“I hate the thought of dying alone,” he said as we parted ways. Last week, while out on street outreach, we met one of our street friends who has been living on the streets for some time now. We stopped, chatted for a while, and listened. We listened as he shared some of the weight of his story; his loneliness, the rejection he has faced, health issues and the deep hurt and hopelessness he carries. As I listened, I silently asked God, “What can we say? How can we help encoura

I used to think volunteering had to be something big. Something planned and structured. something where you could clearly say this is the difference I made. But over time, that idea started to change. Growing up in Brazil, I spent time volunteering in different neighbourhoods, helping where I could. Many of those places had families and kids living with very little, at least on the surface. I remember going in thinking I needed to make a big impact. Like I had to change somet

There is good news on the Veterans front for ORH. This seemingly never-ending battle of homelessness, especially precariously housed Veterans who are at imminent risk of becoming homeless, saw a definite ray of sunshine as we approach spring. I speak of ORH’s latest victory in alleviating Veterans Homelessness. Let’s call him "Bill." Bill contacted me some time after Christmas and was in dire need of transitional housing to get him out of a bad situation. He was heavily in de

“It is not our table to which we welcome people; it is God’s table to which we come as equals.” 1 Christina Pohl makes a theological statement of hospitality, calling the church to welcome people as equals, as God welcomes each of us. While it may seem like such an obvious statement, it has proven to be a much-needed reminder for fallen people who often lose sight of God’s ways in favour of the self. In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Paul rebukes the church for the divisions and pa

At OIM, we deeply value our connections with our street friends. If you were to talk to any of our staff or volunteers, they could likely name at least one person they see and talk with regularly. When you first join OIM, you might not expect to form genuine friendships with those facing poverty and homelessness. It’s often an unexpected outcome, but a welcome one. While I think of several individuals I’ve come to know over the last few years, one person comes to mind immed