Volunteers on a mission
Mark McAvoy can't imagine Siloam Mission without volunteers.
'I don't know how I could quantify what they do for us,' says McAvoy, volunteer services co-ordinator. 'They are why we are able to exist.'
Volunteers assist with just about every service offered by the downtown organization, which helps Winnipeggers who are affected by poverty and homelessness. The non-profit has approximately 1,400 people on its list of active volunteers.
That list includes April Macaraig. The 37-year-old education student first set foot in Siloam in 2015, when her cousin organized a group for a one-day volunteering event.
Macaraig returned a few times over the years before committing to a regular role in late 2022. At the time, she says she felt lost and was searching for a purpose.
'I love contributing to the community,' she says. 'Going there and talking to people was kind of my way of healing.'
Today, Macaraig volunteers in Siloam's kitchen as often as her schedule allows. She assists with preparing and dishing out the approximately 500 plates the organization serves per meal every day.
'The people there are great,' says Macaraig, adding that one of the people she most looks forward to seeing is a 74-year-old volunteer who shares her passion for the Winnipeg Jets. 'I call her my bestie… We clicked and we talk all the time.'
Last Christmas, Macaraig recruited Grade 1 to 6 students at the school she was working at to make greeting cards for holiday packages that were distributed to the people Siloam serves.
'I enjoy helping others so this was my way of getting to share that feeling with these students,' she says. 'It actually made my heart really full to see these students so excited and making cards for a complete stranger.'
Sophie Rebizant has served with a variety of community organizations in the past and wanted to get involved at Siloam two years ago when she was looking to do volunteer work related to her career as a nurse.
Rebizant helps in Siloam's Saul Sair Health Centre, a walk-in clinic where community members can access a variety of services.
The 28-year-old, who is a master of nursing student at the University of Manitoba, provides wound care, hands out over-the-counter pain medication, checks people's blood sugar and assesses whether they need to see a primary care physician or go to the emergency room.
The health centre offers dentistry, optometry, podiatry and foot care, chiropractic care, massage therapy and physiotherapy and Rebizant appreciates having all those services under one roof.
She also appreciates that the centre removes many of the barriers that Siloam visitors typically encounter when they're seeking medical attention.
'It's nice to be in a space they're comfortable in and know they're going to be welcomed,' Rebizant says. 'One of the things I provide is a quiet space where they can just talk and have somebody listen to them, whether they need a Band-Aid, a Tylenol or just want someone to hear them out.'
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
Volunteering at Siloam has strengthened Rebizant's resolve to become a nurse practitioner.
'Every time I finish a shift at Siloam I'm inspired or motivated to keep furthering my education and basically working to improve access to health care for people experiencing homelessness,' she says.
Siloam Mission is currently looking for kitchen volunteers as well as volunteer hairstylists and massage therapists. Doctors and nurse practitioners are also wanted.
For more information and to apply, visit wfp.to/siloam.
If you know a special volunteer, email aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca.
Aaron EppReporter
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron.
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