Author: Manna

Our hearts have gone out to the hundreds of people stranded because of floods and mud slides. Thousands of people have demonstrated the ‘Spirit of BC’ – generous care and support in time of crises – a place for shelter, warm food, showers, washing clothes, counseling, grief support; in times of need, the people of BC are generous and caring.

Now those who suffered must not be forgotten – shelter will still be needed while homes are repaired or rebuilt; food will need to be delivered along with drinkable water; grief support will be vital; and communities will need the encouragement to restart.

The reality of seasonal crisis is terrible for all who suffer. No one deserves to live in their car; go without food; be cold; or when the crisis is over and the media goes home – be forgotten and alone. The unfortunate reality, as demonstrated from the past study of the Williams Lake fires, is that some will become homeless through this event.

Every week, Manna Homeless Society serves individuals forgotten and alone as the result of a past crisis:

• A work related injury, too young to retire, no pension, no relief from pain except through medication [sometimes, self-administered]
• A ‘reshuffling of resources’ – ‘downsized’, fired – after years of dedication, but without skills necessary for the ‘transition’
• An escape from a childhood of abuse or drug influenced home
• Uneducated; undiagnosed mental health issues; violent for self-protection
• Generational poverty and without hope

For every person we serve, we hear a unique story of pain, loneliness, and grief of a life lost.

But, this past week’s news of BC’s ‘state of emergency’ has revived my hope. The people of BC are a generous, caring, compassionate community concerned for those who suffer traumatic crisis.

And so, I come to you, encouraged by past examples of compassionate care, to ask for a seasonal consideration of support for our Manna friends who continue to linger with the trauma of crisis from the past.

I know that Christmas is often the season when you are asked to consider numerous requests for additional support.

So let me help frame your consideration;

First – care for the friends, family members, and people in your immediate circle of relationship; if anyone you know is in need, help that person feel loved, accepted, treasured.

Second – your participation in a Faith Community, join with their programs of seasonal compassionate care and help those in need to recognize the love found in a common community.

Third – when looking to expand your generousity into Oceanside; helping children have lunch supplies [at Springwood Elementary]; providing seniors, families, and disabled individuals with food for the weekends; offering additional donated items of clothing, sleeping bags, tarps, socks, boots/shoes; and providing a place of acceptance, encouragement, and love – consider Manna Homeless Society.

1. Please consider a cash donation. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we have responded to individual requests for additional food, from seniors, families, disabled individuals – all vulnerable and in need. QF Warehouse allows us to order wholesale supplies, so your cash donation is literally multiplied in effectiveness.
2. Please consider a ‘Christmas Stocking’ – a pair of warm socks stuffed with toothpaste/brush, hand warmers, chocolates, deodorant, comb/brush, razor, pen, maybe a surprise ‘treasure’ [no money please].

Donations can be mailed to:
Manna Homeless Society
Box 389, Errington, BC, V0R 1V0

You can drop off your donations on Wednesday at the Manna van parked near the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen [across from the Parksville Fire Hall].

And you can call – 250-607-7142 and coordinate a time for a pick-up.

Thank you for your partnership with Manna, and your concern for the vulnerable in our community,

Thanks,

Jerrold

Manna Homeless Society,

Community Chaplain

• We have a shortage for tooth brushes and toothpaste
• Cooler weather means we need more pants, long sleeve shirts, hoodies
• Boots and shoes are in dire need [we have three men needing size 13-14]

‘What about food?’ – you may ask – our partnership with Quality Food Warehouse allows us to purchase wholesale case lots and they often donate extra!! So for your cost to donate 2-3 cans of stew; Manna can purchase 4-6 cans with those same equivalent funds.

We’ve been offering food supplies from the Manna Van every Wednesday at the soup kitchen since Covid restrictions made our regular Saturday distribution difficult to maintain. This has resulted in a steady supply of groceries but a reduction in the ability to provide a sense of ‘community’. This spring we also began to have regular stops at the Smithers RV park – and increased our visits from once a month to weekly.

 I’m not sure about involving other groups with sandwiches/soup at this time – I will hold off on that offer until regulations are totally lifted, and the ownership welcomes us coming with more people and resources..

I was reminded last week of Friends of Manna who perished during this pandemic isolated season. In Smithers RV park, I was told that about 9 people have died this past year – drug overdose, but from loneliness and feelings of isolation. Many of them had been ‘clean’ for extended periods, but in their bid to cope, had OD’ed. [names have been changed] Neil was one of our friends who died. At Orca – Simon passed, and I led his memorial a few months back. Last week I learned of Big John, and two weeks before that of Paul [Pam’s husband]. Candice, at Smithers, recorded on her phone answering message, her loss of a family member. I don’t know all the ones who have died during Covid, but while the media would chalk it up to ‘drug addict overdosing’, I know the root cause was loneliness, feeling abandoned, and the fear of no one caring.

