It's lunchtime at Belkin House, a 24/7 facility that hosts a variety of residential programs and housing for up to 224 men, women and children in Vancouver. Approximately 100 patrons are eagerly waiting for their food while six volunteers dish up burgers and fries, fruit salad and other appetizing items they helped to prepare hours in advance.

Melissa Fulton is one of those volunteers. She has served meals at Belkin House for almost three years. After moving to the city from Calgary and noticing a high population of homeless people, Fulton decided to be part of the solution. Her grandmother recommended volunteering for The Salvation Army because she admired their work, so Fulton, a financial analyst at Telus, went to Belkin House, located only 10 minutes from her home.

“At the time, I thought I would do some kind of bookkeeping for them,” she says.

But when the volunteer co-ordinator told Fulton that they most needed help in the kitchen, she rolled up her sleeves. “I love it because it's so different from my regular work, I'm not stuck in a room and it's a nice change for me.”

Fulton enjoys the positive attitude displayed by staff, volunteers and residents.

“We have volunteers with developmental disabilities who may not be able to find employment, so they treat the meal service as their full-time job—many have been doing it for 10 years,” she says. “I'm motivated to work with them because they are always in such a good mood, put a smile on my face and take their tasks seriously.”

Volunteering among those who are homeless has also given Fulton a different perspective on them.

“Everyone has their own story and you don't know the circumstances that happened to them,” she says. “But you can create a positive environment for these individuals, show them that you care and it can motivate them to do better for themselves.”

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