Feeding the homeless of Victoria on Christmas Day - "The greatest gift they'll get this year is Love!"

 Originally posted December 26, 2010.

"Can someone help me please, I need a friend." The homeless we met all have one thing in common - a simple wish - they want someone to help them. We spent Christmas Day feeding the homeless of Victoria giving the best gift of all: Love.

This year, we chose to spend the money on food for the homeless instead of spending it on a Christmas tree for our family; Gerry, my husband and I, did not exchange any gifts - times are tough this year. BUT, we are very fortunate, we have a great life together and the future is bright.

It was our life's dream to move to BC, and for the past three years we have tried to stay afloat working for ourselves in Victoria. We are finding it very hard to earn an adequate living in this very expensive city, especially competing with the "cash jobs" . Decent pet friendly rentals are almost non existent and finding a reasonably priced home for us has proven to be a challenge difficult to overcome. Our present accommodations are affordable but there is always a trade off, it seems. It is the best we can find and at least our family is together and we are managing by ourselves.

We also saw many homeless that now call the streets home - those that have given up. We saw people feed themselves out of garbage cans, sleep in large metal garbage containers, and make shelters of just cardboard and pieces of plastic. We saw people who just drink all day long because they have no hope left at all. Most of these people never thought this would happen to them, it is not the life they envisioned for themselves. Most of them are here because of circumstances that are of no fault of their own. Every one of these poor souls that we talked to had a story and a wish. They just want help, someone to care. Most of the people we met want to do better and be better they just don't know how and need someone to take them by the hand and help them. They need guidance. Most probably because they never had that in their life.  The only difference between them and you is a lack of support - they do not have anyone they can turn to for help and so they are outcasts.

So, instead of spending Christmas alone just the three of us, we decided to cook extra Christmas meals and bring them to the less fortunate. We wanted them to know that: Someone still cared about them. It's the most important thing - to feel loved - it gives hope. We observed people shop at the malls, we saw them buy useless and stupid gifts. People were too busy to notice or care about the homeless and the poor. Shopping was so important; we saw people laden down with packages look down on the begger and tell him to go get a job. We remembered how easy it is to get carried away with the season and forget about the less fortunate. We fell into that trap in the past, we overspent on Christmas and indebted ourselves also - no more of that.

It cost us so little to prepare a few hot meals to bring to the hungry. We bought an extra turkey to cook, not a huge one either, an 11 pounder. We made mash potatoes, corn, gravy, stove top stuffing (never made real stuffing and did not want to kill anyone!), pillsbury croissants and sugar cookies and a couple of candy canes, a can of soda, and VOILA: spread the Christmas Joy. We bought a few containers to serve the food in and we hauled the food in warmed coolers to keep it nice and hot for the folks to enjoy. We made 15 hot home cooked meals at a cost of approximately $40 (at the most) - and we changed the lives of 15 people a little for the better - if only for a day.   With the help of our wonderful 16 year old daughter, the turkey, potatoes and corn were all cooked up in short time.  Croissants and cookies were baked with love.  Our girl willingly and lovingly helped us prepare meals for the homeless.  She was very proud of all of our efforts.  We are extremely proud of her for helping out!

Once we had the coolers loaded in the VW, we headed for downtown Victoria to find some people needing some Christmas cheer . We saw a man lying on the ground at the entrance of the Swiss Chalet, he had a pile of stuff beside him. I get shy, it's hard to ask if someone needs help - you don't want to insult people and I get afraid of being told to mind your business. But that's never happened. Gerry, my husband, offers: "Hey Buddy - I have hot meals for the homeless, are you hungry?" The man groggily shifts himself and slowly gets up. "Ya, ya man, thank you, thank you, I am hungry. This is a good place", he says, "lots of hot meals in the dumpster in the back - they throw alot of good food out a night". Gerry introduced himself and asked the man his name. Mark. Mark was very proud to show us a little shot size bottle (like you get on the airplanes) of Baileys Irish Cream that a stranger had given him for Christmas. He had also gotten a pair of socks. He was very pleased to receive these things and was very very appreciative. When Gerry asked him if he had anything to say to the world, if he had a wish what would it be, he answered: "Why does it have to be Christmas only that makes people come out and help him", he wondered why on any other day, he did not matter. Mark was quick to say that he was really really happy for the help today though. He could not thank us enough, and a pattern would start - we got many, many thanks - for the food, but mostly the thanks was for us CARING ABOUT THEM. Gerry asked if Mark had a wish what would that be? Mark's wish was to have a friend. Gerry and Mark shook hands and wished each other a merry Christmas.

At the corner of Cook St. and View St. we saw a man and woman and wondered if we should approach them, he looked like he may be homeless while she did not. Gerry stopped the van, got out and said: "I have hot meals for the homeless, are you hungry?" They immediately jumped up to their feet and happily came to get a meal. They asked if we had a third meal and invited their shy friend to join them. Gerry asked them if we could take their photo (we want to spread the word that people need and deserve help and we want to raise funds to help those in need). The men agreed have their photo taken (photo at top page). Gerry asked if they had a wish what would it be. The older gentleman was something of a celebrity and had been in the papers 4 times before - he wished for world peace. The younger shy friend only wanted to get back on his feet - such a touching wish.... The woman preferred not to have her picture taken, it looked like she and I could just switch places, she looked like she could be a nurse or an office worker, she wanted a job, as her wish.

We fed a young man with long blond hair walking alone with his belongings on his back in a backpack. He was very high on something. When we asked him if he wanted a hot meal, his eyes showed signs of life and he stopped and gladly took our offerings. He did not speak to us. He walked away and started singing: "Merry Christmas to me, merry Christmas to me" in the tune of happy birthday. We silently wished him a better life.

In the back alleys behind the Bay Center in downtown Victoria we came up on two young men smoking a joint. We stopped and asked if they needed a hot meal. They were very surprised we were talking to them but gladly accepted the hot meal. It seemed to be awhile ago since they had seen a square meal. "Awesome, thanks alot".

It was early afternoon when we came upon a woman dancing by herself on the sidewalk. She was very disoriented and had no clue what was going on around her. She could barely hold the container of food as she swaggered around in her sad condition. "Thank you very much", she managed in a slurred speech. Hopefully the hot meal would help her regain some of her senses. What's happened to her in her life, to send her on such a path?

The last man we helped yesterday was named Ron. Ron had been on the streets 61 days and told us of this trials and tribulations. He spoke of 2 former wives and "wished he could do it again and get it right this time". He spoke of this 3 daughters and how he missed his family in Quebec - he had not seen his 2 sisters in Montreal in 30 years - how he wished he could see them again. He felt like he was not a good example to his daughters - the father is the only one on the streets.... You could tell Ron was a good man, with a huge heart - he talked and talked - for over a half hour Gerry stood on the sidewalk and listened to this poor man talk about his life. Ron wanted what every single person we met yesterday wanted most: a friend to talk to.

Ron had alot of good things to say to us and the funny thing is we probably needed to talk to Ron as much as he needed to talk to us. He said alot of things we needed to hear. Funny how life is sometimes.

We all need people in our life, and we all need help sometimes.  You can make a difference, a significant difference in someone's life.  Give a little, give a lot.  Don't be afraid to reach out and help someone,  the world will be a better place because you did.  Be the change you want to see in the world...

Sometimes people need a friend, sometimes they need hope. No matter how rich or how poor YOU are, you can always give someone HOPE.

Wishing all our new friends all the best!

Celine and Gerry

We may be contacted at celinegerry@gmail.com .