Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 29, 2020, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE Z1 T HE NIGHT BEGINS with a prayer, an incantation from the lips of three faithful members of the flock, standing in dim light with clasped hands as they implore God to direct them where help is needed most. It's a predictable start given the set- ting - the Salvation Army - where Merv Halvorsen, a longtime pastor with the non-profit religious group, is preparing to lead an outreach team into the streets of Winnipeg during the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan is to find as many people experiencing homelessness as possible and help them any way they can - a bottle of water or loaf of bread, a toque or scarf, or a trip to the overnight shel- ter or methamphetamine detox. The kitchen floor is freshly mopped and Halvorsen, 56, slips and nearly falls as he carries a large container of coffee, pre-mixed with plenty of sugar, toward the garage, where a retrofitted, decommissioned ambulance awaits him. Above the counter and prep table hangs a series of kitchen utensils: cups and colanders, spoons and spatulas, pots and pans. Laminated posters warning of the dangers of the corona- virus and the need to wash hands are plastered on the walls. A half moon glows in the sky as Halvorsen manoeuvres the old ambulance - which the Salvation Army calls its Extreme Environment Response Vehicle - out of the garage with a tight two-point turn, before steering it down the back alley and into the slush-covered streets. It is 10:56 p.m., and virus be damned, Halvorsen heads out in search of people in need. Seated next to him is John Burton, 55, and in the back cabin is Kathryn Dueck, 28, both cadets in the Salvation Army. The trio plans to be out for five hours, from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., stopping by the spots - encampments and bus shelters - where they know homeless folks will be. The team is outfitted with face masks, gloves and glasses to protect them from the virus. But truth be told, they aren't that worried about the risks. It's not that they don't believe the virus is deadly - they do. They just believe in the importance of the work they're doing that much more. "We can always take the necessary precautions, but there comes a time when you've got to be willing to risk a little bit. So as long as this work is actually helping people, I think this is the time to take that risk," Dueck says, as the vehicle comes to a stop at the biggest camp off the strip. Halvorsen honks the horn four times to notify the residents they've arrived. One man approaches the vehicle shiv- ering, with his hands at his elbows, and asks for a cup of coffee. White film is caked at the corners of his mouth. Fresh snow, light like powder, covers the ground, and with each step the man takes, a perfect footprint is left behind. From inside a tent, another man shouts that it's too cold to come out. Off to the side stand Kyle and De- sirae, bracing themselves against the wind, seemingly uninterested in what the outreach team has to offer. Kyle's arm is wrapped around her as the couple announces that two weeks prior, they got engaged. Desirae shows off the ring on the third finger of her left hand, and throws her head back, laughing. ARTS ?LIFE ARTS@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ? WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM TUESDAY DECEMBER 29, 2020 CONNECT WITH THE BEST ARTS AND LIFE COVERAGE IN MANITOBA SECTION C? LIFE ON THE STRIP A year-long examination of Main Street homelessness Warm-hearted call of duty Salvation Army trio puts concern for others ahead of their own well-being during frigid overnight shift in early days of pandemic, offering hot coffee, food, winter gear and rides to people on the street I am an Aboriginal woman who is one of those women whose mother reported missing. I can't imagine the count- less days she probably just wished that when the phone rang it was me calling home. I have yet to make that call. I only talk to her when I find comfort in the streets and find a silent moment to just speak to the wind and hope my words find her somehow - Desirae RYAN THORPE THE COSTS OF HOMELESSNESS - both in fiscal resources and human mis- ery - are difficult to fathom. And the problem, which has plagued Winnipeg for decades, is growing. In order to better understand the issue, the Free Press spent the past year documenting life on the streets and in the shelters, interviewing advocates, community activists and academics, reviewing research papers, shadowing social-service workers and consulting people with expertise gained through lived experience. The result is Life on the Strip: A year- long examination of Main Street homelessness. At the start of each instalment is a quote from Desirae, one of the people profiled in this series. She lives on the streets of Winnipeg in a tent. The quotes are excerpted from an essay she wrote and submitted to the Free Press. This is Chapter 4 of nine. It looks at the work of the Salvation Army's outreach team in the early stages of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Photography by John Woods Winnipeg Free Press ? CONTINUED ON C2 Merv Halvorsen, a pastor with Salvation Army (from left), and Salvation Army cadets John Burton and Kathryn Dueck offer up coffee, clothing and support from their Extreme Environment Response Vehicle. Desirae and Kyle enjoy coffee in the cold. See the full series at wfp.to/lifeonthestrip C_01_Dec-29-20_FP_01.indd C1 2020-12-28 2:55 PM ;