To the casual observer, our outreach vans might look like mobile supply stations that distribute food, clothing, hygiene products, and other essentials to people surviving on the streets. But to the thousands of people that we have served over nearly 30 years, there is so much more happening than meets the eye.   

The goal of our outreach program is not only to help people survive, but to help people take their next steps toward self-sufficiency.

Many of the individuals we serve have experienced disappointment and neglect from others, including other social services agencies, and as a result, they often don’t trust the support programs and services that are meant to help them.  

When we show up consistently and provide the essentials people need while asking nothing of them and treating them with genuine care and respect, our outreach workers and volunteers build trust. That trust is the catalyst restoring hope and creating the essential foundation for a person to take their first steps toward change. 

Ross is a perfect example. He received services from the Ve’ahavta van and developed a trusting relationship with our outreach workers. They showed up consistently and demonstrated to him that they truly cared about him as a person. In turn, he shared his hopes and aspirations with them. When they told him about Ve’ahavta’s Recipe for Success kitchen internship program, it was right up his alley, and he decided to apply.  

Over 12 weeks, he gained the skills, credentials, confidence, and real-world experience he needed to be ready to start his career in the food services industry. Following his internship, he enrolled in Ve’ahavta’s Employment Services, funded by Employment Ontario, and ultimately became the first person to achieve full-time employment through our new employment services department. 

Today, Ross has a full-time job. He is deeply proud of his accomplishments and has genuine hope for the future of his career and his life. 

As he told us, “Because of Ve’ahavta, I’m more confident in myself. I’m prepared to take on new challenges in my life.” 

From homelessness to skills, confidence, self-sufficiency, and hope – this is what our outreach vans make possible. 

In most cases, it is impossible to know where the first seeds of trust from our outreach vans ultimately take people. But we’ve heard from many of them – even some who are now part of our staff team – that receiving support from our outreach vans was their turning point. 

When you support our outreach vans, whether as a donor, a volunteer, or both – it’s not about the “stuff” you give out. It’s about the trust you build, the hope you restore, and the possibility you open up. 

Thank you for supporting this work, and for helping to launch brighter futures. 

With gratitude,

Cari Kozierok,
CEO, Ve’ahavta