Salvation Army Volunteer Goes the Extra Mile for Those in Need
If you happen to be around downtown Halifax on a Wednesday evening, you might see The Salvation Army’s “Jack Frost” program in action.
Lead volunteer Tom Banfield, 71, has taken part in the Jack Frost program for the past 11 years. Every Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. Tom, along with fellow volunteers, drive around in his truck to visit different points of the heart of Halifax to deliver hot meals and clothes for people experiencing homelessness in the area.
His commitment and long tenure with the program, have allowed Tom to be someone that is recognized by those in need.
“Once they see me with The Salvation Army vest, they go to the truck right away because they know they have a hot meal waiting for them there,” he said.
“We started giving out clothes because I wanted to do more people than just giving them food.”
Soon after he began taking part in the program, Tom wanted to implement additional support for the people he was helping on the street. He wanted to ensure everyone was keeping warm.
“We started giving out clothes because I wanted to do more people than just giving them food.”
Every week during his Jack Frost runs, Tom mixes in with the people lining up to receive a hot meal to ask them if they have any requests for clothes or other items that they may need. He then goes back to the truck to check if he has any of the items. If he doesn’t, he writes them down on a list and does his best to try to find these before the following week’s run.
“People on the street always ask for me because they know I keep a list. If I can’t find any of the items requested I advertise it on Facebook and I usually have it by the following week,” he said.
Tom can get the items on his list by finding them himself or from donations. He has hosted local fundraisers in the past, but he has also been helped by people who see his posts, even hundreds of kilometres away from Halifax.
Mobile feeding unit feeds the hungry in sub zero temperatures
In the past, factors such as addiction and mental health were the ones Tom attributed the most as the cause of homelessness. But this past year, he has noticed that most of the people he finds living on the street are there due to financial hardship. Tom says he has seen an increase in people without a home because of the current economic landscape. The good news is that the support for the Jack Frost program has also increased thanks to the involvement of The Salvation Army’s Encounter Church in Lower Sackville, N.S.
“The excitement and love you feel when helping others is an amazing feeling.”
“With Encounter Church opening we now have a lot more volunteers. Before there would only be three of us, but now we usually get five to seven people helping us. Having more volunteers with us allows me to walk around and find more people in need, which is a blessing,” Tom said.
Tom loves being part of the Jack Frost program. He credits his late friend Dave Jackson for guiding him and getting him involved in the program. Tom is committed to helping those living on the streets for as long as he can.
“I promised my pastor I would do this until I am 75 at least. But if I can do it until I am 80, then I’ll do it until I am 80. The excitement and love you feel when helping others is an amazing feeling.”
By Juan Romero
