replication guiding thoughts - 2025-2026
PRACTICAL GUIDING THOUGHTS ON BRINGING SAFE DRINKING WATER DIRECTLY TO VULNERABLE PEOPLE
Version 1.2 — 2026
THIS DOCUMENT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS OF LESSONS LEARNED AND BEST PRACTICES THAT HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME.
INTRODUCTION
A simple idea
Someone is thirsty. Give them water.
The idea behind I Was Thirsty is deliberately simple.
People experiencing homelessness, living in encampments or otherwise experiencing significant vulnerability can face barriers to obtaining something most of us take for granted: reliable access to safe drinking water.
I Was Thirsty was created in Thunder Bay, Ontario, as a direct community response to that need.
Rather than waiting for people to come to an organization, the mission brings bottled drinking water directly to people where they are.
There is no application.
There is no assessment.
There is no requirement to explain one's circumstances.
There is no expectation of payment, participation or reciprocity.
There is simply an offer of water.
The Thunder Bay experience has demonstrated that a small volunteer-led initiative can develop into a substantial humanitarian outreach operation with relatively little infrastructure. The mission's replication model is designed to allow other communities to adapt that experience to their own circumstances.
WHAT IS I WAS THIRSTY?
I Was Thirsty is a community-based humanitarian outreach model designed to provide safe drinking water directly to people who may otherwise have difficulty accessing it.
The mission has four fundamental principles:
1. Dignity
Every person is treated with respect.
Water is provided because someone is thirsty - not because they have demonstrated that they deserve it.
2. Accessibility
The mission goes to people rather than expecting people to navigate an existing service system.
3. Simplicity
The intervention is deliberately uncomplicated.
A community does not need a large organization, sophisticated infrastructure or substantial startup capital to begin.
4. Accountability
The mission should know what it does, measure what it can, account for its resources and continually learn from its experience.
WHAT I WAS THIRSTY IS NOT
Replication should begin with an understanding of what this mission does not attempt to be.
I Was Thirsty is not:
- a replacement for shelters;
- a replacement for municipal services;
- a medical service;
- an addiction-treatment program;
- a mental-health service;
- a social-work agency;
- an emergency-response organization;
- a policing initiative;
- a food bank;
- an attempt to solve homelessness.
Volunteers should not represent themselves as social workers, health-care providers, counsellors or crisis workers unless they possess those qualifications and are operating within an appropriate professional framework.
The mission addresses one immediate and basic human need: access to drinking water.
It can, however, become an important bridge between people and the broader community of organizations and services that exist to assist them.
WHY REPLICATE THE MISSION?
The question is not whether every community should copy Thunder Bay exactly.
It should not.
Every community is different.
The population experiencing homelessness may be different. Climate may be different. Existing services may be different. Indigenous communities and relationships may be different. Municipal policies may be different. Available resources may be different.
What can be replicated is the underlying model:
Identify a gap. Assemble a small team. Obtain water. Establish a safe delivery system. Go where people are. Offer water without conditions. Treat people with dignity. Measure the work. Learn. Improve.
I Was Thirsty was designed from the outset not only as an outreach mission, but as a model capable of being shared.
THE THUNDER BAY PROOF OF CONCEPT
Replication should be based on evidence.
The original Thunder Bay mission began with:
- three volunteers
- a partnership with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
- less than $250 in initial funding
- a single personal vehicle
- donated and purchased bottled water
- a simple commitment to deliver water directly to people in need.
During its first 40 days, the mission reported:
- approximately 9,000 bottles of water delivered
- 14 volunteers mobilized
- 1,779 kilometres travelled
- more than $3,900 raised.
The experience demonstrated that meaningful outreach could begin with very modest resources.
The mission subsequently expanded substantially.
The combined 2025–2026 experience demonstrates that the model can operate at considerably greater scale while remaining fundamentally volunteer-driven.
The lesson is not that every community should distribute 35,000 bottles.
The lesson is:
Start with what you have. Build carefully. Measure the results. Grow when the community is ready.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Before purchasing water, identify the need.
A successful mission begins with understanding the community it intends to serve.
Ask:
Community Assessment
- Where are people experiencing homelessness located?
- Are there encampments?
- Are there shelters or warming/cooling centres?
- Where can people currently obtain drinking water?
- Are those locations accessible during the hours people need them?
- Are there seasonal barriers?
- What happens during extreme heat?
- What happens during extreme cold?
- Are there populations that are particularly isolated?
- What services already exist?
- What gaps remain?
Do not assume.
Talk to people who already work in the community.
Consider approaching:
- shelters;
- outreach organizations;
- Indigenous organizations;
- public-health organizations;
- churches and faith communities;
- food banks;
- municipal staff;
- community organizations;
- local businesses;
- police and fire services;
- emergency-management organizations.
The objective isn't to create another organization doing something that someone else already does.
