Written by Sandy Klowak, this article first appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press.

The injured 14-year-old changed his summer plans and is participating in a new camp for youth put on by the Siloam Mission, where teens from Manitoba learn about Winnipeg’s homeless. The camp is part of their “Under the Radar” program which also includes “mission teams,” which are less regulated groups volunteering with the Mission, and poverty workshops for adults.

As Siloam is a Christian organization, the camp has a religious focus, while the mission team programming can be catered to the group, and the workshops are secular. This year three churches, from Winnipeg, Winkler and Altona, are participating, but the camp is open to everyone. In fact, Dezan is the only student participating who has come alone and doesn’t belong to a church group. But the
youth is still excited about what the camp has to offer.

He anticipates the camp will allow them “to learn that your life can be either better or bad, and if it’s better then you should help people that (have it) worse.”

“It’s kind of overwhelming to know what’s going on in your city that you have no idea about,” said the Charleswood resident who said he and his friends are not exposed to the poverty found downtown.

“We’re eating in the same room, eating the same food, we’re showering in the same showers,” as the people served at Siloam, he said. “We get the experience of what it’s like.”

What message will he take home with him?

“Probably just to consider how fortunate we are and how much help that needs to be given to the people of Winnipeg,” said Dezan, who hopes to stay involved with Siloam.

“I’d volunteer, as soon as this cast comes off.”

The camp is in its first summer and community education coordinator Sarah Enns, who designed the program, hopes it will get bigger with time. The camp consists of educational workshops, interactive activities and volunteer work at the mission.

Several community outreach groups such as RAY (Resource Assistance for Youth) and Teen Challenge are collaborating with Siloam to provide workshops and poverty-education activities to the youth.

“We want kids to learn a bit more about poverty and homelessness,” she said. “We’re hoping that it will inspire them to do something more. We’re hoping to create advocates.”

She’s also hoping to lessen the stigma of those who use the shelter.
“They’ll learn that the people that we serve here are just people, and that they can get to know them as people.”

Enns says while some fear the downtown due to panhandlers and the homeless, others, especially those from rural areas, may not have been exposed to these issues at all.

Clarissa Dueck is a youth leader at a Winkler church participating in the camp. She said it’s particularly important for youth outside Winnipeg to learn about something they might miss in small towns.
“It’s an opportunity to serve and kind of realize that homelessness is closer than you think,” she said. “It’s really neat to see the building and see the extent of the services that they offer to people.”
This is a new experience for most of the students she’s leading.

“I think they’re a bit nervous but they’re excited to learn and see life outside of Winkler,” Dueck said of her group of nine students, accompanied by five leaders.

Siloam Mission is located on Princess Street and provides an emergency shelter, meals, clothing and health care to Winnipeg’s homeless and street-involved population.

I’ve been working at Siloam Mission for one month now as the summer camp coordinator.

It’s interesting the responses you receive when you tell someone that you work at a homeless shelter. Most of the time, I get positive feedback. People can see the value in what Siloam does.

But sometimes, I’m caught off guard with negative feedback. I have one friend who said, “Working with those bums, eh? Sometimes it just bothers me how they don’t try to get a job.” The guy beside him backed him up. “Stereotypes about the homeless exist for a reason,” he said.

This conversation broke my heart, and really made me think. Sometimes, I can become discouraged. Are we just enabling the people using our services? Are we really helping?

But as I think these negative thoughts, I realize that these are the ideas and thoughts that hold people back from doing anything at all to help. Giving in small ways, however insignificant it seems, is how we can change people’s lives in big ways. Stopping to listen, or serving a meal is how we can bring a little hope.

Mother Theresa once said: “We can do no great things, just small things with great love.”

It’s about humility. It’s about a collaborative effort. By myself there is no way I could serve 1000 meals a day. But collectively, with staff, volunteers and donors combined, we can. It’s just a bunch of people doing small things with great love. If we spend our time being cynical about what places like Siloam do, or judgmental of those experiencing homelessness, we take no time to love them. We can’t let these negative thoughts hold us back from having compassion.

We’re often told to think big, but maybe for a change, it’s time to think small and love big.

Victoria de Haan-Ward is Siloam Mission’s summer camp coordinator. Find out more about the program here.

There’s hope on the streets of Winnipeg, and here’s some proof.

Shot at Siloam Mission over the course of two days, this video offers a small glimpse into the lives of some of the people that use our services.

Watch

Hi, folks! We’re pretty excited to have a brand new website for Siloam Mission’s Under The Radar urban outreach program.

Wanna know the best part?

The super-kind folks from Relish Design in Winnipeg designed and built the whole thing…for free!

We’re hoping this little site provides you (and your youth group) some info on the urban outreach programs we run in the summer. Of course, we’re also hoping your youth group comes on board to spend a few days living and learning in Winnipeg’s inner city!