Good Shepherd Street Ministry delivers candy, socks, and prayers to Downtown Eastside residents
The B.C. Catholic
A group of volunteers in blue jackets are celebrating one year of serving Vancouver’s poorest neighbourhood.
Good Shepherd Street Ministry has taken off since it was officially launched April 12, said foundress Linda Noel.
“In the past 12 months we have given out almost 5,000 candy bags,” she told The B.C. Catholic during a walk in the Downtown Eastside April 29.
The street outreach, headquartered at St. Paul’s Church, delivers bags of candy to prostitutes, addicts, homeless people, and anyone else they meet during regular evening walks in the derelict neighbourhood. Each bag contains a Bible verse or note of encouragement written by a young Catholic school student.
They give away about 120 candy bags every night, and offer clean socks, stuffed animals, and blessed handmade rosaries.
“I just really enjoy meeting the people on the streets because it’s just changed my perspective so much about the people down here,” said Priscilla Correa, who began volunteering with Good Shepherd when it started a year ago.
“Just sharing God’s love and sharing that they are loved and creating that relationship with them means a lot.”
While walking down Main and Cordova Streets with the team April 29, Correa stopped to greet every person she met. She offered a candy bag, listened to their woes, and sometimes prayed for them.
She met a particularly distraught man sitting on the sidewalk whose speech was nearly incoherent. She listened patiently, encouraged him, and placed a rosary in his hands, saying, “Hold on to this. God will hear you.”
The volunteers also record every prayer intention on a page that was later placed in an envelope on the altar of St. Paul’s Church for parishioners to pray for during Mass.
During this tour around the block, it was first-time volunteer Francesco Scaglione’s turn to write down requests for prayer.
“It’s important because it’s their hopes and aspirations,” said the Grade 12 student at St. Thomas More Collegiate, one of five high schools that send students to volunteer here.
“To give them the feeling that they are important and they matter and other people care about them, it just makes you feel good.”
Since the ministry started, it has grown to more than handing out candy bags and recording prayers.
Noel has already given away 10 housewarming packages with toiletries, sheets, and dishes to women moving from homeless shelters to their own apartments.
With each package, she has personally given away a Bible.
“We’re reminding them why we’re here. It’s not to give them a candy bag. It’s to introduce them to the love of Jesus. It’s foremost. We don’t want Him to get lost in all the treats and the gifts.”
Amidst the boxes of candy, rosaries, and toiletries in Noel’s office stand shelves of handmade birthday cards, toques, and scarves also ready for delivery.
“You wouldn’t believe a little ad in your church bulletin, what it can do.”
She is also expanding the ministry’s website and hopes it continues to expand as it serves Vancouver’s most vulnerable.
“Clearly the hand of God has been upon this ministry from the very beginning. We are truly blessed.”
