The following quote from Milton Vincent in the book called The Gospel Primer aptly describes my reasons for doing street outreach. He says, “When my mind is fixed on the gospel, I have ample stimulation to show God’s love to other people. For I am always willing to show love to others when I am freshly mindful of the love that God has shown me. Also, the gospel gives me the wherewithal to give forgiving grace to those who have wronged me, for it reminds me daily of the forgi

Today is a day like no other, yet sadly, it is also very similar to other days for others. A couple of months ago, I gave a sleeping bag to a Veteran on the street. At the time, he was so super thankful to get it. A nice warm sleeping bag on a cool, chilly night. In fact, almost too warm, he would laugh. But he accepted it with a happy smile because he knew that the cold was coming and this would keep him warm. Today I received a call, "my sleeping bag got wet." Of course it

A true account at the OIM Thanksgiving dinner. Last and Least He was the last guest to arrive - restless, cheery, sweet. So young and simple to have to survive the wiles of the street. “I’m 19 days clean from crack!” he told me with a smile. A fist bump, a big smile back - this young man has no guile. His story was touching and sad - as he kindly praised the food. He had obviously been treated bad - but, wow, such gratitude! Last to arrive, the coffee was finished. “It’s okay

At OIM, one of the ministries we perform is street outreach. Street outreach generally consists of one to two teams of two to three people who tow large wagons filled with sandwiches, snacks, cool and hot beverages, blankets, and sometimes sleeping bags. Every afternoon/evening, OIM teams of volunteers distribute the contents of their wagons to those in need living in Ottawa’s inner city. Not only do they provide these goods, but they also provide companionship, encouragement

As I sat and mulled things over this quiet Monday afternoon in November, I felt the chill in the air and the coming of winter as a harbinger of further cold and darkness. I could not help but think about how the lack of light and warmth of a temporal nature makes folks instinctively more vulnerable in their need for light and warmth. I say this because, as soon as the Thanksgiving long weekend was over, and the chillier weather descended upon Ottawa, I noticed a big uptick in