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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.

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.

Now is not the time to hold back. While it seems that Saturday mornings may no longer provide the best time to meet with people, we are able to offer greater resources through our weekly distribution at Smithers Road RV Park and the Soup Kitchen. But what is missing is the ability to fulfill the opportunity to talk/befriend people. I’m looking for past team members [and new ones] who are available to join together for our Wednesday distribution. We’ll meet first at the Manna Storage Building located across the parking lot from the Wildlife Recovery Centre on Leffler Road at 10:00 – load up our supplies and venture to Smithers for 10:30 and continue on to the Soup Kitchen for 12:00 finishing around 1:00 Phone or email for a chance to chat and try out this great opportunity to encourage vulnerable and marginalized people.

Thank you for your support. We are so deeply grateful for your kind words, for your gifts and financial donations. We are just heading into the fall/winter season which is always a difficult time for those who live on the street or survive hand to mouth. We felt our numbers had peaked last year and it could not get busier, but to our surprise many new faces started showing up this year from long term residents to people passing through. We have seen an increase in families, the elderly and women running from abusive situations. The largest increase has been families and the elderly of our community. Manna found ourselves relocating women to safe houses outside our community due to the increase in numbers in other agencies. The Oceanside RCMP have been very compassionate as we have worked with them a number of times giving out tents, etc. Because of the drought, odd jobs such as cutting grass or landscaping were not available to some of our clients. Without these earnings they will not be able to afford to get indoors this winter. There has also been an increase in drug related problems where we work with individuals as well as families suffering from the effects of addiction. Government cutbacks are becoming very evident when working with the vulnerable. I saw an individual with multiple physical and mental issues take up to nine months to finally be placed on a disability pension. This person suffered physically and emotionally to get through this trying time. Unfortunately, our system is a failure for the less fortunate so we need to continue to help these people to the best of our ability. The lack of affordable housing is a huge problem. Manna feels the brunt of this so we are in need of more tents and tarps, sleeping bags, warm coats, gloves, hats and emergency food supplies for the upcoming winter season. We are also asking for funds so that we can place extreme cases into motels for a short term until we can find something more adequate. Manna’s bike program has been very successful in our community and we are in need of good bikes to keep the program going. If anyone has a bike they are not using that is in good shape we would like it. A bike can be a life changer for the less fortunate. Attitude is everything and we still deal with some people in the public who have a hard heart and say that we are nothing but a bandage for the less fortunate. We continue to tell our critics that in some cases a bandage is needed to stop the bleeding so healing can begin. There is no one solution for the problems of the less fortunate in Oceanside, but with the continued help of people like yourself we will continue to serve the less fortunate seven days a week with 100% volunteer help. Donations and gifts go directly to helping the homeless and less fortunate. Please remember those in need as the weather gets wetter and temperatures dip down during the long nights. Thank you for all your support. We couldn’t do it without you. Many Blessings, Robin Campbell

Well it has been a very busy summer this year with the number of clients on the rise. It seems that there is less Community services to go around to assist the less fortunate, this has put a larger load onto Manna. We are finding that we have gone from a community that had denied that we have a homeless problem a few years ago. To a community that is now trying to catch up and find assistance for the less fortunate. The less fortunate in Oceanside are now much in the public eye due to the fact our numbers have grown incredibly. We are seeing more elderly, women, and youth than ever before. We are seeing a rise in drug and substance abuse as less services are being provided. We are seeing more individuals try to assist but we do not see organized groups that could really make a difference stepping up and assisting. We have not seen leadership from the Mayor’s office stepping up and take a leadership role in ending the plight of the Homeless. Without their help the less fortunate are doomed in the Oceanside area. To have a healthy community we need to have Churches, service groups, and town support all working together. This is a workable situation which could be fixed working together as a team to solve this problem. I am not saying that there are not churches or any of the groups that i have mentioned helping. But they refuse to work together as a team to solve this problem. A problem that is only getting worse in the Oceanside Community. As we are going into fall now Manna Homeless society is asking for assistance in a number of areas to build a healthier community. We need large and extra large warm winter coats. The reason we would like large and extra large is due to the fact our clients layer their clothing. We are looking for good rain gear and rubber boots. We need a good supply of gloves and warm socks. We need men and women’s under clothing. We need umbrellas, hand warmers, foot warmers, and scarfs. We need good quality small 2 man tents. Then we need everything else to survive in these very cold nights and damp climate until summer comes around again. I believe this winter will be the greatest challenge Manna Homeless society has ever taken on. Please help us as we try to build a healthy, compassionate, safe community. Thanks to everyone who assists us without you we could do nothing. Manna Homeless Society services all of the Oceanside area. We are the lifeline to the less fortunate, the needy and the people of the street. We are the 911 of the street there is nowhere for these folks to turn if we are not there to assist them. Please Help !! Robin Campbell Manna Homeless Society Donations can be made by e-transfer: mannaparksville@gmail.com Or cheques can be sent to: Manna Homeless Society P.O. Box 389 Errington BC VOR 1VO

