Every Wednesday and Sunday, the volunteers at Ground Zero Ministries distribute food and essential supplies to the underprivileged living in campsites for homeless people. In addition to the haircuts every Sunday, the volunteers at Ground Zero offer up to 80 meals a day and essential supplies including bottled water, socks, gloves, underwear and hygiene products to the homeless population near Lonzo Road in Abbotsford, BC. The ultimate mission of Ground Zero Ministries is to help place the homeless into recognized treatment facilities and later move them towards permanent housing and full-time employment.
Founded by Joesph Sikora in 2021, Ground Zero Ministries is dedicated to helping the homeless live with dignity through love and compassion and supporting them with essential supplies. The name Ground Zero is derived from the informal name given to the largest homeless encampment in Abbotsford, BC. Earlier in March of 2023, Ground Zero Ministries of Abbotsford obtained the approval of the Canada Revenue Agency as a charitable organization, meaning donations supporting their efforts will now receive official tax receipts.
The volunteers at Ground Zero Ministries believe that each life matters, that everyone deserves a second chance and that there is an inherent dignity for everyone irrespective of status and access to things in life. The vision of Ground Zero is to re-instill dignity, confidence, and renewed purpose in the lives of the underprivileged, especially those who need it most. The goal of Ground Zero Ministries is to help the underprivileged get off the streets and move to better situations that benefit their lives.
Each Sunday, Joseph Sikora and his team provide free outdoor haircuts for the unhoused.
Before starting Ground Zero Ministries, Sikora worked with the Vancouver community service organization of barbers known as the ‘Street Thug Barbers’ who offered free haircuts to the homeless in Vancouver’s Downtown East side encampments. For Sikora, it is more than a haircut as it is an opportunity to talk to those with addictions or mental health issues and to understand them.
Sikora says, “While they’re sitting in our chair, we get a chance to tell them our story and they get to tell us theirs”. “When you show love to somebody, you re-instill value, meaning, hope and purpose in them. Anything’s possible then,” he explains. There are many heart-warming stories from the underprivileged that the volunteers of Ground Zero Ministries have learned over the past years.
Sikora and his team befriend the underprivileged and homeless, build trust with them, take them to medical appointments and place them into a detoxification/opiate replacement therapy program. Later, the underprivileged can transition into stable shelters with partners.
Ground Zero Ministries is always in need of new supplies such as blankets, clothing, bottled water, food and personal hygiene products. If you live in the Abbotsford area and are interested in giving your time, you can get in touch with the team at 1-888-712-2980. You can also support Ground Zero Ministries in their endeavours and donate here.
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We find Ground Zero Ministries and its volunteers to be an example of the Politest Canadians, who go above and beyond their line of duty to help those in need.
