I have always had an interest in wanting to work with the less fortunate, but did not really have a great understanding of how to go about it till I met this wonderful lady, Bev Henke. She was teaching an Overcomers meeting at the church that I attend, Vernon Family Church. Bev is an outreach worker for the Mission, I asked her how I go about volunteering at the Mission, she said “come on down and fill out a volunteer application”. Needless to say I was down there the next day and the day after that I had my first experience in the kitchen doing what I have wanted to do for so many years. As it turned out, one of the cooks had gotten hurt in a car accident and a cook’s position became available. After much prayer and worry because I had volunteered in the kitchen only a handful of times, I asked Andrew, the Manager, if the position was still available and that I would be interested in filling in as cook. So here I am almost a year later and still enjoying what I love to do, COOK!

I find it a privilege to be able to work in the Upper Room Mission environment. Before I started working here I was at a crossroads in my life, not knowing what my purpose in this life was. I know first hand what a lot of the people here are going through with addictions because I also have been there, so it is easy to relate and understand the frustrations that they have in coming clean. I have prayed so often to be brought around wonderful Christian people and God has answered my prayers by sending me to the Upper Room Mission. Sometimes there can be frustrations being here, but when you hear just one success story it makes it all worth while. There is a passage in scripture, Mathew 9:37 which says; “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.” In saying that, I mean that there are so many wonderful people that donate to the Mission, but sometimes we have a shortage of volunteers and every little extra help makes the world of difference. God Bless!