About I WAS THIRSTY

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Throughout my career in policing, peacekeeping, and public service, I have learned that some of the most meaningful acts of service are often the simplest. I founded I WAS THIRSTY because I believe that reconciliation is not only something we talk about—it is something we practice through our everyday actions.

In Thunder Bay, many of the people experiencing homelessness and living without reliable access to clean drinking water are Indigenous. Their circumstances cannot be understood apart from the lasting impacts of colonialism, residential schools, systemic discrimination, intergenerational trauma, and barriers to housing, healthcare, and opportunity. While no single initiative can address these complex issues, every community has a responsibility to respond with compassion, respect, and practical support.

I WAS THIRSTY was created to meet one immediate and fundamental human need: access to safe drinking water. Our volunteers deliver bottled water directly to people living in encampments and other unsheltered locations, ensuring that those who are often overlooked are not forgotten. Every delivery is guided by a simple principle—that every person deserves to be treated with dignity, kindness, and respect.

For me, this work is also an expression of reconciliation. It is about listening before speaking, building relationships rather than assumptions, and recognizing the humanity and inherent worth of every individual we meet. We do not arrive with answers to every challenge people face. We arrive with water, with respect, and with a willingness to stand alongside those who have too often been marginalized.

Throughout my career in policing, peacekeeping, and public service, I have learned that trust is built through consistency, humility, and service. Those lessons continue to guide this initiative. Reconciliation is strengthened when communities work together, acknowledge difficult truths, and choose actions that promote healing, inclusion, and mutual respect.

My hope is that I WAS THIRSTY demonstrates how simple acts of service can contribute to a broader culture of reconciliation. Providing drinking water will not solve homelessness or erase generations of injustice, but it is a tangible way of affirming that every person's life has value and that no one should be denied life's most basic necessities.

I am grateful to the volunteers, community partners, and supporters who have embraced this vision. Together, we are building more than a volunteer program—we are fostering a community where compassion, respect, and reconciliation are expressed not only in words, but in action.

My experiences serving both in Canada and overseas reinforced a lesson that has stayed with me throughout my life: meaningful change often begins with ordinary people deciding to help one another. I WAS THIRSTY reflects that belief. It is built on the idea that no act of kindness is too small when it helps restore hope and demonstrates compassion.

I have also been committed to making the initiative easy to replicate. The need for accessible drinking water is not unique to Thunder Bay, and I believe communities across Canada can adapt this volunteer-driven model to meet local needs. By sharing our experiences, resources, and practical guidance, my hope is that others will be inspired to establish similar programs wherever they live.

I WAS THIRSTY is not simply about delivering water. It is about recognizing our shared humanity. It is about responding to need with action rather than indifference. Above all, it is a reminder that each of us has the capacity to improve the life of another person, one simple act of kindness at a time.

I remain deeply grateful to the volunteers, community partners, and donors whose generosity has made this initiative possible. Their compassion has transformed an idea into a movement that continues to grow, and I am honoured to work alongside them in service to our community.

To learn more, donate, volunteer, or just spread the word, click on the link below.