Brent's Cross-Canada Underwear Drive

Ginch 2011 wrap up.

2011-10-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

My appologies for the sporatic, and late updates to the blog. We have shifted most of our updates to facebook this year and it is difficult to update both. We hope to have a new webpage layout next year that will make updates seamless.

On Thursday Oct 6th the 2011 Got Ginch cross Canada Underwear Drive wrapped up in Halifax NS. This years journey took 9 days, and 79 hours behind the wheel. Our primary goal of delivering a little dignity to 10 shelters across Canada was achieved with 35000 pairs of underwear on time and on target. Each shelter expressed their sincere appreciation for the gift. In most locations we were able to generate substantial amounts of media attention for each group and allowed them to raise their profiles in the community. Special thanks to Souls Harbor in Halifax who made our final drop a very successful event.

Fund raising has already begun for next years adventure. We plan to add some exciting changes to the initiative.

Stay tuned and Ginch be with you.

Brent

Saskatchewan in a day

2011-09-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

We delivered to Saskatoon and Regina today. Of note, MLA Warren McCall joined us in Regina. Thanks for your support Warren. Tomorrow we will join 30 local CEO's who have spent the night on the corner of Portage and Main in Winnipeg. They are doing it to raise awareness and funds for a program that finds work for former street people. Breakfast television has requested that we make an appearance as well.
Glad to lend a hand.

Brent

3 deliveries complete

2011-09-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

With this years severly truncated schedule it will be very difficult to update the BLOG as often as I would like. Please join us at www.Facebook.com/gotginch for regular updates.

So far we have delivered to Vancouver's Union Gospel Mission and the Mustard Seed in both Calgary and Edmonton. We are presently on the road to the Bridge Saskatoon. We will deliver to The Bridge at 10 am Wednesday followed by a delivery to Souls Harbor Rescue Mission, Regina in the afternoon. Multiple drops each day will shorten the overall time away from home but will certainly take a toll on our bodies.

All three Shelters saw good media exposure that we hope helps in their specific fundraising efforts and greater awareness of the issues.

Huge shout out to my Wife and Son who, for three years running, have allows me to do this cazy adventure.

Ginch be with you.

Brent

We begin deliveries Sept 27th 2011

2011-09-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

Our Trip Begins Sept 27 with the first drop of 10. We will deliver 3,500 pairs of Ginch to Union Gospel Mission in Vancouver. We hit the road that afternoon and will make our next stops in Calgary and Edmonton on the 28th. Stay tuned as we will update you on our progress as much as possible. We are trying to shave a few days off the trip this year but don't worry we will deliver to the same ten cities as last year.

Brent and Robb

Got? Ginch 2011

2010-12-10T08:34:00.001-08:00

The Got? Ginch 2011 campaign was launched on Dec 8 2010 with the screening of the documentary "One Problem". One Problem is a one hour documentary by Ramin Eshraghi-Yazdi that captures the stories and lessons learned from the first Cross Canada Underwear Drive in 2009. The event was a huge success, raising 12 thousand dollars for this years drive. These are enough funds to supply Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton with underwear. This years goal: 35 000 pairs of tighty-whities.

Thank you to everyone who attended and special thanks to my co-hosts Robb Price and Ramin Eshraghi-Yazdi

Got? Ginch 2011 is under way!

Wanna get involved?

Visit our donations page.

Brent

End of the Road

2010-06-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

Got? Ginch 2010 came to an end on May 28th in Halifax NS. Our final stops Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax went very smoothly. Thank You to everyone who supported us this year with donations, volunteer time and well wishes.

Some fun facts:

More than $32,000.000 raised in donations this year

Donations ranged from $10.00 to $5,000.00

30 000 pairs of Ginch to 10 homeless shelters (more than 3000 lbs total)

If one man was to wear a new pair of underwear each day, we delivered enough ginch to last that person more than 83 years

Stretched out we delivered 34 Kilometers of waist band elastic

Narrowly avoided 1 large awkward moose at 2am (Ontario)

0 speeding tickets, 0 Moving Violations, 1 police search

Deliver Good

A special thank you to Robb Price my Navigator and CoPilot on this adventure. Robb's initiative www.delivergood.org was launched on this year's trip and has found tremendous pick up in just 3 short weeks. Deliver Good is an online giving network that matches Charities and Nonprofits who need stuff with people who have stuff. It truly streamlines the giving process and brings some much needed efficiency. If you have a used item that you are looking to give to charity, simply log on, type a description of the item, and Charities with that need will be matched in your local area. Brilliant! Wish I would have thought of it!

