Bernie Poitras knows his way around a kitchen.
For the past 17 years the Port Coquitlam man has been making soup for people who stop for lunch on Wednesdays at Trinity United Church while picking up a bag of groceries from the food bank.
While other people dish out advice, handouts and occasionally services to those struggling to survive, Poitras dishes up a bowl of beef, chowder, vegetable and any other kind of soup he can think of to about 100 people on Wednesdays.
He is supported by members of the Tsu Chi Foundation who look after the soup kitchen on alternating Wednesdays with Poitras and his fellow volunteers doing the job the other weeks.
“I can make soup out of shoe leather,” jokes the retired engineer, who learned to cook from his mom.
Lately, though with temperatures dipping to zero, Poitras has had more mouths to feed since the extreme weather mat program opened at Trinity.
He’s been supplying soup to the homeless who use the extreme weather mat program at the church. Each night since Feb. 9, between 11 and 18 souls, some with dogs, show up at the church on Prairie Avenue to sleep on a mat.
They get Poitras’ soup, a bun and vegetables, while Trinity volunteers set up the mats and make sure the place is clean each morning when the visitors leave at 7 a.m.
Workers paid for by BC Housing look after the shelter and also make breakfast and a bag lunch for their charges.
“They particularly like the beef soup,” said Poitras, who speculates it’s because people living out in the rough need the extra protein.
This will be the 11th year that Trinity has run a mat program for local homeless people and it’s still busy even though Coquitlam has a full-time shelter at 3030 Gordon.
Poitras said the emergency mat program is necessary because 3030 Gordon is full and people still need a place to stay for the night.
“What can you do when you’re staying outside and it drops to zero,” he told The Tri-City News.
Over the years Poitras has seen a change in clients; they are younger now, but still struggling with mental health issues, as well as drug and alcohol addiction. He said many are regulars.
Poitras listens to their stories while giving them a bowl of something hot to eat.
“It’s surprising. They come in quiet the first night, but the second night they are boisterous in telling me how they arrived at their situation.”
After watching the homeless situation change over the years, Poitras believes drugs are more common than they used to be while the cost of living exceeds income assistance. When people do work, he said, the additional money is clawed back.
He’d like to see some changes in the way services are delivered. “You know about government, they are slow to act."
But in the meantime, he’ll continue to make soup and deliver it to those who need it.
“I’m not ready to retire,” says Poitras.
