other reason is I am more at one with the countryside, but once I’m in the city’s and I need to be there to hook up with the people that can help me to promote my cause.

Meeting Jay Mandarino from the CJ skate park in school has also been a highlight, you can read more about this skateboarding project on the blog below this, I am very impressed and happy of his support for the idea on setting up more skateboarding projects in Third World countries and we will have to see how this develops in South America.  Jay Mandarino also suffered with dyslexia and now  From this is just a gift, I think this has been a common bond between us and I really hope we can continue to work with each other.

www.jaymandarino.com

A Travellin’ Man

When Scotland native Tim Dennis was looking for a new direction in life he didn’t know the answer would be in a Tilley hat.

But that’s exactly where he found it.

A label in the hat for street kids international sent him off on a journey around the globe to talk to and bring awareness too the global problem of homeless youth.

Article by Angela Pezzotti
Soonews.ca www.soonews.ca

Route so Far!

The Route So Far!

Ok red is where i have traveled with the expedition vehicle and the blue denotes where i have been on ships with the vehicle. I have always travelled with my car even when i am at sea, if i can’t travel with the truck then i find another route. How i do this is to find a Roll on Roll off ferry first and if that is not possible use a container line that also accepts passengers.

Route 1.  Connect streetKids UK to streetKids Canada 

Section One. “World Circumnavigation”   Hurray i have achieved my first goal!!

Scotland UK , England UK, ship to France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Czech, Poland, Ukraine, Russia,

over Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China to Vladivostock Russia, ship to Japan two days at sea, Ship container ship to Vancouver Canada, drive to Prudhoe Bay Alaska, then to Toronto Canada.

This has taken 42 weeks to cover 41,000 klm’s using 7500 liters of diesel using 3 ships, i have only ever paid for 11 nights accommodation thanks to my roof tent and the website www.couchsurfing.com and very friendly people. I ran out of money in Alaska and have been assisted by the local Toyota dealer network with the odd tank of gas and servicing. The kindness of people who have supported this Project is amazing.

I have never been happier, living my dream and sharing all i have with others. 

Section Two Canada to South America then foot passenger to Antarctica then Brazil

Section Three TBC Possibly Africa.

Electric Car Project   Make big things happen!

I am looking for support to continue with an exciting project to drive a production electric car around the world. This will be a continuation of the “RamblingRat benefiting streetKids International Expedition.

Contact me if you would like to get involved.   tim@ramblingrat.com

Tim Dennis meets Launch "Concord"

Tim Dennis meets up with Launch Youth “Concord”

Superb day today the sun was out and everyone was happy, this meant that the kids at Launch got to see how i live when i’m in romote parts the world without access to food, water, or shelter, i set up an interactive campsite and they loved climbing inside the roof tent, who wouldn’t its a great space to be in.

Great bunch of kids very lively and talkative from the start asking my loads of questions like “have i killed a crocodile” the answer is no! I took the guitar inside to for the presentation to show them what i have learnt in the last 3 months which is only a few chords really but it always inspires them and within minutes they want to show me what they can do too.

So thanks to all the Kids and staff you are so kind giving me a gift voucher for www.chapter.indigo.ca

Thank you to Lucie Puzzo for setting this up.

LAUNCH west

545 North Rivermede Rd., #102

Concord L4K 4H1

905-760-9169

For more information follow the link below.

www.ycdsb.ca

Launch "Toronto" Alternative School

The RamblingRat project benefiting streetKids International met up with Launch today.

Launch east is an alternative school on the outskirts of Toronto, the school is one of a few alternative schools that are run by The York Catholic District School Board.

This is the first time that i have visited a school with a representative from streetKids International, Kristy Vanderplas of streetKids runs a project called “Street world” which consists of lesson plans that complement the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum.  We were invited by Launch’s Nicky Di Ritto. 

We had a great time meeting all the kids, i’d like to thank all of you for been such good listeners and interacting, so many of you asked me questions and it is really good to have some feed back. I was amazed at the knowledge that the youth at this school had, very diverse class with a few of the pupils speaking more than one language too. 

I can clearly see what a great school this is and how it benefits the young people in the local community, i wish i had been able to go to a school like yours when i was struggling in mainstream education with learning disability.

So thank you all very much for allowing Kristy and myself to speak at your school. “You are great” Remember! be true to your self.

Thanks to Nicky Di Ritto, Frank Carriero, and Lance Merraro for setting the visit up with streetKids International.

What Launch Say 

The program is designed for students “at risk” who, for various reasons, are unable to cope in a regular school setting. Students may be affected by any of the following factors:

lack of self-confidence

gaps in basic knowledge

dropped out of school

need individualized instruction

poor self-image

exert minimal academic effort

seem unable to concentrate

Goal

The programs provide a structured, encouraging environment where students have the opportunity to:

develop and apply positive patterns of behaviour

claim their self-esteem

identify, set and meet their personal and academic goals

appreciate the value of learning

gain a sense of accomplishment by meeting personal, family, school and community expectations

LAUNCH east 

10 West Pearce Street, Unit #7

Richmond Hill L4B 1B6

905-907-7913

www.ycdsb.ca

Tim speaks to Mason Falls and Justin lambert, they share their expiernce of staying in the youth shelter “Pauline’s Place and how they have found creativity and a way to express themselves through music, they hope to communicate this to other youth by starting a Street Youth band called “Invisible People” which they say best describes how they are looked upon by society.

