Victoria BC, Canada
Who Are We Partnering With?
Our partner, David Slemin, runs an outreach ministry for the vulnerable on the streets of Victoria, British Columbia. He walks the streets looking for the homeless and hurting, bringing them love and compassion, personal care and emergency supplies. He cares for the homeless as Jesus would.
The initiative doubles as a job skills training and mentoring program for the vulnerable in the community. The primary purpose is to reach these individuals and provide them with tangible opportunities to change their lives. This is achieved by sharing the love of Jesus through one-on-one discipleship. David also provides training on job skills, life skills and social skills.
David has been leading a church directed toward reaching those who may not feel welcome elsewhere.
The Ministry
David is passionate about teaching, outreach work, and caring for widows. As part of his teaching ministry, he teaches from the Word of God and imparts practical life skills and job training.
According to him, the real solution is a relationship with Jesus Christ. The second is patience and providing a healthy community for them to grow in.
The goal is to meet people where they are, allowing Jesus to love others through us without expectations or conditions. Many are drawn to repentance and a lifestyle change through a sincere relationship with Jesus. This is encouraged through prayer, a study of the word, and the ministry’s courses and activities.
The outreach program strategy is to provide opportunities for life change through
- Tangible, experiential training in work-like settings
- Provide opportunities through volunteer placements with an overseer
- Development of skills for possible future career options
- Teaching of work ethics, etc.
- Mentorship and life coaching
- Discuss and counsel on issues of real life
- Coaching for a variety of issues
- Referrals, if necessary, to other agencies that provide specialized assistance
- Development of practical life skills
- Financial budgeting
- Social development
- Conflict management
- Teamwork
David’s Testimony
At 16, David served the poor in Honduras, and the experience developed a passion in him for helping the most vulnerable. His greatest passion is helping the poorest of the poor in developing countries and looking for ways to help empower families to become sustainable through small businesses or farming.
David’s Personal Testimony, “My father struggled with drugs and alcohol, anger, and violence. However, he had a heart for God and led me to Jesus while the police were outside waiting to take him to prison. My mother struggled greatly to raise four children on welfare and odd jobs. She had a relationship with Jesus, sent us to church, and worked hard to give us a Christian education. At 16, I went to Honduras to serve the poor and developed a passion for helping the third world. I served many years in my church with a heart for the rejected and the outcasts. I built up a construction company from scratch by the grace of God and helped the poor start small companies overseas. Then I sensed a call from the Lord to sell the company. God provided a buyer for the company and a miracle for us with our first home. It was then that I had a major heart attack. I went outside one night and asked the Father to open doors and provide a way for me to serve the poor full-time. God miraculously made a way!”
Reach the Most Vulnerable
Your donation can immediately impact someone’s life and make a difference in their future.
Your gift can give someone necessities today, such as a hot meal and clean clothes. It can help someone receive longer-term care for addiction, counselling or sustainable self-employment.
Your support will help us continue this program and develop new ones to help disadvantaged and homeless people in Victoria. Please help us make a difference in someone’s life today, tomorrow and in the years to come.
You can get in touch with David at dslemin(at)impacthope.ca.