Marcus' family is from Winnipeg but he grew up and lived in Grimsby ON until coming to Winnipeg a little while ago. He grew up in and around farming and has also held both industrial and clerical positions. There were elements of each job that he enjoyed. His biggest challenge at the moment is finding housing outside of the Salvation Army. He previously lived in the same place for 16 years and finding a new place to live has been more difficult that he expected. He finds encouragement in knowing that there are services available for those seeking help and Christmas for him is a time to gather with friends and family. ..and to enjoy fun in the snow!

Florence has lived in Winnipeg since April, after living in BC for years. She came to Winnipeg to look after her parents who are going through tough times - her father is having knee surgery and her mother suffers from dementia. She began experiencing homelessness 3 years ago in BC and came to Siloam Mission after a friend told her about their services. She misses Christmas with her family, especially her sisters in Kingston. She does like to keep in contact with them via email when she can get access to a computer. Her goal right now is to stay healthy and find a place to live in the coming months but she experienced a recent setback when someone who was dog sitting for her ended up selling Florence's dog without her permission. It broke her heart and she desperately wants to move to a new home to someday have another pet. She doesn't let that hurt stop her from wanting to give love and joy to others this holiday season.

Wanda is originally from Regina but travelled with carnivals and was a housewife in the US for over 20 years. She was recently deported back to Canada and has been living in Winnipeg for the past 3 months. As she's been away from Canada for so long, the adjustment and getting the proper identification has been a bit of a challenge for her. She strives to take things one day at a time and finds email and Facebook to keep in contact with her family brings her happiness. She is currently saving up for a tablet to be able to stay connected more often. For Wanda, Christmas is about new beginnings and she thinks winter boots would be a gift she's be eager to give someone else using Siloam's services.

Dancing with Wolves was born in Swan Lake, MB, moved all over western Canada and came to live in Winnipeg in 1975. She has a great deal of experience in the hospitality industry and found enjoyment in working with people of different ethnic backgrounds. She recently found a one bedroom place but has only a mattress to sleep on. She finds it a challenge to find work and no longer be on welfare but whenever she has the opportunity to see family, it brings her enjoyment. She has two granddaughters and one new grandson. Dancing has been at Siloam off and on for years, and finds that they are always a loving and caring group of people providing hope for the future. This Christmas Dancing is grateful to have a place to live and if she had the money would eagerly give it to Siloam to distribute to their clients.

Selena is excited because after 13 months at Siloam, she will be starting work in about a week! It's been a tough road for her this past year and a bit after family problems forced her to move out and turn to Siloam for assistance. This past year she has worked in Siloam's MOST program and did retraining in order to find new employment. Selena has 2 kids, ages 12 and 15, and it is her kids who bring her happiness through hugs and kisses and everything else. She wants to be there for them and working will help her to do that. For Selena, Christmas is about spending time with friends and helping out at Siloam.

Andrew was originally from Winnipeg but moved to Squamish, BC in 2006. When he moved back to Winnipeg he ended up being homeless due to the loss of relationships and having financial trouble. It is difficult for him as his family is so far away – he hasn’t seen his children in over two years. In the past Andrew worked in construction, renovations and also for the City of Winnipeg for 12 years. He really loves the outdoors – going fishing and participating in sports. The MOST program at Siloam has provided him with employment and has introduced him to new friends and family – this is what brings Andrew hope. This Christmas Andrew would really like to see his family and friends – especially those that live in B.C. If he could give a gift to someone at Siloam he would like to give his friend Raymond something for his new home – possibly some dishes and cutlery.

Guy was born in Fort Francis, ON, and lived there until he was 26 when he moved to Thunder Bay. He has been in Winnipeg since April of this year. Guy has worked mostly in the security field and also has worked as a gas service attendant. Guy’s experiences chest pains and is not able to keep a job. His biggest challenge at this time is that his three children (ages 8 to 14) live in Thunder Bay so he is unable to see them. He used to be able to communicate with them – talk and send pictures - on his tablet but it broke. Guy’s children are the thing that brings him hope. Guy enjoys being with people who are positive and who like to laugh. This Christmas he is looking forward to spending time with his fiancée who also stays at Siloam. She also brings him hope and helps him to keep his head level. If he was to give a gift to someone at Siloam it would be something to keep them warm (boots, jacket).

Michelle is originally from northern Manitoba and has lived in Winnipeg for the last 43 years. She enjoys reading and teaching women how to do bead-work for moccasins. In the past she worked in community development as a crisis worker, but fell into a bad financial situation. She came to Siloam after couch surfing with different people but found that it caused too much hardship for everyone involved. Thankfully at Siloam she has found a friend who can really relate to her - they both did crisis work and are having financial troubles. Michelle is grateful that she can have real conversations and has built a meaningful relationship with this person. Michelle finds hope in doing bible studies, reading Daily Reflections and a bible booklet. She is happy that there is always someone around to listen to her. She tries to live for today and not worry about the past or future. Michelle looks forward to spending Christmas with her family – she has two children, grandchildren and a great granddaughter. If Michelle could give a gift to someone at Siloam it would be a netbook to stay in communication with family and friends or cash to help deal with financial issues.