Whats Next?
"One Problem" the documentary is due to be complete this summer, we hope to show it at the launch party for www.delivergood.org . I will keep you posted

We have been hearing stories that a number of businesses across Canada have started underwear initiatives with their employees. For example, Bring new underwear to work and receive a free ice-cream at lunch. Shelters across Canada told me that underwear donations were up this year. The word is getting out, but the problem is by no means solved. I asked each location how long the Ginch lasted last year. The numbers vary between 2 months and 11 months.

This year, like last year, one question continued to be asked across the country. What about the ladies? I acknowledge that the need exists and that it is at least as important as the need for Mens Underwear, but I maintain that two guys traveling cross country with a truck load of women's underwear is a little creepy. We are working to find a couple of like minded ladies to take up the challenge.

I am committed to seeing this initiative continue, however what it will look like next year remains to be seen. For now I plan to take a couple of Ginch free months off until the fund raising begins again. I hope you all will join me in 2011.

Ginch Be With You!

Brent

News Brief: Deliver Good picks up Got Ginch Cross-Canada Underwear Drive

2010-05-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

DeliverGood has teamed up with GotGinch to solve problems nationwide. After being introduced by a mutual friend, DeliverGood founder, Robb Price and GotGinch founder, Brent King quickly realized they were working with the same intention and a partnership seemed obvious to both. The synergies between the GotGinch vision to deliver 30,000 pairs of men's underwear to homeless shelters and DeliverGood's role in developing a platform to allow people to solve problems in their own way, was a natural alignment. Brent and GotGinch were solving one problem nationwide and DeliverGood was taking a similar approach to build efficiencies into the charitable giving process nationwide.

King and Price are traveling across Canada, Vancouver to Halifax, from May 14th to May 28th delivering 30,000 pairs of "ginch" to homeless shelters. During this trip DeliverGood will be launching its national initiative in each market.

"GotGinch's slogan after our partnership is 'GotGinch, driven by DeliverGood'. I guess since I will be sharing driving duties with Brent in the R.V. there is a literal truth here. In all seriousness, DeliverGood could not have found a better partner to launch with than Brent and GotGinch." says Price

"After realizing the success of our first GotGinch drive in 2009, I started looking for a way to build a template to allow others to solve problems large or small. I learned about DeliverGood and the rest, as they say, is history. I'm thrilled that DeliverGood has decided to work with and...spend 75 hours driving with us." says King

To learn more about GotGinch visit: http://www.delivergood.org/gotginch
To learn more about DeliverGood visit: http://www.delivergood.org (launching Friday, May 14th)

Ginch in storage at eatART lab in Vancouver

2010-05-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the good people at eatART and EVASC in Vancouver. The Ginch has a temporary home.

Taste of Ginch "One Problem" the documentary

2010-05-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Calgary film maker Ramin Eshraghi-Yazdi
Has released the following two trailers for his Documentary "One Problem"
check them out!

http://www.vimeo.com/11545407
http://www.vimeo.com/11316975

1 week to the first drop in Vancouver. Very exciting!

Brent

Documentary of Got? Ginch 2009

2010-04-20T10:26:00.001-07:00

I am excited to announce that we have been granted funds from the Canada Council for the Arts to make last years drive into a full blown documentary. Ramin, who traveled with me last year and filmed the adventure is working hard to create a feature length piece called "One Problem". We are hoping to have at least a short version teaser ready for this years delivery dates. Stay tuned.

The order is on the Boat

2010-04-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

I have received word that our order has been loaded on the ship and has hit the high seas. ETA Vancouver is May 1st. I have also booked my flights into Vancouver and home from Halifax.

The following schedule is tentative but soon to be firm:
Vancouver Union Gospel Mission Friday, May 14 10am
Calgary The Mustard Seed Monday, May 17 10am
Edmonton The Mustard Seed Tuesday, May 18 10am
Saskatoon The Bridge Wednesday, May 19 9:00am
Regina Souls Harbour Rescue Mission Thursday, May 20 10am
Winnipeg Siloam Mission Friday, May 21 10am
Toronto Yonge Street Mission Monday, May 24 10am
Ottawa The Ottawa Mission Tuesday, May 25 10am
Montreal Mission Bon Accueil Wednesday, May 26 10am
Halifax Saint Leonard's Society Thursday, May 27 10am

Make plans to join us when we get to your town.

