Every Saturday morning, one of several volunteer teams from St. Michael Roman Catholic Church in Waterloo spends part of their day offering granola bars, scones, boiled eggs, fruit cups and warm smiles to the men at ShelterCare.
Gai, a member of one of the volunteer teams, has been volunteering regularly for the past three years. She was drawn to this work because she has seen firsthand how great the need is in our community.
“I worked for the Catholic school board, near St. Mary’s Church and the Tiny Home Takeout in downtown Kitchener,” said Gai. “I could see the number of homeless people increase, and my heart went out to them.
“I’ve always felt a calling to extend grace to those less fortunate,” said Gai. “I have two sons, and I always thought, ‘this could be one of my children.’”
At ShelterCare, the 100 men in the program receive meals throughout the week from a combination of paid staff and volunteers. On weekends, having committed volunteers hand out breakfast food makes a big difference for the kitchen team.
“While they are handing out the food, I’m able to prepare for the lunch meal,” said ShelterCare cook Anita. “It makes a big difference.”
St. Michael Parish has long been supportive of the ShelterCare program. Back in 2023, when our emergency shelter first opened, the church provided welcome packages for the men who were the first to move into the new facility.
Dean, another volunteer with the program, said that he likes having the chance to give back.
“In my life, I’ve been close to this community,” said Dean. “I realized that if things were different, I could be one of these guys.”
For Gai, it didn’t take her long to see just how meaningful it can be to hand out breakfast food to men struggling with the stigma of homelessness.
“My fourth week here, I met a young man who thanked me for smiling at him. It was a simple thing, but it was a big thing,” said Gai. “If we can give something positive to someone like him who really needs it, that’s what it’s all about.”
To learn more about volunteering opportunities at House of Friendship, visit www.houseoffriendship.org/volunteer
