Joy Starts with Soup

by NightShift

Finding joy at Christmas time can come in different ways. For Corrina, joy is found in ways that many folks take for granted – like simply having a warm, dry place to sleep and hot meal, served with a smile.

Corrina has been homeless for the last seven months, living out of a tent in a Surrey forest. Heavy rains at the beginning of December caused flooding in her tent, and she ended up sleeping in a puddle of water. When her health began to suffer, she knew she had to get inside. She found her way to NightShift’s Extreme Weather Response Shelter for Women.

“It’s inside and it’s lovely. The staff are friendly and they make women feel so comfortable,” shares Corrina about her nights in the EWR shelter. “It’s so warm and inviting, with the Christmas tree and the lights. I’m out like a rock as soon as my head hits the pillow. It’s nice.”

Corrina, 32, and her Mom, who sleeps in another Surrey shelter, lost their home when a roommate failed to pay his share of the bills. Adding to that financial burden, Corrina was unable to continue her job at a local coffee shop due to degenerative spinal issues. Despite the hardship of being homeless, she is thankful for the consistent care and kind community offered at NightShift’s evening meal outreach, and EWR shelter.

“Joy is when, even if you don’t have much reason to smile, your smile is still there, because you have each other,” says Corrina, who attended NightShift’s special sit-down Christmas dinner with about 100 other folks dealing with homelessness and poverty. “I haven’t had a turkey dinner since I was 13. The food was amazing and everybody was so inviting. NightShift makes people who have no place to go feel like they belong.”

Corrina comes to NightShift for a hot meal, and a safe place to sleep, but she finds something more – a caring community, and the joy of belonging. With your help, NightShift Street Ministries can continue reaching out, to people like Corrina, 365 nights a year, with a hot meal, basic clothing, prayer and love, along with a women’s EWR shelter and special holiday meals.

Give the gift of helping those in need find joy.


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NightShift


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