Message from the President As we move into the colder and rainy weather, it is time again for Manna and its team of volunteers to pick up the pace. This is the time of year when the suffering of the homeless and indigent increases and our services are needed in a more significant manner. Over the summer months our team of volunteers has increased to 15 and hopefully this number will increase yet again as the need for services grows. Lynne House has taken over sorting of items and we have three new people working with the vans. We have also seen an increase in the number of people we serve and are traveling more often to some of the outer areas now. We will hope to have more contact with the Nanoose First Nations on a regular basis. Our fall newsletter will be circulated more widely as our mailing list has increased. We hope to begin doing a few stories on some of the less fortunate Manna is helping. This will put a face to some of the people and perhaps help to decrease the stigma attached to homelessness. We will also use the local papers to push for more donations of warmer clothing, bicycles and food supplies starting at the end of November and into December. Again this year Manna will be purchasing gift coupons at Quality Foods and Save on Foods. There are still funds set aside for this but we have been waiting for the temperatures to drop further. Jerrold, our mobile chaplain, will also carry a supply of these coupons to use when required. Jerrold has taken over the bicycle transportation program and is doing a great job of repairing the bicycles and providing them to people he has vetted that require them, either for work or to travel back and forth for medical or other types of appointments in the local area. Those people that are sleeping rough are being pushed further and further outside of the town borders and, without bus transportation to these areas, they have great difficulty in getting to appointments or picking up required medications or food supplies. The bicycles have proved a lifeline for them in this regard. Again this year I have been approached by a number of groups wishing to do fundraisers for Manna. During the summer months, Del, Jerrold, Dave and I did a fundraiser with the Coast Community Credit Union in Qualicum Beach which was extremely successful. Not only did the hot dog sales raise a goodly amount of money, we had an opportunity to network with a number of people we met and hand out copies of our latest CD, A Day in the Life of a Manna Volunteer and A Glimpse into Homelessness, as well as To Die For – a 10-minute mini film which explains the drug problems in Oceanside, the latest statistics, the Fentanyl risks, and how help is still out there for those that wish to take advantage of it. The U-Tube link for this film is below. Please take a few minutes to watch it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GVc5vvQ4-4&feature=youtu.be This fall the Lutheran Church will be doing a music and talent show with all proceeds going to Manna. Shaw TV wishes an interview and this has been arranged for Jerrold to do. The local PQB News has shown an interest in doing a story on the new community care mobile and Penny will speak to this. Our name is getting out there and support is coming in a much more consistent fashion. It is obvious there are a lot of people out there who care passionately about the homeless and would love to see a more permanent solution for them. But the numbers of people requiring help continue to rise so we cannot be complacent, especially at this time of year. During the summer months, there were too many people showing up at the storage site at all hours to ask for items. In order to get this under control, the vehicles which had been parked there were moved to a more discreet location where they could not be seen from the roadway. We looked at the cost of heated storage units nearby but these were unaffordable for us. Our storage facility will therefore remain where it is and the vehicles themselves will be stored at a different location for the present. Having all three vehicles out and about over the past few months has made us much more visible and we are now getting more calls from people requiring assistance. After a good summer, I am recharged and ready to take on the fall and winter helping those in need. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the volunteers who have given freely of their time and energy and have really stepped up to help make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. I would also like to thank the private donors and the corporations that continue their support. Blessings and thanks to all of you. — Robin Campbell Chaplaincy Report – Jerrold Paetkau May 2017 marked the beginning of a new branch of service for Manna Homeless Society. Utilizing a new funding stream and in response to our growing street community, Manna initiated a part-time Community Chaplain position. This new role helps identify that we offer help to address the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs within our street community. Each week, I participate in community ‘walk-abouts’ – walking the streets of downtown Parksville to meet people sitting on benches, walking the street, lounging against buildings, or huddled near dumpsters. Sometimes, encouragement comes by providing a listening ear or sharing stories of faith struggles. I often ask to pray with people, and they graciously allow me to bring their requests before a loving Heavenly Father who passionately desires to demonstrate His love in the lives of His children. I have also initiated a Wednesday lunch-time bible study and regularly friends stop by and we talk about what God is showing us in His Word and pray for each other. I’m also able to hand out bibles that have been generously donated by the Gideons. We