Amid a fierce snowstorm that swept through Maple Creek, Sask., in December, white-out conditions and zero visibility on Highway 1 left travellers stranded two days before Christmas. As the night set in, a member of the RCMP knocked on the door of Lieutenants Amber and Brent Wareham, corps officers in Maple Creek, asking if there was anything The Salvation Army could do to help.

“We told them, ‘Absolutely,’ and offered to open the church as a shelter, warming station, feeding station—whatever was needed,” says Lieutenant Brent. Within an hour and a half, the RCMP and local tow truck drivers sent out convoys to collect displaced people from the highway and bring them safely to the Maple Creek corps. 

Local hotels were already full of holiday travellers whose plans had been put on hold due to the storm, and people needed a place to stay, a hot meal and their spirits lifted. At the corps, they were offered cots and blankets with temporary barriers to create privacy between groups. Volunteers in the kitchen helped prepare soup, rolls, snacks, tea and coffee. Even those who travelled with pets were welcomed, and the corps had dog food readily available at the food bank through their partnership with the Saskatchewan Pet Food Bank. 

Though Lieutenants Wareham offered people an opportunity to come in from the storm and rest, many chose to help out instead. “I was really impressed with the sense of morale that existed. People wanted to help themselves and others. They wanted to feel useful,” says Lieutenant Brent.

“The community reached out immediately. Mayor Michelle McKenzie was on site that night and the following morning helping with preparations and serving food,” says Lieutenant Brent. “Many called to offer their own homes to people if we ran out of space at the corps, and we had community members arrive with extra pillows and blankets.” The RCMP and tow truck drivers travelled back and forth in dangerous road conditions to scout for vehicles, transport people and bring them back to their vehicles the following day once the storm had cleared.

“The families couldn’t be more thankful, especially so close to Christmas. They were grateful to have a warm place to rest and where their kids could feel safe,” says Lieutenant Amber. “One mother shared with us that her teenage boys have had reservations about church because of many public perceptions. She said, ‘I’m so glad that we’re here because they get to see what the church actually is.’ ”

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