the mission
Who we are
I WAS THIRSTY is a volunteer-driven humanitarian initiative based in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Founded in 2025 as a pilot project by Lorne Clifford, a former Canadian peacekeeper, the mission began as a simple effort to provide reliable access to safe drinking water for people living outdoors.
Following the 2025 pilot, the mission grew considerably in 2026. I WAS THIRSTY is now a volunteer-led Thunder Bay outreach mission supported by volunteers, donors and community partners.
The mission operates without paid staff or a dedicated office. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church provides important administrative support by receiving donations and assisting with bookkeeping, while volunteers and community partners sustain the day-to-day outreach.
The model remains deliberately simple: direct service, careful stewardship of donations, consistent frontline engagement, and a commitment to treating people with dignity and respect.
Click here to learn more ABOUT US.
the TOTAL impact
WHAT WE DO.
I WAS THIRSTY delivers drinking water directly to people experiencing homelessness and living outdoors in encampments and other locations.
The purpose is straightforward: to help provide consistent access to a basic human necessity for people who may face practical barriers to obtaining or storing enough drinking water.
Regular routes allow volunteers to return consistently, build familiarity and provide water directly where people are living.
The mission does not provide counselling, case management or professional social services. When appropriate, volunteers can help connect people with existing community resources and supports.
I WAS THIRSTY has developed a structured, route-based water outreach model designed specifically to reach people experiencing homelessness and living outdoors.
TOTAL IMPACT - 2025 and 2026
Over its first two years, I WAS THIRSTY delivered:
41,232 bottles of drinking water
1,718 cases
20,616 litres
51,540 pounds of water transported
5,233 kilometres travelled
The mission has involved:
27 volunteers
Approximately 250 people served per delivery day
12 encampment locations
Cost per bottle: 14¢
Cost per client over 60 days: $10.80
The numbers tell only part of the story. I WAS THIRSTY volunteers have had thousands of safe and dignified face-to-face encounters with people living outdoors that have providing both essential hydration and respectful human engagement and connection.
how we do it.
I WAS THIRSTY operates through a structured, route-based delivery model using "just in time" delivery systems and is designed for consistency, efficiency and safety.
Direct delivery: Water is brought to people where they are living, reducing barriers such as distance, mobility limitations and restricted access to facilities.
Volunteer-driven operations: The mission has no paid staff. Volunteer time, donated resources and community partnerships allow available funds to remain focused on direct service.
Measured approach: Delivery volumes, routes, kilometres travelled and costs are tracked to support accountability and responsible use of donations.
Safety: Volunteers work within established safety practices, including team-based outreach and planned delivery routes.
The Thunder Bay pilot was launched with less than $1,000 in startup costs. Costs will vary from community to community, but the experience, tools and operational framework developed here are being shared so that others can adapt the model to their own circumstances.
why we do it - addressing water insecurity.
People experiencing homelessness can face significant barriers to accessing safe drinking water even in communities where municipal water systems are readily available.
Distance, mobility limitations, limited storage, restricted access to facilities and other practical barriers can make reliable access difficult—particularly during periods of extreme heat.
I WAS THIRSTY responds by bringing drinking water directly to people where they are living.
The mission is not intended to replace existing community services. It addresses a particular access gap by providing regular, mobile delivery of a basic necessity.
HOW WE STAY CURRENT.
I WAS THIRSTY keeps simple, consistent records so we can better understand and respond to changing needs.
On a daily basis, we track the amount of water delivered, the kilometres travelled, volunteer participation, delivery days, any safety concerns, and the encampment locations we visit.
Site observations and regular conversations with residents help inform our estimates of the number of people served. We recognize that these numbers can change from day to day.
At the end of each delivery day, we record and talk about what we saw, what worked well, and what may need to change for the next day. That might mean adjusting the amount of water carried, changing a route, responding to a new location, or making sure we have enough volunteers available.
This daily review helps us stay flexible, use our resources carefully, and keep the mission focused on the people we serve.
Over time, the same records also help us understand how the mission is growing and where we can continue to improve.
A PRACTICAL CONTRIBUTION TO RECONCILIATION.
In Thunder Bay’s 2024 Point-in-Time survey, 78% of respondents experiencing homelessness identified as Indigenous.
That significant overrepresentation is one reason we believe access to basic necessities must be approached with respect, consistency and humility.
I WAS THIRSTY does not claim that delivering water is, by itself, reconciliation. We do believe that treating people with dignity, building respectful relationships, and working toward more equitable access to basic necessities can make a practical contribution to reconciliation.
Our approach is simple: show up consistently, listen, treat people respectfully, and offer assistance without judgment.
Click here to learn how we are putting our commitment to TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION into action.
a complEmentary approach.
Water insecurity takes different forms in different communities.
In remote and northern communities, infrastructure may be the principal challenge. In urban centres, municipal water may be readily available while some people still face practical barriers to accessing it consistently.
Infrastructure-based solutions and mobile outreach are therefore not competing approaches.
Infrastructure provides long-term, community-level access. Mobile outreach provides immediate, individual-level support to people who may not be able to make consistent use of fixed systems.
I WAS THIRSTY works alongside existing community services by addressing this particular access gap.
Click here to learn more about the I WAS THIRSTY mission.
WHY IT MATTERS.
Safe drinking water is a basic human necessity.
Consistent access matters for health, dignity and everyday well-being. By bringing water directly to people living outdoors, I WAS THIRSTY helps address the risks associated with inadequate access to drinking water while creating opportunities for respectful human connection.
The mission is deliberately uncomplicated:
One bottle of water. One person at a time.
Click here to learn how to learn how the Thunder Bay experience may help other communities across Canada develop an approach suited to their own needs.
in the media.
Independent media coverage has documented the mission, its growth and the water-access gap it seeks to address.
As CBC News reported in September 2025:
“A retired peacekeeper in Thunder Bay has turned his attention from global conflicts to a local issue: water insecurity… Since the summer, volunteers have handed out more than 14,000 bottles.”
Coverage has also included:
CBC News — A retired peacekeeper addresses water insecurity
TBNewswatch — Local outreach delivers water along with dignity
The Chronicle-Journal — Bringing water and dignity to the streets
Click here to learn more about media coverage of I WAS THIRSTY.
SHARING WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED.
I WAS THIRSTY began as a local response to a local need.
The Thunder Bay experience is worth sharing.
Over two seasons, we have learned a great deal about route planning, volunteer safety, logistics, water storage, partnerships, record-keeping and—most importantly—the value of consistency and relationships.
The model remains deliberately straightforward: bring safe drinking water directly to people living outdoors, do so consistently and respectfully, track what we do, and use our resources carefully.
By maintaining regular delivery routes, recording activity and costs, and working alongside volunteers and community partners, I WAS THIRSTY has demonstrated measurable outreach impact while helping address barriers to reliable access to drinking water.
The experience, tools and operational framework developed in Thunder Bay provide a practical starting point for other communities interested in developing their own response.
We do not assume that what works in Thunder Bay can simply be copied elsewhere. Every community is different. The model is intended to be adapted to local needs, available resources and community circumstances.
We hope that what we have learned in Thunder Bay can help others build something appropriate for their own community.
you can cause a ripple
Your support will fund our mission. All financial donations are administered by St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and through Canada Helps. Charitable tax receipts are issued.
NAVIGATE YOUR DONATION
Click on the "Donate" button, below.
On the St. Andrew's page click "Donate Once".
Choose a fund to direct your donation.
Select "I WAS THIRSTY".
