For Donovan Mahoney, a picture can overcome differences between people.
Mahoney is a frequent contributor to the healthycity4all hashtag, a social media initiative the city started in April as part of its “healthy city” plan.
Mahoney’s Instagram pictures of various places and residents in the Downtown Eastside spurred conversations about the city’s problems of homelessness and affordability. He shared what he knew as an ex-Downtown Eastside resident and an ex-drug addict. That attracted the city’s attention and it commissioned nine photos from Mahoney.
He wants to help Vancouverites relate to each other more.
“We’re all in this together,” he said.
Mahoney added that a lot of people he knows are “a paycheque away from being homeless.” Many would be on the verge of homelessness if they lost their job, he said.
The city approached Mahoney about a month ago and asked if he would take more photos and continue contributing to the #healthycity4all conversation on social media. Mahoney has continued posting photos and short stories to go with them, going far beyond the nine he was originally asked to do. His Instagram posts are filled with comments supporting his work.
“I’m just trying to take photos, and connect it with myself and others — but not be preachy about it,” said Mahoney. “Somehow people have connected with that.”
Mahoney appreciates the love he has received.
“Since I got clean and sober, the Internet and the community of Vancouver has embraced me, and supported and appreciated what I’m sharing,” he said. He hopes to inspire others to speak up and act on what they think the city needs. He gave the example of Vancouver’s high rental prices. “If everybody says I’m not paying this rent anymore, then what happens?”
The conversation about Mahoney’s pictures did not go unnoticed. The city saw the parallels in his message and its own.
“If you want to be a healthy city for all, what we’re trying to achieve is wellness for everybody,” said Mary Clare Zak, managing social director for the city. “And in lots of ways it’s an equity strategy. I think a lot of what Donovan’s work has done is identify areas where there are gaps in equity in the city.”
The city has gained about 6,000 Twitter followers since Mahoney started posting photos using the healthycity4all hashtag, according to Zak. It is impossible to tell how much of this increase in followers was due to Mahoney’s involvement, but the city is happy with the project so far.
The city is open to setting up other similar collaborations, thanks to the success of the project with Mahoney.
“We would be welcome to others who are interested in procreating something with us,” said Zak.
The city’s healthy city for all strategy is set for a 10-year timeline and falls under a long-term 30-year social sustainability plan.
Mahoney’s pictures portray some of the city’s issues vividly. His message for social justice has a sense of urgency to it.
“We’ve trusted other people to make those decisions, but they’ve let us down,” he said.
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