Throughout October, The Salvation Army in Bermuda participated in the “Housing4All” campaign. This movement brought different organizations in Bermuda together to take part in events to raise awareness about homelessness in the country.

To honour the campaign, The Salvation Army’s emergency housing shelter in Pembroke, Bermuda, hosted a volunteer event, which brought in people to build a new community garden outside the shelter. 

Marjorie Armstrong, a caseworker at the emergency shelter, came up with the idea. She believed that building a garden would not only be a great volunteer opportunity but would also help the residents of the shelter in the long run.

“It will help to feed them, and it will allow us to feed other people as well,” says Armstrong. “It is going to be self-sufficient. It will also help our people by keeping them busy.”

The community garden event gathered 15 volunteers from a charitable community group called Bermuda Is Love, as well as staff members from The Salvation Army including Lieutenant Lester Ward, executive director, Bermuda community services.

For Lieutenant Ward, the experience was rewarding in every aspect. Not only were they able to turn a piece of land into a garden in such a short time, but they also enjoyed their time and made new connections. 

“The biggest takeaway from this is not just the garden and the goods, but rather the relationships that have been built,” says Lieutenant Ward. 

Thanks to the creation of the garden, the residents will now have something to care for that will provide food for them and others in the community. In addition, the Army opened new doors for future volunteer collaborations. 

“The volunteers loved it. They intend to continue to help us in any way they can,” says Armstrong.

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