P.E. teacher and volunteers have taken food and clothing to the poor since 2008
By Agnieszka Krawczynski
When physical education teacher Jason Jones heard that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo treated a homeless man to a free movie in 2008, the wheels in his mind began turning.
Hearing the passing story on radio became the catalyst for an outreach program that has been running strong for years and now includes at least 60 volunteers.
“When we started this eight years ago, it was just me and my family,” said Jones, a teacher at Sacred Heart Elementary School.
Romo’s random act of kindness prompted Jones in the winter of 2008 to take sandwiches and used clothing to Oppenheimer Park in the heart of the Downtown Eastside.
There, Jones and four family members gave the items away to any poor or homeless person they saw. The outreach became an annual event and continues to grow.
This year Jones and his volunteers gave away more food and clothes than ever – about 500 sandwiches and enough clothing to fill about 9 vans. They typically serve 300-400 sandwiches and half the amount of clothing.
Despite icy road conditions and massive roadblocks after an unusually snowy Vancouver night, about 60 volunteers met at the park Dec. 19. They spent hours outdoors, giving away the items to any homeless or poor person who came by.
“People are happy, surprised, and appreciative,” Jones said. “They are almost surprised that we want to hand stuff to them.”
For him, the annual outreach is an obligation. “You have to help your fellow human beings. I’m very blessed to be where I am in life, and a lot of my friends and family feel the same about their lives.”
His team of volunteers includes students, fellow teachers, and people from his parish. Even graduates of Sacred Heart Elementary School stay in touch to help out.
Parish secretary Maureen Jones (unrelated to Jason) said Sacred Heart Parish has been involved in the outreach for the last two years.
“I was overwhelmed with the amount of stuff we got from the parishioners. It was incredible,” said Maureen, who put announcements in the bulletin and helped coordinate the donation bins.
“The boxes couldn’t even begin to hold what we got.” People brought in new men’s coats, sleeping bags, and blankets. The parish held collections on two consecutive weekends before the trip downtown.
“Each weekend, we had to clean the back of the church out because you couldn’t walk,” Maureen said. “Isn’t this what we’re supposed to be doing? Feeding the hungry and clothing the naked?”
Jones said one result of his outreach is that it’s spiritually rewarding. “When you help someone, you’re honouring God. You’re honouring His creation.”
Many of his volunteers come from different faith backgrounds. “It’s really neat to see people come together regardless of what their beliefs are.”