Matthew loves Winnipeg and has lived here all his life. This past spring he worked at Maple Leaf Foods in Brandon and enjoyed meeting co-workers from around the world. He also enjoys going to Shapes to work out, and going on the internet to listen to music and check out scores for sports. Matthew is happiest when he can be creative and motivational and he likes to do chores at home. His goal is to be self-sufficient and be able to rely on himself to make things happen. Matthew has been working on developing employment skills - working on his resume and interview skills as well as taking training and workshops including Microsoft Word through EIA. He came to Siloam to participate in the education and training workshops. Matthew looksforward to spending Christmas with his family and also appreciates the religious side of Christmas. If Matthew could give a gift to someone at Siloam it would be a stop watch (to wear around the neck) for fitness and to tell time to keep on schedule.

Paul was born in Ottawa but has been living in Winnipeg since 1979. He is an experienced welder with 23 years of welding under his belt. He came to Siloam homeless but the team there have been helping him transition to independence. Through all the trials, Paul's faith in God and compassion from others have brought him encouragement and the strength to persevere.

Jane is a Winnipeger who is grateful for Siloam's services as she has been on unemployment for quite a while, unable to find a job. Her greatest difficulty is finding a stable place to stay and has been struggling with that problem for years. She loves to watch the news, little children playing and enjoys interesting conversation. Through the difficulties she finds the will to push through from her friendships and from reflecting on what she has learned in the past.

Nowzad was born in Iran and has been in Winnipeg since 2001. Nowzad used to work in the manufacturing industry but was unable to continue after being injured. He returned to school and has more recently worked as a translator for Curtish/Farcy/English in the “Cantalk” program. He really enjoys teaching refugee children and helping people in general. Nowzad ended up at Siloam as he was denied receiving disability benefits. He finds it difficult as he can’t physically do a lot of what he once was able to. He suffers from chronic pain and cannot sit for long periods of time. Nowzad is generally a happy person and likes to bring happiness to others in different ways – sometimes by being silly and telling jokes. His gift to anyone this Christmas would be whatever would make them happy – it’s all about the recipient. In Nowzad’s culture New Years is more celebrated and Christmas is more of a transition. The holiday is all about people being happy

Jamie has lived in Winnipeg his whole life and has done various jobs such as driving a cab, working in both the sales and service industry and also as a DJ on the radio. Jamie has spent the last 50 years living in poverty with no family or support. He finds a lack of quality housing to be a big challenge and finds it hard to have hope sometimes – but still does hope to have a better future with more opportunities. Jamie loves art and is actually a really good painter. He looks forward to spending time with friends and family during Christmas – eating food and watching family Christmas movies.

Julian is from Europe originally and is Ukranian/Polish. He has worked in an office coordinating delivery services. Julian is happy to be alive and have insight into his spiritual well-being. Christmas is more than just a day – it should be all year around.

Peter was originally born in Thompson, MB, but moved to the Winnipeg area about 10 years ago. There he worked in multiple contract positions, including janitorial and administrative work. Getting only temporary employment made it difficult to keep up finances, however, and Peter lost his home. In a legal crisis, Peter had little means to get a lawyer, and so faced the legal system with nothing but open honesty and a hope that things would get resolved by due process. He turned to Siloam because it was a place of refuge which did not discriminate. Athletic and competitive, Peter misses the days when he used to golf and play soccer. To him, Christmas is a special time of year to encourage others, and he would give Tim Horton’s gift certificates to his friends in the Siloam community.

Don has a long history of work, both here in Winnipeg, and in the Pas where he was born and raised. Don has obtained his Welder’s Certificate but has been unable to find work in the Pas to be close to his family. Christmas is a time when Mark would like it best to be with family including his 2 daughters, his son, and 5 grandchildren, since being with them is what brings him the most happiness.

Alvar was born in Portage. He was in the military for 4.5 years and travelled to both Cyprus and Afghanistan as an Infantry Soldier. He suffered a brain and leg injury which has made it very difficult to hold down a job. He also suffers from mental illness, having to take many different medications, which makes it difficult to make it through more than three hours of any activity. When Alvar moved to Winnipeg he worked for a while building windows and has stayed at a few different shelters but Siloam is now his home. He gets great encouragement from volunteering at Siloam as well – giving back to them for everything he has received. He gets the most joy out of talking to people. Alvar’s relationship with God has brought him hope during the difficult times. Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus. If Alvar could give a gift to someone at Siloam Mission this Christmas, it would be either a gift card to Walmart or an iTunes gift card.

