Volunteers were hard at work in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside on Sunday, making sure no one went hungry on Christmas Day.
Alex Watt was one of them. Just ten years ago, Watt was homeless himself.
Now, Watts has hope. He organizes a volunteer effort aimed at ending the cycle of pain.
“It’s a sense of being hopeless, nothing to live for, nobody to love you. Christmas was always a sad day for me,” Watt told Global News while handing out turkey sandwiches on the Downtown Eastside.
Watt was just one of many volunteers handing out meals and some holiday cheer in one of Canada’s poorest neighbourhoods.
Over 100 volunteers with Salvation Army served 1,000 pounds of turkey to more than 1,000 people in need.
“We’re here doing good things,” said Jim Coggles with Salvation Army. “Good things are happening in people’s lives, but the need is always there.”
For the 15th consecutive year, staff at the Kingsway Vancouver and Richmond Centre White Spot locations donated their time and tips on Christmas Day to support Richmond Hospital Foundation and Variety – The Children’s Charity.
Earlier this month, Union Gospel Mission delivered 300 hampers to those in need and served Christmas meals to thousands of people.
For Watt, it’s about making sure there is always hope.
“I hope that whoever watches this can see that there are people out here who need the love and the care,” he said.
-With files from Nadia Stewart