THUNDER BAY — For the past two months, volunteers with the I Was Thirsty charity have been purchasing cases of bottled water with donated funds, loading them into vehicles, and delivering them to people living on the street.
In doing so, they've accomplished much more than keeping vulnerable individuals hydrated in the summer heat.
"We're also trying to provide some dignity and compassion, make sure people know they are noticed and haven't been forgotten, and that they have an opportunity to actually tell their stories and meet someone really interested in hearing what they have to say," said Lorne Clifford, the founder of the outreach project.
The retired Thunder Bay Police officer and his team of supporters have a key partner in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, which oversees the financial elements of the program through Canada Helps, ensuring donations are managed responsibly.
"What I'm really concerned with is making sure that the people that are vulnerable in our community are getting access to water on a regular basis. I mean, it's a basic human right," Clifford said in an interview.
He said the idea came to him after retirement when he found himself driving past the encampment near the end of Simpson Street, which reminded him of his experience working in Palestine and in Africa.
"I realized that some of the water insecurity issues that are currently happening in Thunder Bay mirror to a great extent what I saw in Palestine and South Sudan. I started doing research on water insecurity. I looked at the last Point In Time count as as far as homelessness was concerned."
In turn, that led to a meeting with the minister at his church, and ultimately to the go-ahead for I Was Thirsty.
On July 5, the team started delivering water to seven encampments around Thunder Bay, but not to every encampment.
"There's some we actually don't go to, such as those where people have large dogs, or those that are in the bush. We don't want to be putting ourselves in harm's way," Clifford said. "We don't go back where we haven't been received well, but those who recognize us by our safety vests, the hats that say I Was Thirsty, and the placards on the truck door showing we are an outreach mission...They welcome us."
This summer, the group has delivered nearly 14,000 bottles of water and travelled over 2,300 kilometres.
Clifford said conversation and acknowledgement accompany each delivery, and for many recipients "being seen" is just as meaningful as the water itself.
He recalled an encounter with a young woman outside a grocery store on Court Street, where she and a male companion were begging for change.
"She was probably in her late 20s. She was sitting on the curb with her head in her hands and she was crying. I walked up to her and asked 'Would you like some water today? ' And she lifted her head and looked at me and smiled as I handed her two bottles."
Clifford said he then asked the woman for her name.
"She told me her name was Ashley, and added 'Nobody ever asks my name anymore.' "
He said the incident demonstrated to him how "the level of compassion has been removed from a lot of these interactions" with homeless individuals.
"I Was Thirsty shows that change can begin simply, on a sidewalk, with a bottle of water and a little attention," Clifford said. "By addressing a basic human need, it restores dignity, hope and a sense of belonging."
This stage of the project wraps up at the end of the week, but planning is already underway for next year.
Clifford hopes the mission's website provides a useful guide for other communities interested in replicating the Thunder Bay model.