Penelope was born in Pointe du Bois and went to a private school in Denver when she was 14 years of age. Previous work she has enjoyed has been working with young children and she currently enjoys volunteering her time at Siloam. It's been a challenging few years for Penelope as she lost her father 2 years ago and her mother is suffering from dimensia and Alzheimers. She also has poor health which led her to Siloam after losing her place after 20 years. Through the challenges Penelope finds encouragement from being around animals, her supportive boyfriend and through music. Christmas can be difficult because of her missing how family used to be for her and if possible, she would provide friends at Siloam the gift of peace as they deal with the struggles of life.

Mona is originally from Ontario and has lived in Winnipeg for the last 5 years. She had worked a lot in the restaurant industry where she was able to put her love of cooking to good use. She is currently working on completing grade 12 along with having 3 children, ages 14, 11 and 5. She came to Siloam for the food and the Transition Services program. The staff and volunteers at Thunderbird House have helped her through the difficulties, providing a sense of community and belonging. The gift she would provide to someone else at Siloam would be a sense of hope and belonging, as well as assistance with obtaining ID as it can be difficult to do.

Ray is a Winnipeger who has enjoyed jobs involving physical labour and customer service in the food industry. He's a man who enjoys helping people but financial struggles, aging and loss of family and friends weighs heavily on him. In fact, it was the loss of a job and being older that led him to Siloam as he could not find new employment. He attends a focus group once a week and enjoys playing online games. For Ray, Christmas is all about being with friends and family, sharing stories and food.

John moved to Winnipeg from Holland when he was only a year old. He has enjoyed various jobs building things and took carpentry in school. He is having difficulty trying to decide what to do with his life but finds joy in spending time with friends and volunteering. He has 3 children, 2 of which have disabilities and has a young grandson with another one on the way. He came to Siloam 3 years ago when his mother passed away and has been back on and off since then. His goal right now is to find employment and move in with his girlfriend by this time next year.

Skye was born and raised in Blood Vein, MB until she was 19 years old and then moved to Winnipeg. Currently she is going to school to upgrade her education. She enjoys school and her favourite subject is math – particularly algebra. Christmas is all about family and she looks forward to getting together with family in Blood Vein and Gimli. She really appreciates the staff at Siloam.

Robert is from Winnipeg and grew up in a home with alcoholism and abuse. Robert graduated in 1980 with a BA in science with a math major focusing on accounting – he worked as a Chartered Accountant when he lived in Winkler for a time.Robert’s struggles with alcoholism and smoking led him to health problems – particularly breathing issues. He has been at Siloam for the past 14 years. Christmas is a lonely time for Robert – he has four kids but doesn’t see them very often. He also has a hard time making friends. It would bring him hope to see his kids be happy. His son is getting married in August and he would really like to have a suit to go the wedding. For Christmas he would really like to find a better place for one of his friends (Melanie) to live.

Philip is originally from London, England and worked there as a teacher. He moved to Winnipeg when he was 23 when he couldn’t find work in England. Philip worked at a few different jobs here – in managerial/supervisor positions in different retail stores including Hudson’s Bay and as a substitute teacher for a few months until his back gave out and now he is on disability. Phillip’s father died in 2011 and he had to go back to England to deal with his father’s things. When Philip came back from England he invested all of his money but ended up losing it all including all of his possessions. The police could not help him, he was evicted from his home and then ended up at Siloam. If he were to give a gift at Christmas, it would be something that means something to the recipient. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for Philip – he is in the Transition Services program now and plans to be finished in August.

Crystal is the mother of a 4-year-old daughter and has enjoyed working with children as an assistant in a childcare service. Some bad choices, however, brought challenges with addiction and domestic violence. Crystal is grateful for the help she’s received from Siloam and would like to help others. This Christmas has special meaning to Crystal as she is trying to establish a home full of safety and thankfulness for the blessings she has. Though separated from her daughter, their relationship brings Crystal hope, and she would want other members in the Siloam community to have that kind of inspiration.

Carl is a Winnipegger in Siloam’s Transition Services program with a history in construction work, but a passion for the kitchen. He is currently working on his GED in order to qualify for the culinary arts program at Red River. He finds it challenging to live independently and study in school. He appreciates the tough love he’s had at Siloam which has met his needs. Carl dreams about having a home and steady job and plans to do volunteer work at Siloam to give back.

Michael was born in Red Lake, ON and has been in Winnipeg for the past three years. He has done many different jobs but his favourites were working as a logger and as a miner. Michael was living on his own and could afford rent but not food – which is why he came to Siloam Mission. He finds it difficult as the neighborhood isn’t safe enough to go out at night – so his goal is to move to a 55+ building. Michael enjoys reading, walking and especially listening to music of any genre but his favourite is rock and roll. His friends at Siloam have helped him to have hope and he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend whom he really misses. Christmas for Michael is about being with family and friends – especially his girlfriend. If he could give a gift to someone at Siloam – it would be winter boots or a jacket.