Six out of seven days a week, Jimmy Steffan is hard at work helping his friends at The Salvation Army’s Wiarton Community Church in Ontario. He collects scrap and copper, which he sells, giving the Army the proceeds. He helps at the thrift store, making sure that nothing is wasted. And he is always on the lookout for anything that can be repaired, reused and recycled.

This regimen would be taxing enough for anyone—but Jimmy happens to be 88 years old and shows no sign of stopping.

All for the Army

“We’ve been trying to figure out whether Jimmy’s been with us for 30 or 32 years,” smiles Major Deb VanderHeyden, the thrift store supervisor.

“In any event, Jimmy started volunteering with The Salvation Army ever since we reopened here in July 1996, and he’s on his third building now.”

Jimmy has a philosophy in life: Don’t waste anything.

He strips down scrap and copper, repairs and recycles old appliances and broken items that don’t work and can’t be resold, and saves what he can. By selling that and the copper, he generates funds for the thrift store.

Says Major Deb, “He has a passion for recycling. He often double-checks what we are sorting to make sure we’re not wasting anything. Jimmy keeps us on our toes.”

“That’s right. Everything that comes in and out of the thrift store,” he confirms.

Jimmy also scours the neighbourhood for empty beer and liquor bottles, which he returns for the refund.

People around town know that Jimmy is a part of The Salvation Army, so many restaurants leave things out for him.

“I don’t waste nothing,” states Jimmy. “And all the money I collect goes back to The Salvation Army.”

“A Family Affair”

But Jimmy’s efforts extend to more than recycling. He’s also a member of the Salvation Army church family in Wiarton. When he is not helping his friends at the thrift store, he attends the worship service at the Army church, where he arrives on his bicycle every Sunday—whether rain, sleet, snow or hail. (Jimmy is known by his nickname “Bicycle Jim.”)

“Often, he can be seen with a tear in his eye as he senses the Holy Spirit moving in him,” says Major Mary Millar, the pastor at the church.

Over the years, Jimmy has donated money to the church, and he’s given funds to help send kids to Salvation Army summer camps. When the food bank needed a new freezer, he bought one himself. 

“I gave Major Mary $1,000 one time for the church,” says Jimmy. “She wouldn’t take it. But I said, ‘You gotta take it.’ And she did.

“I like helping people,” he continues. “My goodness, I do.”

“I think Jimmy also likes that we give him treats,” chuckles Major Deb. “And hot chocolate. We make sure he’s feeling good.” 

But as far as Jimmy is concerned, the care goes both ways.

“Major Mary, she’s a good lady,” he says about the pastor. “I love everyone here at the Army.”

“Jimmy doesn’t have any family in Wiarton and so I think it’s safe to say that he thinks of us as his family,” says Major Deb. “But we think of Jimmy as part of our family, too. So it’s a family affair.”

Jimmy nods happily in agreement.