The objective is to identify a gap that your community can responsibly address.
BUILDING YOUR LOCAL TEAM
A mission does not need a large membership.
It needs dependable people.
Minimum recommended team
A local mission should identify:
Mission Coordinator
Responsible for overall coordination, partnerships, resources and accountability.
Team Leaders
Responsible for individual deployments.
Drivers/Outreach Volunteers
Responsible for transporting and distributing water.
Administrative/Fundraising Support
Responsible for donations, records, communications and reporting.
One person may perform several roles in a small mission.
That is acceptable.
What matters is that responsibilities are understood.
THE TWO-PERSON PRINCIPLE
I Was Thirsty recommends that outreach volunteers work in pairs.
This is not because the people being served are presumed to be dangerous.
It is because outreach work occurs in uncontrolled environments.
Two-person deployment provides:
- personal safety;
- mutual support;
- assistance carrying water;
- independent observation;
- accountability;
- assistance in an emergency.
A volunteer should never be criticized for withdrawing from a situation they consider unsafe.
There is no bottle of water worth putting a volunteer at unnecessary risk.
PARTNERSHIPS
A strong mission is rarely built alone.
Potential partners include:
Community organizations
- shelters;
- food banks;
- outreach organizations;
- service clubs;
- churches;
- neighbourhood groups.
Indigenous organizations
Where appropriate, establish relationships with local Indigenous organizations and seek local guidance.
Businesses
Businesses may provide:
- water;
- funding;
- transportation;
- storage;
- equipment;
- printing;
- volunteer support.
Municipal organizations
Consider communicating with:
- municipal government;
- public health;
- emergency management;
- parks departments;
- social services.
Police and fire services
Communication with emergency services can be useful, particularly when outreach occurs in locations where emergency incidents may occur.
The objective is coordination—not policing the people being served.
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
A mission should establish financial accountability from its first dollar.
The original Thunder Bay experience demonstrated that a meaningful pilot can begin with very little money. The current replication model estimates that approximately $500–$1,000 can establish a meaningful pilot in many communities, depending upon local costs.
Recommended practices
- Establish a separate mission account where practical.
- Keep receipts.
- Record donations.
- Record expenditures.
- Reconcile funds regularly.
- Identify who is authorized to spend money.
- Publish appropriate financial information.
- Do not mix personal and mission funds unnecessarily.
Remember
Every dollar should have a purpose.
The objective is not to build an expensive organization.
It is to put resources where they matter:
into the hands of people who need them.
OBTAINING WATER
There are several possible approaches.
Purchase
Water can be purchased at retail, wholesale or through a distributor.
Corporate donation
Approach:
- grocery stores;
- retailers;
- manufacturers;
- distributors;
- local businesses.
Community fundraising
Small donations can accumulate quickly.
The Thunder Bay experience demonstrates that a community does not need a major institutional donor to begin.
Partnership
Some communities may be able to establish standing arrangements with a supplier.
STORAGE AND INVENTORY
Water is heavy. The Thunder Bay model used a "just in time delivery " model - that came with it's own challenges.
Other models require appropriate storage and transportation.
Before beginning, determine:
- where water will be stored;
- who has access;
- how inventory will be tracked;
- how deliveries will be loaded;
- how weather will affect storage;
- how stock will be rotated;
- how damaged product will be handled.
Maintain a simple inventory record:
Date
Beginning Inventory
Received
Distributed
Remaining
TRANSPORTATION
A large vehicle is not necessarily required.
The Thunder Bay experience demonstrated that a personal vehicle can support a meaningful pilot.
However, vehicle capacity must be respected.
Water is heavy.
Never overload a vehicle beyond its manufacturer's specifications.
Consider:
- payload;
- secure loading;
- visibility;
- braking;
- tire condition;
- weather;
- parking;
- fuel;
- insurance;
- loading/unloading.
Water should be transported in a manner that prevents it from becoming a hazard to the driver, passengers or other road users.
PLANNING A DELIVERY ROUTE
Do not simply load the vehicle and drive around.
Develop a route.
Identify:
- known locations;
- operating times;
- access restrictions;
- areas requiring particular caution;
- alternate locations;
- emergency access points;
- nearby services.
Where practical, establish a regular schedule.
Consistency allows people to know:
"They'll be back."
That can be more valuable than a single large delivery.
THE OUTREACH APPROACH
The interaction should be simple.
Observe
Before approaching, look around.
Identify hazards.
Approach
Approach respectfully.
Introduce
A simple:
"Hi. We're with I Was Thirsty. Would you like some water?"
is enough.
Offer
Provide the water.
Respect
Allow the person to accept or decline.
Leave
Do not unnecessarily prolong the interaction.
The volunteer is not there to interrogate, assess or judge.
DIGNITY FIRST
This principle should govern every interaction.
We do not ask:
- "Why are you homeless?"