2010-01-15T13:50:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Everyone. WE DID IT!. The deadline is here and we have managed to raise enough money to purchase 30,000 pairs of Underwear for the drive. That's approximately 3600 lbs! Thanks loads to everyone who has stepped up with donations and pledges for this years purchase of Underwear. I will be following up with pledges in the next few days and plan to place the order early next week. If you have pledged support but have not had time to make your contribution please do so now. Let me know if you have not received your Tax Deductable receipt and I will ensure it is in process.
We will continue accepting support and direct it toward Gas Money. (last year cost $1,500.00)
Things left to do:
1. Order Ginch
2. Secure Transportation
3. Raise some Gas Money (stay tuned)

Ginch be with you.
Brent

Hello Halifax!!!

2010-01-07T07:02:00.000-08:00

8 days 21hours and 25 minutes left until our deadline and we have entered Halifax. Sooooooo Close. The quote process is complete and the factory is standing by for our order. I would hate to short change our friends on the coast. Any White Knights left out there who can help out?

$ 3000 to the goal of 10 cities!

Brent

On to Montreal

2009-12-30T14:21:00.001-08:00

Santa was very good to us. Thanks to a number of generous donations over the holidays we have made it to the next City. 16 days to the deadline and 1.5 cities to go. We cant stop now! Too close to the coast.

Merry Ginchmas Toronto!!

2009-12-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update everyone. I have not received the official totals in the Fund from the Mustard Seed but I received a few very generous donations today. I am confident this has moved us into Toronto, and quite possibly into Ottawa.

Stay tuned, and Merry Ginchmas!!

2009-12-11T12:18:00.001-08:00

We were very strong out of the gates but it appears that we are stuck in Winnipeg. Although a shorter trek this year has some appeal to me, I would hate to see the initiative stop short. If you are planning to make a charitable donation this holiday season please consider this one. If you have been intending to donate but haven’t found the time please do so soon.

I plan to place the order for the product mid January which will allow time for fabrication and delivery in early fall. In order to place the order I will need to have all donations in and accounted for.

Remember every bit helps and everyone gets a tax deductable receipt.

Three ways to contribute:
By Phone:
Contact the Mustard Seed 403 269 1319 tell them you would like to contribute to the GotGinch Underwear fund.

On Line:
https://www.theseed.ca/DonationForm.html be sure to indicate the donation is for the GotGinch Underwear Fund in the comments section

To Brent:
Cash, or Cheques, can be given to me directly and I will submit them for you.

Help if you can,

On to Winnipeg

2009-11-12T15:19:00.000-08:00

WOW. Great start.

So far initial pledges have gathered enough funds to supply: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina and half of Winnipeg’s needs (3000 pairs each). Yes, the West Got Ginch. Let’s not forget about our friends to the East. I have made good on my first tier of matching money, and look forward to the next tier as we approach our goal.

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far.

In other related news: Ramin Eshraghi-Yazdi who filmed the journey last year has applied for the grant money necessary to create the documentary. It will be called “One Problem”. We should see something before I begin delivering our underwear in the Spring.

Thanks All.

Brent

Here we go again!!!

2009-10-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I was just looking at the Mustard Seeds list of urgently needed items on their Website…… Men’s underwear is NOT listed. This one item has been eliminated thanks to us. Congratulations. The situation is similar across the Country in at least 10 shelters.

Thanks again to everyone involved in last year’s run. It was a great success and I have pledged to try again this year. Last year we saw the delivery of 25 000 pairs of underwear (3000 lbs) to individuals from coast to coast. In doing so we managed to raise some awareness and make a small difference in a lot of lives. During the journey I discovered that homelessness was a complex issue that is often viewed as hopeless. In reality I believe it is actually the sum of many smaller problems, each one with a solution. I am certain that a few individuals focused on eliminating single problems can turn a complex situation like homelessness into a solvable problem. Keeping to this simple plan of solving one problem, I will again focus on men’s underwear.

Why underwear?
1. When faced with the difficulties of living on the street basic dignity is often lost
2. There is nothing more basic than clean underwear
3. The per unit cost is low therefore more people can be reached with a given donation.
4. Underwear is typically a high need item (often at the top of shelter wish lists)
5. Many people are reluctant to give Underwear as a donation
6. This small problem is solvable
This year, like last year, I pledge to:
- Annoy and pester my Friends, Family and Professional contacts for donations
- Purchase high quality product at the very best price
- Personally deliver the underwear to as many shelters as possible (10 major cities starting in Vancouver and moving east)
- Ensure that every dollar donated goes to the purchase of clean new underwear
- Keep you all informed of the progress as we move forward

Unlike last year I plan to:
- Provide 3 sizes L, XL, and XXL
- Increase the number of units per city to 3000 (more if donations allow)

To start us off I pledge to personally match the first $5 000.00 in Donations. I will follow with a further $5 000.00 lump donation if we reach a total of $25 000.00.

