Saturday, April 6, 2019, was out 4th outreach venture. It was to be the first time we would use the new 100 cup coffee urn. We spent a few hours in the early morning filling some of the Project Dignity bags with donated items we still had available. Beau also went through his closet and drawers and found a whole bunch of clothing items that he wanted to add to the pile. We ended up filling 21 bags for men and 12 for women. We made sure to write down proper sizes on the top inside of every bag. Most of the bags were filled with outfits (suits/tops/socks, blazer/pants/shirt/socks, jeans/t-shirts/socks), toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and comb. We had a single pair of brand new, size 7 running shoes for men, which we placed in a bag with a few pairs of socks and some t-shirts. We also brought along a few towels to give to anyone who might need one. We were hoping to get another feature story and find out what some of the immediate individual needs were right now.
Once the coffee machine had finished percolating, we packed up the vehicle and headed into the downtown core. We parked near the Salvation Army and opened up a small round portable table and proceeded to set up for distributing coffee and Project Dignity bags. We made sure to bring along a container of milk, a carton of cream, a sugar dispenser, and some wooden stir sticks Very quickly we were approached and greeted by a fairly large group of men, who happily joined us for some coffee and chatting. While we were giving away the bags, we heard a few more personal stories.
Our feature story today is about a fellow named Gino T. Gino is 46 and has been on the streets on and off since 2013. Gino used to be married and has 4 children that he hasn’t seen in a long time. He was born in Italy and immigrated to Canada with his parents as a little boy. After his parents divorced when he was five, his father was barely there for him at all! With no real guidance growing up, he was already into heavy drugs by the age of 18. Over the years he has moved many times (Windsor, Chicago, Sault Ste. Marie, and Ottawa), and was in and out of rehab over 14 times. He said the longest he has ever stayed clean was for seven years while he was still married, but has struggled his whole life to stay clean! In 2013, after falling back into drugs, he and his wife separated for good, and by 2014 he was in jail on drug charges. In 2017 Gino came to Ottawa for another attempt at rehab and now even has a job opportunity to work in construction. The only thing stopping him is that he does not have the required footwear! Gino needs a pair of gently used work boots (size 9), work pants (32″ x 30″), medium shirt, tool belt, and a hard hat! If anyone can find it in their hearts to donate some of these items to Gino, it would be so much appreciated, and we will do our very best to quickly get the items to him personally. Just write down his name on whatever donation box or bag you put out on the next pick up day.
When we asked some of the other individuals what their immediate needs were at the moment, shoes (especially running shoes), boxers, socks, toothpaste, and toothbrushes were top on the list. Here are a few examples: Pierre V. needs runners size 8, Michel L. needs runners size 10, Pierre P. needs boxers, socks, size medium clothing, and toiletries! He was so appreciative when we gave him a toothbrush and toothpaste.
On a side note, the size 7 running shoes ended up fitting a fellow named Robert, who joined us for coffee with his wife Marilyn. He immediately put them on, smiling as he tested them out on the sidewalk. Robert and Marilyn (pictured together) said they have been married for 6 years and have been living on the streets on and off for 1.5 years. Like many of the individuals we have encountered, they mentioned that they are working on overcoming their addictions!
If anyone one has any gently used footwear, running shoes, work boots
After another successful day, where we had shared over 60 cups of coffee and handed out over twenty Project Dignity bags, we were already talking about, planning and looking forward to our next outreach opportunity! Together we can make a difference in the lives of some of the beautiful souls we have encountered and those we will encounter in the future. Please find it in your hearts to join us to help make this difference! Thank you!
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