Breaking the “Us and Them” Mindset: How THE !N CROWD is Reconnecting Community

In society today, one of the most harmful divides we often overlook is the quiet, invisible one: the “us and them” mentality. It’s the subtle way we separate ourselves from others—those who are struggling, those who are different, those who we assume are not “like us.”

We see it in the way we talk about people experiencing homelessness: “They should just get a job.” We hear it when people speak about those living with disability: “They’re not able to contribute like everyone else.” And we feel it in the discomfort or silence that surrounds mental illness: “They’re unpredictable, unstable.”

This mindset—often unconscious—is deeply embedded in our culture. It turns lived experiences into labels, reduces individuals to problems, and quietly fosters stigma, shame, and disconnection. It makes challenges like homelessness, disability, and mental health feel like someone else’s issue, rather than a shared community responsibility.

But at THE !N CROWD, we believe in flipping that script.

We don’t operate from a place of “us and them.” We exist to champion the power of we.

Our programs, campaigns, and outreach efforts are rooted in the belief that community is strongest when it recognises our shared humanity. We all go without something at times—whether it’s support, stability, confidence, connection, or safety. That doesn’t make us broken. That makes us human. We break the false divide that says “they” suffer and “we” help. Instead, we remember that everyone needs help at some point. And everyone has something to offer.

This philosophy carries through everything we do:

• We place lived experience at the centre of our work—ensuring the people most affected by issues are also shaping the solutions.
• We create safe, trauma-informed spaces where individuals with disability and mental health challenges are seen, supported, and celebrated.
• We bring services to the streets through our Community on Wheels van—not asking people to prove they deserve help, but showing up where they are, as they are.

We don’t want a community where support is transactional or charity is conditional. We want a community where inclusion is the starting point, not the end goal.

Breaking the “us and them” mindset is not a one-time event. It’s a practice. A commitment. And it’s the foundation of everything we’re building at THE !N CROWD.

Because no one should be left out, left behind, or left without.

And the truth is—we’re all in this together.

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