Remember every dollar counts, and every donor will receive a tax deductable receipt.

I hope you will all join me again this year.

Donations can be made 3 ways:

By Phone:
Contact the Mustard Seed 403 269 1319 tell them you would like to contribute to the GotGinch Underwear fund.

On Line:
https://www.theseed.ca/DonationForm.html be sure to indicate the donation is for the GotGinch Underwear Fund in the comments section

To Brent:
Cash, or Cheques, can be given to me directly and I will submit them for you.

The website is still active though not yet updated: www.gotclothing.ca
I hope to the see the documentary of last year’s journey completed in late winter.

Brent King
V.P. Operations
Tenet Medical Engineering
W 403 571 0750
F 403 571 0752
C 403 561 1558

End of the Road

2009-07-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Monday July 6

Those of you who know me have probably never heard me talk about this before. I am not a religious man. Although I don't subscribe to any specific religion, I have to acknowledge its presence on this journey. I acknowledge the deep faith present in the hearts of those working the shelters and I see its power as a catalyst to recovery. To me the most effective groups operate like businesses balanced by their belief. Ramin referred to them as businesses operated by angels. I can't say I disagree.

Thanks to every one who supported the run. Special thanks to all the shelters who opened their doors to us and who hold their doors open to those in need.

Brent

Halifax

2009-07-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

Monday July 6

Homelessness is not as visible in Halifax says local musician Brendan Fraser. A transplanted Calgarian Brendon says "you don't see the panhandlers like you do in Calgary". Maybe it’s due to the good work of the Metro Turning Point Shelter. This shelter is a focused shelter supplying basic baseline shelter and belonging. Unlike other programs, Turning Point will not refuse access to those who are under the influence. Michael Poworoznyk (Prozzz) tells me that they focus on building trust and honesty. Once they break down those barriers they can focus on the underlying issues. Without that honesty you can’t begin to work with someone. Turning point then operates as a referral service, directing people to services that can help them. It's a little like triage for the less fortunate. I like the approach. It allows different groups to specialize rather than duplication of effort. It also fits well with my approach of focusing on one problem and dealing with it in an efficient manner.

Michael tells an amazing story of when he first came to Turning Point. This guy spent some time living amongst the guests of Turning Point. Without telling the other guests Michael quietly spent a night or two literally in their shoes. As the story goes he had borrowed a pair of beat up shoes from a friend so as to look the part. Unfortunately the shoes were a little small and quickly began hurting his feet. (Street people spend an enormous amount of time on the move) Another patron of the Mission offered Michael an extra pair of shoes that he had with him. A huge gesture. To the homeless shoes are like gold. This would be the equivalent of me offering to give a stranger my car.

Pretty moving stuff.

On the plane at 8 pm tonight. Time to let Westjet take the wheel.

Brent

Stopover

2009-07-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

Sunday July 5

We stopped along the highway to Halifax to visit and personally thank our most eastern donor. Tom and Leslie Mclean are the parents of Ryan Mclean who works with me at TENET. Lesley told us that her donation came about as her and a friend decided to make a donation this year instead of exchanging gifts. When her son told her of the drive she wanted to get involved. Two of the finest people I have ever met not surprising considering the calibre of man heir son has become.

On to Halifax!

Friday was huge

2009-07-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Friday July 3

We woke up early for a 7.30 live phone interview with a local Montreal FM station. I think I did ok but the short nights are beginning to take a toll

9.00 Tour of Ottawa Mission (OM). The Mission has an impressive kitchen that doubles as a training center for those who wish to learn culinary skills. Most unique at the Ottawa mission was their onsite hospice. They have a number of bed to care for terminally ill people who come from a street back ground and who do not have anyplace else to go. Many of them don't fit in at a standard Hospice. The staff at OM will attempt to contact family and if possible will try to reunite people in their final days. Some of the stories were really moving about parents coming to be with their children who they long thought dead.

9.30 on " A" channel Ottawa breakfast show. I managed to squeeze a recorded radio interview in the lobby with another local radio station. I also got a good plug in for one of our corporate sponsors who is local to Ottawa.

10.00 back to Ottawa mission for photo op with Member of Parliament Royal Galipeau. Ctv, CBC covered the event for local news while the Ottawa sun took some picture for their piece that I may live to regret.

Off to Montreal at 11.00 am with a tray of Chinese Food from the OM kitchen. Special thanks to Shirley Roy for the hospitality and providing the tour and media contact arrangements. Shirley comes from a medi background and her reputation in the industry is apparent.

