This is indeed disheartening to witness the prioritization of these luxury apartment and condo developments over the pressing need for additional care facilities for the homeless and people at risk in our communities. The construction of upscale residential properties in small cities like Parksville often exacerbates issues of affordability, displacing vulnerable populations and widening socio-economic disparities. The allocation of resources towards building more luxurious living spaces instead of investing in essential services such as homeless shelters reflects a misplaced set of priorities. The lack of adequate support systems for individuals experiencing homelessness underscores a failure in addressing fundamental social needs within our communities. It is crucial for policymakers, developers, and community members to reevaluate their focus on development projects and redirect attention towards fostering a more inclusive and compassionate society. By advocating for increased funding and resources for homeless care facilities like ORCA place, we can work towards creating a more equitable and supportive environment for those in need. Sadly at this moment we could desperately use three more facilities like ORCA place or something similar… 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

Manna will soon be providing mobile medical advice to the impoverished and homeless within the Oceanside community. Most of the homeless presently do not have access to medical services. All going well, the “ Manna Community Care Mobile ” will be set up and ready to go by April, 2017. Our volunteer nurses will be providing basic medical advice at no charge. Naloxone will also be distributed to those who choose to use. Stay tuned for updates. In the mean time we have a wish list for the donation of the following items: For administration and education: Laptop computer and iPad Medical supplies: Blood pressure cuff and stethoscope, tympanic thermometer, box of tongue depressors, saline, rubber gloves, face masks, box of alcohol swabs, hydrogen peroxide, 2×2 and 4×4 wound dressing, band aids, cotton balls, antibiotic ointment, hand disinfectant, Lysol swabs, small flash lights, reading glasses, thermos and earthquake kit supplies. If you are able to help please contact us at http://www.mannahomelesssociety.com/contact/ 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

Today, friends gathered at the Manna vans to celebrate Fred’s 76th birthday. Happy Birthday, Fred!

Good evening all, It has been far too long since I’ve last given an update on what is happening. Honestly, it seems that the dark cloud of covid has forever over-shadowed what we’ve been doing. So, in an attempt to help realize that there is stuff happening that is not covid related – I’ll let you know some of the things that are happening with Manna. As you know, we’re not meeting on Saturday – in response to our government’s leading and health directives. We have been invited by Major Norm to set up at the soup kitchen – initially on Wednesday, and expanding into Friday as well. Major Norm’s goal was for us to host a gathering where people could explore issues of spirituality and connection with God, thus, on Wednesday, we had been seeking to lead conversations into areas that helped people recognize the ‘spiritual aspect’ of poverty. This was short-lived when the new regulations required fewer gatherings – so Wednesday became the day we focused on providing clothing – coats, sweaters, pants, toques, scarves, gloves – and in the midst of that, seek to chat with people. Friday, then, became the day when we provided groceries for the weekend. And we have been regularly seeing 50-60 people come through over the course of 2 hours and request groceries. We have also been going to Smithers RV park once a month and providing food and clothing options for 12-20 people. ‘who is we’ – that would be Pinky and me, and we’re loving it. On the ‘chaplain side’, I conducted a wedding today for Rod and Karianna, down at the beach – it became rather wet – but the 10 people scattered around enjoyed themselves and celebrated. Even Joe [Rod’s dog] got a hair cut, flowers, and a new collar for the big day. Next week, I’ll be conducting a memorial service at Orca for a resident who ODed this past week – this will be my first time back since the gov restricted church gatherings – and it will be an outdoor coffee with a blessing. I hope to resume Orca visits after mid Jan when the restrictions [I hope] are lifted. I stopped off at Springwood school today, as it was their last day prior to Christmas, and enquired about their breakfast program. They mentioned that it had been stopped because of covid [bagels, muffins, toast], but that there were still kids in need. I mentioned that we could potentially provide lunch/snack supplies – fruit leather, fruit cups, granola bars, juice boxes and lunch bags [all self contained and individually packaged] if they would like – so they will talk about it and get back to us in the new year. I also asked about needy families, and left them some Thrifty coupons. They mentioned that the ‘kid’s winter coat project’ wasn’t happening this year – and that some kids need jackets [this may be something we could advertise]. We’re also helping with the breakfast program run by Oceanside Church for Errington School – this has been warmly received and appreciated. For the month of Dec. we’ve purchased almost $8,000 of groceries and $2,000 of coupons – it is also a ‘long month’ for welfare cheques [they come out this week and not again until the end of Jan – almost 7 weeks], so we’re anticipating a huge need for help early Jan. Christmas is on a Friday – and the soup kitchen will be closed [and so will our grocery distribution], so we’re hoping to get enough out on Wednesday this coming week. I’ve been in touch with Kelly, and she is inviting Manna to participate with the ’16 bush camps’ that she is familiar with in our area. Tomorrow, I’m hoping to gather a bag of socks and toques and give them to her so that she can ask the ‘campers’ if Manna can come out regularly with food and clothing items. This will start up after Christmas, I’m hoping, and will offer us greater contact with people forced out of town and finding shelter in vulnerable situations. Robin was able to help Al and Amy move their trailer and get to a place with regular water and power hook-up, this has been a huge benefit for them. Robin continues to go out regularly to deliver food; Pinky and I are also busy making pick-up runs or deliveries; and we’ve been blessed with favourable monetary donations. [just a side note – QF has been very generous to us; allowing us to order food wholesale and than further reducing the amount we pay – this means, it is better for us to purchase food [we get more for our buck]. All to say, things are going well – we have a good working relationship with the Soup Kitchen. We miss the community building aspect of Saturday [as do many we see at the Soup Kitchen], and we hope that we can get back to some form of community building in the coming year. trust all is well, Jerrold

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.

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]

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.