A London couple is about to embark on another mission of hope.
“We have 47 'Hope Bags' that my wife and I have put together for the homeless. Each bag has a toque, gloves, some thermal socks and other essentials” says Tom Termeer, who distributes bags to those in need at this time of year.
Termeer and his wife Kristen hit the streets on Christmas Eve to hand out their bags.
“Four years ago we had a loss in the family. As hard as Christmas time is, we decided to help homeless people” adds Tom, who wanted to turn a negative into a positive.
During last year’s trip to the Salvation Army, they ran out of bags. This time they had businesses and others contribute to their cause and have managed to put together 47 bags.
“The more we have, and the more people contribute to what we are doing, the more we can give out,” says Kristen.
The Termeers say unlike some charities, 100 per cent of what is contributed, is distributed.
As well as providing hope to those who receive the bags, they want to inspire others to start an initiative of their own.
And it’s not just essentials they are delivering, but faith in humanity.
Each bag comes with a hand written card of encouragement, and a $7 Tim Hortons card, says Tom.
“It gives them a chance to have a warm meal and a hot beverage."
Each year, Tom (who suffers from cluster headaches and is on disability) posts a video on YouTube of the mission.