12:00. While driving I talk to a Montreal newspaper and set up for an in studio radio bit with CBC

1.00 we hit the edge of Montreal. No problem making the 2.00 drop time right? Wrong!!! Some of the most challenging traffic I have ever experienced was in our way. What's with the no right on red lights thing an way. We managed to get lost in the myriad of one way streets in the core and arrive 15 minutes late for the event.

When we finally arrive at Mission Bon Accueil (Welcome Hall Mission)there are a number of cameras recording the Van pulling in. Now I know I'm tired as Anne Cattaruzza of Welcome Hall flashes me a signal to smile. Anne and the crew put together a very impressive and official ceremony for the drop. This was one the most organized drops to date. Latter Anne tells me that an event like this has given them an opportunity to raise their profile in the Montreal area. Good news as this was also one our goals.

I think that Welcome Hall has the biggest facility of the tour. Their factory style building fills an entire block and contains impressive facilities and amenities for those working through their addiction and reintegration programs. Gaetan Nolet performed the tour and also translated for me with French media. Gaetan has been with the mission for a number of years leaving a career as a stock broker for a career that satisfied his need to make a difference. We couldn't help talking a little bit about business.

5.00 off to CBC studios for an in studio live broadcast on the Home Run Show. Paul Rainone the Associate Executive Director of Programs at Welcome Hall will be interviewed with me. Paul is an Electrical Engineer who led a sales team at a major appliance manufacturer. Later he told me he also has a short stint as a distributor for arthroscopy equipment. It was great talking shop for a bit.

6.00 interview over

7.00 campground in site!

Later that evening we headed into Montreal to take in some of the Jazz festival. A guy has to have a little fun............Right?

Today we on the road for Halifax and the last drop Monday at noon. With luck we will return the motor home and catch an earlier flight that night. This would get us home 24 hrs earlier.

Gonna crash for a bit while Ramin drives

Brent

Young Street Mission Toronto

2009-07-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

Thursday July 2

We did something different at Young Stet Mission (YSM) in Toronto. The staff hosted a popsicle party in the parking lot and distributed flyers inviting the community to join them. We handed out free underwear to anyone in need and quickly burned through 500 pair. The recipients were very thankful and were not shy in showing their appreciation. YSM has a number of impressive programs much like the other missions, however two initiatives stand out as unique. YSM operates a thrift store supplying much needed affordable clothing to the neighbourhood. Unlike other thrift stores the clothes are cleaned, pressed and displayed in a professional manner. David Adcock tells us that they take pride in providing a clean attractive facility in order to emphasize dignity for its customers. The store operates at close to break even in order to keep prices as low as possible. David is quick to point out that the real product being offered here is jobs. Through their store valuable income and job experience is provided. A lack of previous job experience is a common barrier to success. Most unique and my favourite element of this group is their cheque cashing facility. YSM partnered with a major bank to provide financial services to the less fortunate. Humane service charges and special attention for those with little or no banking experience is provided. All this next door to their state of the art computer training center and across the street from one of (in my opinion) the largest barriers to homeless success. Predatory lender style cheque cashing facilities. Ray Marshall and Stephanie Lear of YSM treated us to dinner at a local Mexican Restaurant then sent us on to Ottawa once the traffic slowed down. We arrived just after midnight and went straight to bed as Friday was going to be a huge day. Brent

Regina/Winnipeg

2009-07-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

I apologize for blending two drops into one blog but we have been running a pretty tight timeline with the Travel

Regina
On the drop date in Regina we went for breakfast with Derrick and Joe of the mission. We discussed the history of Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, threw around some ideas and talked about barriers to success. It reminded me of a brain storming session at TENET when tackling a tough design problem. We got on the subject of cheque cashing places and pawn shops. Two barriers to their clientele. Derrick has a sales background and runs the P.R. department. He is also a graduate of the program. Joe hails from a manufacturing background, (my kind of guy). We met Michelle later that morning. She runs the show. Immediately we felt this group operated a little different than the others. It wasn't just Jack, the Harley riding chaplin either. This operation was run much like a business. Don't get me wrong they were focused on helping the less fortunate but they were going to cover their bills while they were doing it. The mission has about 5 buildings all fully paid for. Michelle tells us that her husband and her avoid debt in their personal lives and feel their operation should be run the same. Besides she says, when you own your building each donation is used 100 percent to help the needy and not service a mortgage. I love this woman. I hope she never decides to branch out into medical devices. TENET would not survive the competition.

We made the public drop at 9 am and had CTV, Global and the local newspaper cover the story. MLA Warren McCall joined us and helped unload.

