Punk Youth Helping The Community

A youth member of the Calgary punk community is using his self run magazine and outreach events to provide support for those in need.

Caius Big Bull-Blys is the creator of the magazine “Pointless Gibberish”, which he started when he was in grade seven, four years ago. His magazine is what sparked his interest in organizing community outreach.

“I realized that I can only talk about theory for so long before I adopt it and before I act towards it, and having the resources to act towards it with a little bit of money I gained off the magazine,” said Big Bull-Blys “Around the third copy I organized the first outreach table because I wanted to be able to say I had adopted this.”

Pointless Gibberish started as a series of 11 zines using local artwork and after Big Bull-Blys attended his first punk show a few years later, it became more punk focused. The content became more politically charged and featured local punk artists.

“It's kind of making the stuff I know more accessible and more consumable,” said Big Bull-Blys. “A lot of political and philosophical writing is blown up and over intellectualized, and it's exhausting.”

This magazine is seen as a different form of outreach, a way to promote punk ideologies with the community.

After witnessing and experiencing his own hardships in life, Big Bull-Blys decided to try and help people however he can.

“I've observed addiction and I've observed poverty a lot in my life. I'm at a position now where I have a lot of comfort and a lot of luxury in my life that I'm really grateful for,” said Big Bull-Blys.

Big Bull-Blys was able to get together a group of punk youth volunteers to work the table and donate items or money. Although it isn’t the same group of volunteers every time, the team is a solid group of people wanting to make a difference.

“What we're aiming to do is a table every month or two on Stephen Ave and provide necessities that a lot of people aren't necessarily getting access to,” said Elise Laird, a volunteer and friend of Big Bull-Blys.

One of the hardest parts of this idea was getting people involved. According to Big Bull-Blys, people have a hard time beginning to organize these types of events, so he was willing to be the one to get the ball rolling.

“I really had the privilege to be able to bring these people together and focus them,” said Big Bull-Blys. “It’s not that they don’t want to act, it's that they don’t know how to.”

Practicing what you preach is an important part of outreach, and this group works hard to promote and recruit as many volunteers as they can.

“It's always good to take a step back and think, What can I do?," said Laird. “There's always things you can do, community is so important and organization is not as hard as it seems, you know?”

According to Big Bull-Blys, obtaining cash donations is one of the hardest parts about running an event like this because people are willing to promote the event but less willing to put forward their own money.

“I'll get a ton of people promoting it and reposting it, but out of that, I might get $14.20,” said Big Bull-Blys.

The outreach tables provide both non perishable and fresh foods, clothing, tarps, and other material goods anyone less fortunate might need. 

“We had sandwiches that we had made beforehand. Then we also made some sandwiches there as well, and bags and stuff, some granola bars, socks and any clothing donations,” said Laird.

The teens work alongside Good Neighbor, a volunteer-run organization that provides food and clothing to Calgarians. Good neighbor provided the outreach table with both clothes and food to support their cause. Anything they can’t obtain themselves they will get from Good Neighbor.

According to their website, Good Neighbor accepts donations for any type of clothing, toiletries, and monetary as well.

The community reaction to their table has been for the most part positive, according to the volunteers. It has even prompted pedestrians walking by to drop a cash donation onto the table. The crew then takes that donation across the street to the dollar store for more supplies.

“A lot of people would stop by and just be like I, love what you guys are doing. Like, thank you,” said Laird.

The work they do is to directly support the unhoused community, and they continue to host these events for the near future.

“The moment you acknowledge an individual as a human being and you get their needs met, they’re no longer scary right?” said Big Bull-Blys. “They’re scary because they’re material conditions aren’t met.”

Information on these events is available on the Pointless Gibberish Instagram, including dates, times, and location.