Five years ago, Manna Homeless Society could comfortably distribute essential survival items—food, clothing, warm blankets, foot care supplies, and temporary shelter support—on the grounds of the Salvation Army Mt. Arrowsmith Church in Parksville. Our weekly two-hour outreach served a manageable number of people in need, with minimal disruption to the surrounding community. Today, the situation is unrecognizable. Homelessness in the Oceanside region has surged, with the 2025

By Robin Campbell, Manna Homeless Society In Parksville—our postcard-pretty coastal haven—a full-blown humanitarian crisis rages on, and city hall does nothing about it. The number of desperate souls crammed into vehicles has exploded, with recent counts showing around 90 unsheltered people and many more living in their cars in the Parksville-Qualicum area (mostly sleeping rough or in cars), scraping by in hunger, freezing rain, and misery. Yet these officials bury their head

In the heart of Oceanside, British Columbia, where the beauty of Vancouver Island meets the harsh reality of growing poverty, one organization has steadfastly shouldered the burden of caring for the homeless and at-risk: Manna Homeless Society. For years, Manna has provided emergency food, clothing, hygiene supplies, temporary shelter, mobile foot care, and compassionate outreach to those forgotten by society—individuals, families, and seniors teetering on the edge of despair