Ramin got some excellent interviews from grads and the team. He was also so impressed with their youth center that he offered to return to help out.

In Winnipeg

We had a restless night in the Walmart parking lot but nothing we couldn't shake of with a subway coffee. At first look the Silome Mission looked a lot like a number of other groups we have visited. The outside is brick building that may have been an old factory. Inside it is bright and modern with a good feel. We arrived at lunch and it smelled great. I didn't have much breakfast and imagined the guests were hungrier than me. Beverly toured us through the facility and showed us its many facets. They have an art program targeted as therapy allowing their guests to express themselves in a different media. It was not for sale. Shame as some of the work was excellent. Most impressive was the state of the art health facility that was on site. This is the first location that we have seen provide this level of care. They have two full dental suites, chiropractic facilities, exam rooms, and a lab. The facility and equipment were supplied by a local pharmacist who donated the funds. The clinic is staffed by volunteer Dr.s and treats anyone regardless if they have a current Manitoba health care card or not. Keri, director of the Saul Sair health Center told us if she could have anything to add to their capabilities it would be a full time physician staff member who could address mental health issues. Beverly finished the tour with words to this effect. "Most Canadians live two paychecks from being homeless", loss of ones job combined with a personal disaster or addiction could find any one of us amongst the ranks of the clients at Silome Mission. If so, pack clean underwear cause from what I saw 2500 pair are not going to last long.

Best press coverage yet.

On the road for Toronto.

Brent

The Bridge in Saskatoon

2009-06-28T16:16:00.001-07:00

Man I love this City. I spent the afternoon with my Grandmother (95 next month) then met a very inspiring lady at the Bridge on 20th. Linda Chamagne is the director and founder. This is a woman who started with $120 donated $20 at a time from 6 friends. Through the insight of a friend and the generosity of the landlord she arranged two free months of rent from a location on 20th and started her agency to help those in her neighborhood. That was more than 10 years ago. Now in a new location with a bright clean environment, the Bridge employs a small staff including some former guests. They have a number of initiatives to offer their guests including, a 12 step program, education on hygiene and help to reintegrate. Linda has a dream to expand the services into transitional housing to help even more people help themselves. When asked "What does your organization need above all else?" Her answer is "space". I have no doubt that a lady of this caliber could do magical things with an adequate amount of space. I am entirely impressed with Linda and her strength and commitment.

Big thanks to Steve and Jordan of Global Saskatoon. These guys made a special journey to my Grandmothers house to capture footage of the run for their 6:00 deadline. A couple of newly transplanted Calgarians made the interview process fun and relaxing, by far the easiest interview to date. CTV and the star phoenix also covered the event.

Thanks to my friends and family in Saskatoon that came down to the event

Brent

Go Riders!!!

Edmonton and Beyond

2009-06-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

We made our 3rd drop yesterday at the Mustard Seed (Edmionton). We met some great people Rev. Sam Breakey, Wesley Proch, and Laurel Hoffmann. Laurel tells me that they are seeing an increase in people in need with the recent economic downturn. 16132 visits were made to there personal assistance center in 2008 for clothing and hygiene items. Underwear is only one of the items needed. Wesley is a young energetic member of the team and runs the personal assistance center. We had a chance to interview him and found that he was full of innovative ideas for increasing the help they are able to administer. I look forward to keeping in touch with him and learning more of his success. I asked Rev. Breakey to tell me one thing that could be offered to increase their effectiveness and he told me that volunteers from the community were their best asset. The seed focuses on building trust in the neighborhood so they might be available to help when individuals are ready to make the transition. Volunteers from the community are essential to that first step.

Along the way we had a chance to do some investigative reporting on cheque cashing establishments in the area. There are many barriers to the homeless and this one is huge. More on this in my next report.

We have delivered 3/10th of the load. The motor home is still cramped but we managed to get access to the stove today so I could cook a pizza as we traveled to Saskatoon, I look forward to access to the bathroom and the shower.

Off to the Bridge on 2oth in Saskatoon

Stay tuned.

Brent

Two down eight to go.

2009-06-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hi
Everyone,

The Calgary Delivery went very well. City News, CBC and NUTV covered the event. Keep an eye out for my ugly mug on the evening news. A reporter for the CBC wrote the following:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/06/26/underwear-drive-homeless-shelters-donations-king.html

We held the event at the Mustard Seeds foothills shelter. When asking one of the Seed staff about the effect of giving underwear to an individual, she told us that small gestures like this make all the difference. Once she simply offered a man the opportunity to take a shower, he burst into tears. Small luxuries when you have none can be an overwhelming gift.

