Salvation Army cadets and officers from the Officers' Training College, as well as junior soldier Elissa Zelinsky (age 12), lent a hand to the sandbagging efforts north of Winnipeg in the community of St. Andrews on the weekend. The team helped serve meals to volunteers, filled sandbags and helped construct dikes in areas where the flood was expected to strike.

"It was amazing to come together with people for the common good of the community as we made connections with strangers over a 30-pound bag of sand,” said Cadet Melissa Mailman.

Major Keith Pike, director of personnel, CFOT, shared a similar experience as he witnessed people's appreciation for the work carried out. "It was great to be in the midst of people doing good for their neighbours,” he said.

Cadet Larry Campbell shared how people were drawn to The Salvation Army shield on his coat. "A bus load of volunteers had arrived to help build a dike around someone's house, but no one was sure where to begin,” he said. “It was humbling to have people look to me for guidance and direction simply because I bore the name The Salvation Army." Cadet Campbell rallied more than 50 volunteers to shore up support around the house.

At another location, Captain Rick Zelinsky looked down the line of volunteers to see Cadet Rachel Sheils and his 12-year-old daughter Elissa receiving the sandbags and assembling them to form a four-foot dike. The value of the effort wasn't lost on Cadet Sheils as she prepares to take leadership of a Salvation Army ministry unit in the next few months. "It would be good to organize our church to assist in this effort,” she said. “Those who could handle the manual labour could help lift and carry, while others could be mobilized to assist in other ways like making and serving meals. It is a community effort, and we're all part of it."

Whether on the sandbagging teams, the dike building lines or serving meals, it was evident that all volunteers were united for the good of the community. This wasn't lost on Elissa Zelinsky as she offered thanks at the dinner table that evening: "God, thank you for all of the sandbags that were made, and all of the people who helped, and keep all of the people safe whose houses we were at today.” Amen!

Top photo: Cadet Rachel Sheils building a dike; second photo: Elissa Zelinsky takes a time out from constructing the dike