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On Friday, June 4 cadets from CFOT participated in The Salvation Army’s efforts to provide some relief for families affected by flooding in Winnipeg’s Transcona neighbourhood.  Larry Campbell, Rose Campbell, Joshua Downer and Jason Waters joined divisional staff and local Salvationists for several hours Friday afternoon to distribute food, clothing and toys.

Residents of a provincial housing community in southeastern Winnipeg have experienced sewer backup in their basements following heavy rains in the area over the past couple of weeks.  The Salvation Army has been able to help these families and the cadets were privileged to be able to join the team.

Cadet Joshua shared his thoughts from the afternoon:

Pulling up to a part of Winnipeg I had not been to before when responding to an emergency because of flooding; I did not know what to expect. As soon as we got out of the van, I could smell almost to the point of tasting it, water-ruined furniture and anything else that the flood had consumed in peoples’ homes.  Workers came out of the homes covered and wearing masks because of the flooding and piling things outside the homes into one large pile. I walked into the community centre where there were people folding clothes, setting up tables for the distribution of toys, blankets, towels and also food to be handed out.

For the next 5 hours the four of us cadets, along with around 15 other people, prepared food, and helped to give out everything we had just to assist with meeting peoples basic needs.  I will always recall one woman coming and getting 12 hotdogs for her and her family, and just the look of sadness on her face almost broke me down.  But then to see her children smiling and running around with a new toy, with a bag full of some clothes and food as simple as hotdogs and apple juice, I saw hope in the mother’s eyes because of how the community had come together to support and help one another.  And the part that got to me the deepest was when she took the box of hotdogs, looked straight into my eyes and said, “God bless you.”

I may never meet the same people I did that day, or get a chance to know how the woman and her family are doing right now; but all I can say is that we gave something as simple as a toy, yet within that small act of giving, hope was given for months to come.

This opportunity to serve also provides cadets with ministry insight as they come into close proximity with those who have suffered personal losses because of the recent flooding.  During a training program that sometimes seems largely academic, opportunities to engage in ministry keep the cadets grounded in the calling to service that they have felt upon their lives.