I going to crash at home with my family tonight then head for the Mustard Seed in Edmonton at about 6am. We will make our drop at noon local time. I am looking forward to the relatively short distances in the prairies.

Ramin continues to get exceptional footage of the faces and places on the front lines.

Thanks as always to our supporters.

Brent

Back in Calgary

2009-06-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

We got back to Calgary at 2am local time. I'm a little punchy but ready for our noon drop at the foothill Mustard Seed Shelter. Looking forward to a few shorter runs in Alberta and Sask. 6hrs max. Thanks again to everyone who has helped out. I told the crowd at Union Gospel Mission Vancouver about how many friends and business associates donated. I could see the emotion in more than one face, including my own. Here we go again!

Brent

1st drop Complete

2009-06-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

We just finished our first drop of the run at Union Gospel Mission in downtown Vancouver. The staff was increadably supportive and helped to unload their gear. I had a chance to meet with some of the alumni of the mission, and learned a lot about their programs. Thanks Keela, Bruce and all the staff an volunteers at UG. UG has three different programs that address homlessness. Emergency care, housing and feeding. Addiction treatment (they have an ~ 75% success rate) and Prevention, helping youth in the area and familys to stay in their existing homes. When I asked Keela, what the biggest single challenge they faced, her answer was "Space". Oddly not underwear. Every week they have to make hard decisions on who they will allow into their programs due to limitation of space. I can only imgine how hard it would be to turn away a person who is willing to make the commitment to kick an addition but is unable to enter the program due to space constraints.

Keep up the amaizing work UG, hope to see you next year.

We leave today for Calgary and expect to be home ~ 1am local time.

Brent

Brent

On the road!

2009-06-24T06:51:00.000-07:00

I am just stepping out of the office and into the motor home. I have a quick stop at the grocery store and then I will pick up Ramin (Film Maker) at 10:00 am. We should be in Vancouver by 10:00 pm local time. I can't wait to get underway, it's been a long time building.

Once again thanks to Kerry Worth and the people at Canadream Motor Homes for providing the cush ride!

Vancouver update (delivery time revision)

2009-06-19T09:47:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

To accomidate some of the media we have moved our drop for Union Gospel Mission in Vancouver to 11am. If you are in town feel free to come down and help unload.

Brent

One week to Launch

2009-06-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone

Just a few details to report.

The film maker Ramin Eshraghi-Yazdi has raised enough money to join me onthe journey. Thanks to all of you who were able to help out!

The Website is up and running www.gotclothing.ca Thanks Robin. We have created links to each of our sponsors and invite you to link to us if youwish. If you are a corporate sponsor and your logo does not appear please contact me this week prior to our start. The site is linked to the blog and will be the best place to follow along as we make the trip. I will be posting updates daily after June 24th.

The schedule is:
June 24th Calgary Canadream RV's pick up motorhome
June 25th Vancouver Union Gospel Mission 12:00 Noon
June 26th Calgary Mustard Seed (foothills shelter) 7025 44 ST SE 12:00 Noon
June 27th Edmonton Mustard Seed 10635 96th Street 12:00 Noon
June 28th Saskatoon The Bridge on 20th 1320 20th street west 4:00 pm
June 29th Regina Souls Harbour Rescue Mission 1380 Elphinstone St 9:00 am
June 30th Winnipeg Siloam Mission 12:00 noon
July 2nd Toronto Younge Street Mission 4:00 pm
July 3rd Ottawa Ottawa Mission 35 Waller Street 10:00 am
July 3rd Montreal Bon Accueil (Welcome Hall Mission) 4755 D Acorn 2:00pm
July 6th Halifax Saint Leonard's Society 2170 Barrington StreetJuly 7th
Calgary YYC 10:30 pm
July 8th back to the grind.

Feel free to stop by when we are in your town. I would love to thank eachof you personally.

Brent

2009-05-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Two new exciting developments.

Our newest Sponsor CanaDream RV Rentals http://www.canadream.com/ is supporting the drive by providing me with a huge discount on the rental of the motor home. The budget was beginning to creep a little on me and this generous donation has brought me back in line. Thanks Kerry and everyone at CanaDream RV rentals

In other news. We have caught the eye of a local filmmaker who is very interested in traveling along with me and capturing the journey in a documentary. He is presently running a fund raiser of his own to cover some of his expenses. He has raised $700.00 and needs ~ $2500.00 total to be able to join me. If anyone knows people interested in sponsoring independent film, please have them contact Ramin at ramin@nurfilms.net . The intention of the documentary is to create further support for future activities as well as to inform on some of the lesser known facts about the homeless population in Canada. Ramin is an incredibly talented film maker and I am honored, and very lucky that he would consider accompanying me on the trip.