The Shelter
Pauline’s Place Youth Shelter has 8 beds available for homeless youth (16-21 years old), until they find more permanent housing. The shelter is designed to be as muchlike a family enviroment as possible. The house is set up like a home with bedrooms, kitchen, family room and back yard. Youth may have to share a room depending upon the number of residents. The shelter is located in a central residential neighbourhood where bus routes are accessible.

Thank you to all the youth at Pauline’s House for inviting me and to Anne Penney for setting up the visit, your home is so friendly and what great young people and a modern outlook on life you all live by.

Contact Anne Penney: annepenney@paulinesplace.ca

Pauline’s Place Youth Shelter
267 Pim Street
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
P6B 2T4

Phone: 705-759-HOME (4663)
Fax: 705-759-4924
Email: paulinesplace@shaw.ca
Web: www.paulinesplace.ca

Tanner and Tim’s story “Sound quality is a bit poor with the wind oops”

I met up with Tim at lunch on Sunday in the shelter in the soup kitchen, Not to be confused with me but another Tim a lively lad now with a life full of hope, Tim shared his story with me of how he ended up staying in his friend Tanners shed for a couple of weeks to get away from a worsening home situation, eventually he came to realize that the Homeless shelter was his only option for him, he spent a month in the shelter and got connected with The Children’s Aid Society’s Outreach Youth Worker “Marcel Nigro” they have helped him get himself on his feet and find him somewhere to live and prospects for a better future, Tim has his own dreams of being an actor and he told me that he is creative and is looking to utilize these gifts. 

Thank you Tanner “Have and Tim for allowing me to interview you both for the RamblingRat Project, you are ambassadors for youth.

Youth Outreach Services “Thunderbay”   Children’s Aid Society   www.thunderbaycas.ca

I met up with Marcel Nigro who works for The Children’s Aid Society and has been working in the local thunderbay community with street youth for the last 14 years as an outreach worker he is totally committed to his work and has some good ideas of how he would like to create a youth street directory for youth all over Canada to give them access to all their essential needs and rights. What a great idea Marcel. 

I would like to thank Marcel for hooking me up to speak to the local street youth community. 

An Overview

The Outreach Program was developed to meet the diverse needs of youth at risk who have a variety of issues that are not being met. The fundamental purpose of the program is to enhance all aspects of these youths’ lives, including their physical, social and emotional development. The Outreach Program’s aim is to reach youth who have “fallen through the cracks” of traditional service programs, connecting them with services that they may be unaware of or have had difficulties accessing. The Outreach Worker’s challenge is to guide and support these youth back into the use of traditional and non-traditional supports and services. Through the use of these supports, youth at risk will be able to achieve a more productive and meaningful lifestyle.

We made a stop over the weekend to visit Shelter House in Thunderbay Ontario Canada, We arrived on Sunday and was lucky to be invited into the Shelter by operations manager Wojciech Czupryski, i was shown around and had lunch with many of the homeless local folk in the city, the soup kitchen that day was manned by the volunteer police trainee’s and they had made a good job of preparing the days food which is donated from the local community.

Shelter House Thunder Bay

Shelter House began its operation in 1980 under the name Thunder Bay Emergency Shelter, when several concerned individuals recognized a need to provide overnight shelter against the cold winter nights. It was originally built to service a ‘temporary’ homeless problem. In 1984, Thunder Bay Emergency Shelter became incorporated and was relocated to the corner of Victoria and Simpson Streets. This building was constructed by volunteers on a limited budget, using donated materials. Upon completion, 28 male beds and seven female beds were available. Two youth focused dorms for 5 males and 5 females.

Our Mission

Shelter House is a temporary and transitional service that exists to provide short term relief to those people in need of shelter, food, clothing, and to support access to the resources and services these people require in order to improve their own capacity to meet their basic needs.

Shelter House is guided by the following principles and values:

1. There is a collective responsiblity to help people in need.

2. All people have self worth and are deserving of respect and dignity

3. All people have the right to adequate shelter, food and clothing

4. All people has the right to make choices about their lives.

5. Both the individual and the community benefit from our work.

6. Poverty, injustice and oppression are social problems not a result of individual failings.

7. Through our work we can affect change to eliminate poverty, injustice and oppression.

8. We do not work in isolation to affect this social change.

The Vision of Shelter House is to create a caring community whereby people are able to meet their basic needs.

We work to ensure that:

Peoples basic needs are met

People who are homeless or a risk of homelessness are supported to move forward in ways that they choose.

The community, governments and policy makers are more aware of the root cause of poverty and homelessness and the resulting impact on people and our society.

Shelter House …

acts as a lifeline for hundreds of men, women, and youth. People come to the Shelter to have their basic needs met. These men, women and youth are often struggling through an emotional or financial crisis. Shelter House is often their last hope for help and assistance.

To contact Shelter house their web site is www.shelterhouse.on.ca

I would like to thank Shelter House for inviting me and allowing the press to raise local awareness into youth homeless issues.  Thank you Cal and Lucus

Executive Director:  

Cal Rankin  

E-mail:  shed@tbaytel.net

Marketing & Development

 Lucas Jewitt

E-mail:  marketing@shelterhouse.on.ca