Street Patrol
Belleville nurse serves the marginalized in back alleys and tent cities. BY GISELLE RANDALL
Photos: Giselle Randall
Debbie DeVries is a Salvation Army street nurse in Belleville, Ont.
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tethoscope. Blood pressure cuff. Bandages and antibiotic ointment. Blood sugar monitor and orange juice. Naloxone opioid overdose kit. Sharps container. Bible. This is what Debbie DeVries carries on her rounds as a registered nurse—but she doesn’t work at a hospital. Instead, her rounds take her to the back streets, 8 March 2020 Salvationist
alleys and tent cities of Belleville, Ont. As a Salvation Army street nurse, she reaches out to the marginalized with care and compassion. “My role is to be a health presence in the community, to provide nursing care for those often overlooked by society,” says DeVries. “As a Christian, I believe God values every human being. We’re all
created in his image. And as a nurse, I’m called to treat everybody with dignity and respect.” DeVries is following in the footsteps of Doug Roy, who introduced the street nurse program to Belleville, supported by the Women’s Christian Association. When Roy passed away in 2018, the organization gave The Salvation Army
