Faith&Friends
COMMON GROUND
“Happy Birthday to … … everyone,” said The Salvation Army to the clients they serve.
Illustration: kolonko/stock.Adobe.com
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by Lorenda Dale
ast August 16 was a busy day for us here at the Medicine Hat Salvation Army ministries in Alberta. We had a birthday barbecue at Veteran’s Memorial Park. We had told our clients for a couple of weeks that we were planning a birthday barbecue to be held at the park. Of course, we got some interesting looks when we said that, and they asked whose birthday we were celebrating. We replied, “Yours,” and explained that we wanted to celebrate them, each one of them. “This is for all the birthdays that you weren’t celebrated,” we told them. “This is for all the birthdays you didn’t get to enjoy.” Noisy Joy It was a great day! Sure, it was a lot
8 • JANUARY 2022 I faithandfriends.ca
of work to pull it off, but it was well worth it. Now and then, I slipped away from the table I was at to tidy up at the other tables. I would smile and wish them all a happy birthday and they would do the same. As I walked, talked and worked, I encountered people who thanked me over and over again. I wanted to live in their joy that day. I think I got to see how some of them may have been before the troubles and hardships of this world took hold, and before addictions seeped in and changed them. At the end, we had cake, loot bags and socks to give them before they left. Once again, there were many expressions of thanks and birthday wishes from both staff and clients. It really felt like a day of celebration as people began to find the
