Volunteer Kindness Shines Bright on Homeless Encampments

A committed team of The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) volunteers were a beacon of hope, bringing dignity to the City of London’s homeless community.

As part of London’s Health and Homelessness initiative, six passionate Salvation Army volunteers delivered more than 7,600 nutritious meals and 15,000 bottles of water to four encampment service hubs from July to December 2023. The volunteers gave 228 hours of their time, selflessly supporting the estimated 450- 600 individuals living rough in London every night.

Each Friday, Alex Bilik, EDS volunteer, delivered meals to anyone in need of a warm and nutritious meal or a cold bottle of water to fight off dehydration.

“It is rewarding to see the impact the Salvation Army has in helping people who are so incredibly grateful,” Alex says. “Anything you can do is definitely valued by people in need, and it is our responsibility to give back to our communities.”

Another volunteer, London resident Rob Perry, also assisted with food distribution.

“Volunteering with the Salvation Army is great because there are a lot of different ways to help improve peoples’ lives. I get more out of it than I give, and it warmed my heart knowing I was making a difference,” Rob says. “I really liked talking to and getting to know some of the people at the encampments, learning their personal stories and how they were encouraged to get help.”

Trevor McLellan, emergency disaster services specialist with The Salvation Army in Ontario, says the City of London asked EDS to play a key role in support of their encampment support initiative.

“Homelessness has become an epidemic in communities across the country and London is no different. We worked with about 40 different agencies to help with homelessness,” Trevor says. “We had a crew delivering food to encampments for six straight months, five days a week. The Salvation Army and EDS has become a much larger player within the Health and Homelessness initiative. Our participation has also raised the awareness among London’s non-governmental agencies of our capabilities.”

In total, the EDS team provided 76 days of service to this cause, not only providing meals and daily essentials but also raising awareness about homelessness in the city.

To learn more about the work of The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services in Ontario and the opportunities to provide hope to those in need, please visit www.salvationarmy.ca/eds.