For this reason, Manna plays an important role in our community. We offer non-judgemental support and encouragement, assistance to contact community resources and government help, and the underpinning of hope.

Last Spring, Manna was invited to consider providing lunch and snack supplies to Springwood School’s ‘support our students’ program. We were told of multiple Diabetic kids needing access to ‘energy food/drinks’ and we were able to step into this opportunity for this Fall.

Manna had initially been approached to help a family suffering the sudden death of a husband/father. We provided over $300 of gift cards that the administration doled out in a timely fashion; a large collection of non-perishable food items; and some requested clothing items. Our immediate non-judgemental assistance assured the Springwood Admin that Manna could be called upon at a moment’s notice.

This past month, Manna was able to provide a bike to a woman needing transportation for work. We’ve been able to distribute eight bikes this past summer – two helped men, referred to us from SOS, establish a way to regularly get to appointments, the Food Bank and Soup Kitchen; three went to residents of Orca Place, helping them exercise and get to appointments; I passed on a bike, as mentioned, to a woman working at a local restaurant and another for her teenaged son visiting for the summer and seeking a summer job; and I passed on a bike to a friend at the Soup Kitchen.

But I’ve run out of bikes.

As the Fall closes in, I am anticipating renewed requests for bikes [with fenders] so people no longer need to walk to the Soup Kitchen or to work. We have friends at Smithers Road RV Park who walk to part-time employment and a bike would enhance their opportunities.

If you are aware of anyone wanting to donate a bike to Manna, please have them call or email for a pick-up time. [contact information is at the bottom of the page]

Over the course of the past four weeks, we’ve been able to expand our supports, and respond to an invitation from the Smithers RV ownership to attend there weekly. We’re now going to Smithers at 10:30 on Wednesday morning before continuing on to the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen at 12:00. Wednesday has proven to be a valuable time to offer assistance – often community support people are at the Soup Kitchen, and we can introduce them to our friends and follow up with their treatment plans.

Wednesdays have become our new distribution time-slot. I’ve witnessed, and been told, that city bylaw officers discourage the weekend appearance of people who ‘may be homeless’. Even through the week, bylaw vehicles regularly patrol the Soup Kitchen to insure ‘disbursement’ by 1:00. With our open door invitation to Smithers, we have the opportunity to explore ways to support over 60 living units. Many are living there because of a limited retirement income, some have disability from work related injuries, some are on welfare with mental health challenges that prevent regular and steady employment. Yes, there are those who ‘do drugs’ – but these friends are often trying to mask their physical or emotional pain.

 I think we can begin to welcome more volunteers on Wednesday to help with the distribution of resources, creating friendships, and providing hope.

I’ve also been able to restart visiting Orca Place in the past couple of months – seeking to go every Monday and Wednesday mornings for coffee and chats. There are many new residents at Orca, so it’s been great meeting new people and hearing their stories. [I was also invited back earlier in the spring to conduct a memorial service for one of our friends who passed away.]

Of special note; [names have been changed ] Bruce is in treatment and we’ve supplied dog food for his dog being ‘dog-sat’ by a friend; Jim is working tirelessly as a peer support volunteer with Forward House and has started a photo blog of the people he meets; Beth has moved into her own trailer and feels emotionally ready for greater independence; Debbie is holding down a job and is positive about her stability; Doug still suffers from chronic back pain from when he fell off his bike three years ago; Craig is stable and enjoys regular visits from his brother and mom; Don is enjoying the summer to continue his research into the snake population on Vancouver Island; Tina has been off alcohol for over 150 days; Sue continues to support the ‘kids’ [Bob, Sean, Bill, and Shirley] living on the street with extra socks or snacks that she gets from the Manna Van. People are again finding ways to remain positive and find strength – and Manna is able to offer encouragement and support.

This has been a damp, cold, snowy time for our homeless folks in the Oceanside area. To date, there is still no weather shelter in Oceanside. This snow has caused all sorts of problems, particularly because the snowfall has happened on the weekend. Because other support services in our area are not available on the weekend, Manna is working around the clock to offer support. We have been able to give out tarps, warm and dry clothes, food and food vouchers, as well as to get some people into trailers, containers and shared accommodations.

However, an extreme weather shelter is needed. It is very difficult for Manna to assist all those in need on weekends while other services are closed. The majority of the poor people have very little and need support from the community. We sincerely hope this is the last winter without an extreme weather shelter and that our local leaders will get together to show compassion to our homeless in Oceanside by providing such a shelter.