estimate that there are 30-40 people living in marginal conditions that have embraced a faith in Jesus Christ but find it hard to attend local churches. One man of faith, who attends a local church, is Fred [pictured below]. Fred is First Nations and has a vibrant faith in Jesus. Each day as he rides around collecting cans and bottles from ditches, he prays for the people who have thrown their trash out of their cars. Fred sees his roll of cleaning ditches as a way to express his love for God the Creator while remembering that God loves him and is providing for his needs through the junk others discard. For an insight into the way my role as the Community Chaplain is working – you’re invited to bring a donation of socks, gloves, clothing, non-perishable food, sleeping bags, bikes to our vans on Saturday morning [9:30-11:00 Jensen; between the library and fire-hall] and see how we are becoming a community that cares for one another; friends who share by helping and encouraging to seek the resources necessary for personal care. Bicycle Transportation Program Used bikes are treasured resources that make a marked positive difference in the lives of people who are marginalized. Many of our friends do not have means of transportation. Each Saturday, we witness wonderful acts of kindness as friends car-pool friends to our vans for food, clothing, bedding, and encouragement. But often car-pooling is not an option for the remainder of the week if a person has a doctor’s appointment, wants to grocery shop, or has a potential for a job. Used bikes become the answer. In August, I was able to furnish a bike for Tom [not his real name], a First Nations friend starting a new job in Nanaimo. Tom had completed several preparation courses through the Nanoose First Nations and had obtained an afternoon-evening shift at a warehouse in Nanaimo. We were able to provide a bike with lights, a reflective vest, helmet, and spare tire tubes so that Tom could successfully begin this new venture in his life. Two weeks ago, Ruth [not her real name] came to Manna and began to tell us her story. She worked as an emergency nurse in Ontario for nine years until the trauma overwhelmed her and Ruth experienced PTSD. Ruth moved to Vancouver Island to find health and escape the suicidal feelings, she soon ran out of money and resorted to camping. As the summer was waning, Ruth recognized that her health was returning. She had sought help from counsellors, mental health professionals, friends, and the SOS for housing options. So in November Ruth is moving into her own place with the help from SOS and is making steps towards re-employment. We were able to provide Ruth with a bike that will help her maintain an exercise regimen for continued health, and give her the transportation she needs to get back and forth from the job potential awaiting her in November. Many of you will have seen Fred around town collecting bottles and cans to supplement his income. This supplement is important to Fred. He is an elderly man who has done this type of collecting for many years but it has been getting more and more difficult for him to manage this as he becomes older. Balance is a problem with carrying the bags of bottles and getting off the bicycle and then having to pull it up to climb back on is also difficult. Fred was provided with a three-wheeled bicycle which is easier to balance and has the bonus of a small bicycle trailer attached for Fred to place his bottles and cans into. This has made life a lot easier for Fred. Wish List It is that time of year again when people begin to need warmer clothing. We always require warm used coats and parkas, larger sizes are in great demand as the colder weather requires people to layer their clothing in order to stay comfortable through the days and nights. Socks, gloves, mittens and toques are also in great demand. We still require tents and sleeping bags, used blankets and, of course food supplies are always a necessity. Non-perishable canned and boxed goods are helpful and it goes without saying that cash donations are always helpful as it allows us to purchase the items that are most in demand or those that we have a scarcity of to add to the bagged groceries we hand out. It also allows us to purchase some of the personal items we provide to people such as soap, feminine products, tissue, toothpaste, Band-Aids, etc. Manna Care Van The homeless suffer a great many physical difficulties in trying to survive in the elements and often in very inclement weather. But homeless people also suffer from emotional difficulties. Accompanying the hunger and discomforts is an underlying anxiety, lack of self-esteem and lack of a vision for the future. Some people in this situation turn to alcohol or drugs to try and mask the problems but others simply spiral down into depression with a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness. Our Manna Care Van accompanies the distribution van on Saturday mornings. We have some caring volunteers who take the time to listen to problems with a compassionate and nonjudgement attitude, and provide various small services that make life a bit easier for some of the people they speak with. Foot care, products for feminine hygiene, band-aids, soap, toothpaste, denture care products, and various other personal care items are provided. Warm socks and gloves are kept in the van for distribution to those who require them as well. Island Health videos are available for people to view regarding various health issues and when the volunteers feel it is necessary, Naloxone kits can be provided to individuals who may require them. The most important offering however is the compassion and caring that is sorely required by most of the homeless and the van has become a great place for someone to stop for coffee and chat with one of the volunteers.

