Joe Roberts is pushing a shopping cart across Canada raising funds and awareness for youth homelessness.

The Push For Change initiative is in the city today.

Roberts is speaking this afternoon from 3-4 pm in the Nipissing UniversityTheatre, which is open to the public.

He’s also dropping the ceremonial puck at tonight’s Battalion game against Mississauga.

Roberts was once homeless himself and says he’s a perfect example of exiting homelessness, but it was early intervention that was missing.

He says that’s the change they’re pushing for.

“So that when we see young people beginning to have challenges, that we get them the supports they need before they end up on the street, before they become street involved, before they get wrapped in addiction or sexual pervasion,” he said.

Roberts says it’s not only about the dollars they raise, it’s about the conversations that are being sparked at the municipal, provincial and federal levels.

He also says building houses and prevention models is not a complex issue.

In terms of what local residents can do, Roberts says, “it’s not necessarily about giving them a dollar or two, or a sandwich, it’s to see them as a human being.  If we make that leap, we move towards collapsing the stigma that is that person’s situation.”

He also says everyone can ask themselves what they can do in the community, whether that’s supporting emergency services, contributing to food banks, joining a board, reaching out to groups and finding out what the process is to start a task force to gather data and see what’s going on.

Click HERE for more information on The Push For Change