As the early morning frost greeted Vancouverites, one thought was on the minds of the Catholic Street Missionaries: the homeless people on the streets of Vancouver.
Missionaries president Mildred Moy sent a message to the team, and half a dozen volunteers responded, saying that they would like to go to the Downtown Eastside. It was one of the sporadic “extreme cold outreaches” the missionaries undertake in the winter months.
Through their regular Sunday outreaches, the volunteers know many of the people on the streets and have even established friendships with them.
It was no different on this day. Amidst the festive lights and streets filled with shoppers and big sale events, it was impossible not to be affected by the homeless who were living alongside all the holiday reminders. The men and women we spoke with had different priorities; their wants this Christmas were warmth, shelter, and some food.
Witnessing their outdoor living conditions, I could feel what seemed like a fight to survive. Intoxicated, vulnerable, and poor, their substance abuse seemed to be all they had to keep them from feeling the severe weather.
The volunteers started on Granville Street and trekked over to the Downtown Eastside, stopping to speak with people lying on the street and asking what they needed.
Brandon
A young man lying on a street corner was freezing. As the volunteers approached to check on how he was doing, he managed to ask with a feeble voice if he could have a blanket and some food. He was handed a blanket and a sandwich, and volunteer Andrew Heakes shared a prayer card of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, the exemplary young man who helped the less fortunate and died through his mission, even on his deathbed caring about the poor living the Beatitudes.
James
Walking through the cold, damp streets, we met an older man who was in good spirits despite his reality. James had creatively made a bed for himself with cardboard. Within it, he had two lit tealight candles and explained that it was his fireplace. He didn’t own much warm clothing, and when asked what his needs were, he told us food and gloves. The volunteers readily handed him some food and warm clothing. His Christmas desire was to get through the season with some nourishment and a dry place to rest his head.
Matthew
We came to another man who was bent forward, half-resting with his back against a wall. He looked cold and intoxicated, and his shoes were torn. He seemed only half-present, and I could imagine the biting cold burning his exposed skin. Volunteers wrapped a blanket around him and offered him food and boots to protect him from the cold. Although he couldn’t speak, he raised his head, looking at one of the volunteers as if in acknowledgment and to say thank you, and then drifted back.
I could only imagine what it felt like, being so isolated, cold, and invisible to one’s family, friends, and the world. Witnessing the readiness of the CSM volunteers to reach out to them, it was apparent that the driving force behind their actions was that they see Christ in these people. In reaching out to them, they’re serving Jesus, who had a heart for the poor: “When I was hungry, you gave me to eat, naked, you clothed me.” (Mt 25:35-37).
The volunteers don’t just distribute materials to those in need on the streets; they also spend time listening to them. On this visit they placed boots on those who had none, turned over a man who had fallen on his face and been left there alone, and received hugs in gratitude from others.
There are also joyful stories, such as the woman who used to be homeless and was befriended by the volunteers. She reformed her life of addiction and prostitution and now has a job as a resource worker. Her five children now go to local schools, offering them hope for a better future.
Catholic Street Missionaries was born out of St. Mary’s Street Ministry, which Moy started in 2004. It is supported by Father Joseph D’ Souza, pastor at St. Mary’s in Vancouver and currently has 35 members. The group accepts donations of blankets, boots, gloves, and toques, as well as donations. In 2024, the group will launch a new young adult multi-week homeless outreach and leadership program called Hope on the Horizon: CSM Summer Outreach at Sacred Heart Parish in Vancouver. To learn more and register, visit catholicstreetmissionaries.org/horizon.
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