The new Delivery dates are as follows:

June 24th Leave Calgary with Motor home
June 25th Vancouver
June 26th Calgary
June 27th Edmonton
June 28th Saskatoon
June 29th Regina
June 30th Winnipeg
July 2nd Toronto
July 3rd Ottawa
July 4th Montreal
July 6th Halifax
July 7th Calgary via Air.

I don’t see any delays in the works this time.

Brent King
“If it’s worth doing it’s worth over-doing”

2009-05-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

Ever Wonder how much space is required to store 25000 pairs of underway. Now you know.

A million thanks to my friends at EVASC Medical for lending us the warehouse space, not to mention unloading the Ginch. Brent

The Underwear has Landed

2009-05-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

Word is 25000 pairs of Got? Ginch have arrived at the docks in Vancouver. I expect them to be delivered to my buddies warehouse within the week. Stay tuned for the new delivery schedule. I'm thinking June 19 th feels good.

I also received, via fedex, samples today of the finished product. White as the driven snow, with the Got? logo proudly displayed on the waist band.

Gota love it!

Brent

Still coming together, but not on schedule! Argh!!

2009-04-22T11:07:00.001-07:00

Me again.

I hate it when the phrase "too good to be true" strikes. And while the Underwear Drive is still on (no way they're stopping me!), there has been a delay in the shipment.

After my renewed excitement and optimism yesterday, I found out today that the shipment will be delayed before it arrives in Vancouver. :-(

Somehow, the container the ginch are in fell between the bureaucratic cracks in Shanghai, and has been sitting on their docks for a few weeks. Now they've found it and it's on its way, but there's no way the container will land in time to stick to our original schedule. (The earliest it will arrive is May 12.)

So I am revising the dates of my trip, and will let you know when I have them sorted out again. This started out as a Christmas charity project in 2008, so I want to be sure it happens before Christmas 2009.

What is that quote about adversity? Here it is, found it online. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” (Henry Ford)

So here I go, nose into the wind. Sometimes the only way you can take these events is with a grain of philosophy ...

It's all coming together!

2009-04-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Hey gang,

Had lunch yesterday with Del, Rion, and Richard from the Mustard Seed. We went over the communications plan, the details of the shipment arrival, and what we would do in each city as the time got closer.

Man, I can feel this thing coming closer, and I'm getting so pumped about it. This is going to be a lot of fun. I think that after this I will have a unique perspective on this country that many of us don't know a thing about. It will certainly be a different kind of cross-country trek than most embark on. I'll let you know what I see as I'm going.

More updates to come!

The Details of Where and When

2009-04-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

Got? on Facebook

2009-04-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

We have a face book page. You can find me under the name "Got Ginch and we accept all friend invitations.

Getting started

2009-04-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm Brent. Just an ordinary guy. I have a very tolerant wife and a son who keeps me very busy. I go to work every morning as a medical device designer. Every year I give to charity and hope that it makes a difference. This year I decided to try something different.

I like finding solutions to problems. Homelessness is a huge problem in our society, but not one with an easy solution. So I tried to think of a way to solve one portion of the problem, in my own small way.

Turns out that homeless shelters across the country are always in need of new, clean underwear. That was a manageable need, so I began working on providing for that one need.

I started locally in my hometown of Calgary by asking the good people at the mustard seed how many pair of underwear they would typically need in a year. The answer 2500. I set out to supply them with enough underwear to last them one year. The need was within my means and I could solve this problem for one agency.

I was feeling pretty good about myself so I told a friend about my idea. His response was: "you could make this so much bigger". This friend and a few others pledged some money and before I knew it I had Calgary and Edmonton covered. Then I decided to challenge my friends and business contacts. (A decision I may soon regret) It told everyone I knew that I would personally deliver 2500 pair of underwear to each major city if they donated the money to supply the remainder. I started with Vancouver and we started moving east. Each week more donations rolled in and we would have another major city on the list.

And it turns out I know a lot of generous people. I am now the proud custodian of 25,000 (yes, twenty-five thousand) pairs of tighty-whities that I will deliver to 10 Canadian cities, from Vancouver to Halifax.

I'm excited and grateful for the response and support. I invite you to join me on the drive. I will be hitting the road on May 7th, posting updates here leading up to departure, and once I'm on the road.

Mom always said pack lots of clean underwear. Got it covered Mom! Thanks.

Brent