From a young age, Salvationist Sharon Dean realized how important it was to take care of the people in her community. That’s why, after learning about the needs of students at Algonquin College in Ottawa, she got involved with an outreach team that introduces students to The Salvation Army and offers them practical and spiritual care. 

“Matthew’s Gospel says, ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in’ (Matthew 25:35). All these words are a challenge to me, personally,” says Dean, who believes that it is one thing to be involved in your own church and social circles, but it is God’s commandment to go out into all the world and transform lives for Jesus.

At the college, many students struggle to pay for food on top of educational expenses. Some of them are international students who are new to Canada and trying to adjust, which comes with its own set of stresses and anxieties. The outreach ministry provides a community connection and shows the students that somebody cares about them. 

Reaching Out

The program began 20 years ago when Dean was working as the office administrator for Ottawa’s Woodroffe Temple, now Barrhaven Church, and received a call from the spiritual care department at Algonquin College. They asked if she could be involved in a ministry to connect with students during their exams. 

Today, a team of 10 volunteers from Barrhaven Church goes to campus one day per exam break and interact with students. They provide food, snacks, and referrals to other programs and services from the college’s spiritual care department, as well as prayers and friendly faces.

Individuals from the corps volunteer to support the program by baking, making or bringing food to give to the students. People in the congregation also support it through donations. “We are very fortunate that people within our corps have a passion for reaching out to other people,” says Dean. 

The Algonquin College outreach program has also provided a space for many new members of the corps to get involved in a meaningful way, offering an opportunity to give back and to see first-hand what the Army does to help others. 

“They come and they feel like they’re fitting into church life by being able to minister in that way,” says Dean. “It is a blessing that people who are new to our church feel comfortable enough that they want to serve with us. It gives them purpose and connection, and it’s a great way to welcome new people in and build community with them.”

Standing in Prayer

According to Dean, the college outreach program shows that the Army is connecting with young people in fresh ways. “It is a new generation that will be able to say, ‘The Salvation Army was there for me,’ ” she says.

At each table, the team also offers a prayer box. The idea began about three years ago and ever since, the response has been overwhelmingly positive with students lining up to fill out prayer requests. The requests are then directed to a prayer team at the church, or students have the option to receive a prayer on the spot with a volunteer. 

“I try to be on the other side of the table so that I can mix and mingle with the students,” says Dean, who offers to pray with students when they submit their prayer requests. To Dean’s surprise, many students eagerly accept.

One student from Haiti came to Canada alone for school and wept as she thought about her parents who were still living in dangerous conditions in Haiti. From one day to the next, she did not know if they were safe. In the middle of her stresses and fears, she had to study and write exams. Dean was there to offer food, pray with her and wish her well on her exams. 

Another student, who had recently lost her mother, came to the outreach table feeling distraught. “I don’t pray. I don’t know anything about God,” she said. But when Dean explained what prayer was, the student was open to trying it. 

“It is such a blessing to me that they are willing to have us pray for them right then and there,” says Dean. “They are not afraid to stand with us in prayer.”

No matter where they come from or what their situation is, the students appreciate the food and kindness. “We tell them that we are here because we love Jesus and we’re trying to show his love to other people,” explains Dean. “That’s what we’re supposed to do—share the love of Jesus and meet human needs in real and relevant ways.”

In addition to nourishing snacks and prayers, the outreach team provides students with information about The Salvation Army and its services so that if they need assistance now or in the future, they know where to go.

“Community partnerships such as these are vital to ensuring we are not serving alone, but that we are working alongside others as we seek to be a transforming influence,” says Captain Laura Van Schaick, corps officer. “As the saying goes, ‘it’s better to give than to receive.’ We are always encouraged by the number of students who welcome prayer, right in the middle of student commons. This type of service project strengthens relationships between volunteer church members as well, drawing us closer together as a faith community.” 

The Heart to Serve

Dean grew up in The Salvation Army and often accompanied her mother to community care ministries, known then as the league of mercy. Her father was the superintendent at the Union Mission for Men, and though faith and acts of service run in the family, Dean made the decision at a young age to pursue it of her own accord.

“When you grow up in a Christian family, you think you’ve got all these privileges of having faith, but as a teenager, I learned that it was a decision that I had to make for myself. Salvation is not inherited,” she says. So, at 13 years old, she accepted Christ into her life. After that, she felt the Lord calling her into different kinds of ministry. 

Now, Dean leads community care ministries and the sunshine club at Barrhaven Church and participates in the Piecemakers sewing group, as well as the college outreach program.

Each exam season, Dean and the outreach volunteers feel honoured that they are welcomed on campus—a place that becomes a temporary home to many students throughout their studies—and given the opportunity to minister to others. “We may be the only Bible that someone ever reads. But we can’t do these things in our own strength. We need the Lord to work in and through us,” says Dean. “It’s not about pointing to ourselves; it’s about pointing others to Jesus.”

She invites everyone to consider the following questions in their own contexts: what can the people at our church do to help the community? Who is our community, what do they need, and how can we show the love of Jesus in practical ways? 

“We’re called to be servants,” says Dean. “God has no hands or feet but ours.”