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.

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. 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. 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

Each Wednesday, Manna Homeless Society is able to offer our friends at the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen an opportunity to stock up on weekend groceries and a chance to socialize with volunteers who believe in them. Our morning begins with a Blessing – a brief example from the Bible that highlights God’s amazing love for all of us. Then, we offer food and clothing – for all to ‘take what you need’ – with the chance to ‘catch up’ with each other on a week’s worth of activity. Pinky has spent some time in the hospital, and each week our friends are concerned for his health and thankful when he’s back. For many, our Manna Wednesdays at the Soup Kitchen is a time for forming a community of support – we worry about our friends and they worry about us – and together we know that God loves us.

‘Casey’ was a tradesman who moved to Oceanside in November from out-of-province and found a camping spot at Rathtrevor. He told me, ‘This is home. I grew up in Parksville as a kid and now I’m moving back to be closer to family.” But his family was skeptical. Casey had used drugs, abused alcohol, drifted, lost jobs, and become homeless. Casey’s trade was as a bricklayer and carpenter. He’d been ‘dry’ for a couple of months and was now trying to start on a new path. Manna was able to help provide some articles for his campsite – camp stove, fuel, flashlight, sleeping bag, tarp, mattress, and we even had a frying pan to give him along with cans of stew and soup. I spent about an hour talking with Casey encouraging him to keep going on this new path of courage and I hoped to see him again at the Soup Kitchen. Sadly, he never showed. When I went back to his campsite, his tent was gone with all his stuff. I haven’t seen Casey since the end of November. I’m not sure what happened to him. I just know that sometimes the challenge to change is overwhelming. It isn’t easy ‘going clean’. “Just get clean,” we hear so many say. It’s not like changing socks. Getting clean means a shift in identity; it means confronting the ‘voices’; it means confronting the internal chaos once the external chaos is controlled; and it means becoming vulnerable and saying “I need your help.” Homeless people often ‘take’ our stuff – the food, clothing, sleeping bag, tarp – we offer, not because they ‘need help’ but because they are in crises and chaos – they are in ‘survival mode.’ When you see piles of stuff on shopping carts or piles of stuff beside the road – you see someone who is suffering, often lonely, always fearful, in chaos, usually with mental health concerns around addictive issues, often physically sick with untreated wounds, and always with a poor self-image – feeling unloved, unnoticed, unwelcome, and forgotten. We can help! We don’t need to ‘save the world’ – we just need to show honour, respect, acceptance, love, and compassion to someone when they welcome us into their life, trust us with their story, and allow us to comfort them so they can find the courage to live freed from the chaos that controls them and more with the Peace and Love that God can provide.

There is a popular expression, “You’re never too old to learn.” So maybe there is hope for me learning Pickle Ball. With Manna, we’ve been applying this adage forever. Each year, we’ve been approached by local schools to assist with needs witnessed in the families whose children attend them. Through the generousity of our community, we’ve been able to supply children’s coats, gloves, and toques, breakfast and lunch supplies, food coupons and specialized assistance. In one school this year, we’ve been able to help provide over 100 weekly meal supplies – fruit cups, soup cups, breakfast bars, KD cups – and additional help with their weekend “Backpack Food Program,” by offering soups, peanut butter, chili, pasta with sauce, and granola bars. In another school, we were able to offer QF coupons for a family suddenly unemployed and nearly homeless. This has been possible from the continual support we receive from our community – Thank you!

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.