- "Where do you live?"
- "What happened to you?"
- "Are you using drugs?"
- "Do you have identification?"
- "Can you prove that you need this?"
We do not require:
- a donation;
- a religious commitment;
- participation in a program;
- an interview;
- a photograph;
- a personal story.
We simply offer water.
A person does not have to earn hydration.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORYTELLING
The people receiving assistance are not marketing material.
The default position should be:
Do not photograph recipients.
If someone voluntarily asks to be photographed:
- obtain explicit consent;
- explain where the photograph may appear;
- ensure consent is not connected to receiving assistance;
- never pressure someone;
- take particular care with children and vulnerable persons.
The mission can tell its story through:
- volunteers;
- vehicles;
- water;
- logistics;
- statistics;
- partners;
- landscapes;
- operations.
It does not need to display the faces of vulnerable people to prove that the mission matters.
VOLUNTEER SAFETY
Before every deployment:
CHECK
☐ Weather
☐ Route
☐ Vehicle
☐ Water supply
☐ Communications
☐ Team composition
☐ Known hazards
☐ Emergency contacts
DURING DEPLOYMENT
☐ Remain with your partner
☐ Maintain situational awareness
☐ Carry manageable loads
☐ Respect personal space
☐ Do not enter tents or private structures
☐ Do not enter vehicles
☐ Do not handle unknown objects
☐ Do not physically intervene in disputes
☐ Withdraw when circumstances become unsafe
EMERGENCIES
Volunteers may encounter medical emergencies, overdoses, violence, fires or other crises.
The rule is simple:
Call the appropriate emergency service.
Volunteers should not attempt to become emergency responders unless they are appropriately trained and equipped.
Where someone appears to require emergency medical assistance:
Call 911 or the appropriate local emergency number.
Provide the location.
Follow the instructions of the dispatcher.
If trained and able to do so safely, provide appropriate first aid.
Otherwise, wait for emergency responders from a safe location.
VOLUNTEER WELL-BEING
Outreach work can expose volunteers to difficult circumstances.
Volunteers may encounter:
- homelessness;
- poverty;
- addiction;
- mental-health crises;
- violence;
- illness;
- death;
- trauma.
The mission should recognize that this can affect people.
At the conclusion of each deployment, the Team Leader should make a simple inquiry:
"Are you doing okay?"
The purpose is not to force disclosure.
It is to make sure volunteers know that their well-being matters.
If a volunteer is distressed, the team should encourage them to access appropriate support.
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND RECONCILIATION
Many communities experiencing homelessness include Indigenous people.
However:
Do not assume that Indigenous people constitute a single community with identical experiences, needs or perspectives.
A responsible replication should:
- identify local Indigenous organizations;
- seek local guidance;
- build relationships before making assumptions;
- respect Indigenous leadership;
- understand local history;
- avoid appropriating cultural practices;
- avoid claiming to speak for Indigenous people.
The existing I Was Thirsty model identifies connections between water insecurity, systemic inequity and reconciliation, including references to Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action 18 and 48.
Those principles should be understood as an invitation to relationship and action, not as a substitute for meaningful reconciliation.
Providing water is a practical humanitarian act.
It does not, by itself, resolve the systemic causes of homelessness, poverty or water insecurity.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
A bottled-water mission has an environmental responsibility.
Every community should establish a plan for:
- recycling;
- waste collection;
- recovery of bottles where practical;
- responsible disposal;
- reducing unnecessary waste;
- working with local environmental organizations.
The Thunder Bay mission's relationship with EcoSuperior provides one example of how humanitarian outreach can be connected with environmental stewardship.
A simple principle:
Leave the community better than you found it.
Where practical, volunteers should collect discarded bottles and other waste encountered during outreach.
MEASURING THE MISSION
If you cannot measure it, you cannot easily demonstrate its impact.
At minimum, record:
Operations
- delivery dates;
- delivery locations;
- bottles distributed;
- cases distributed;
- litres distributed;
- kilometres travelled.
Volunteers
- number of volunteers;
- volunteer hours;
- number of deployments.
Financial
- donations;
- expenditures;
- water costs;
- transportation costs;
- cost per bottle.
Partnerships
- organizations involved;
- corporate donations;
- community support.
Incidents
- safety incidents;
- medical emergencies;
- operational problems.
MEASURING HUMAN IMPACT
Numbers tell only part of the story.
Where appropriate, a mission may collect anonymous and voluntary feedback.
For example:
Anonymous Recipient Feedback - asked informally and recorded in daily report
Did receiving water today meet an immediate need?
☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Not sure
How difficult is it for you to obtain drinking water?
☐ Easy
☐ Sometimes difficult
☐ Often difficult
☐ Very difficult
What could we do better?
No names should be required.
No identifying information should be collected unless there is a compelling and appropriate reason.
The purpose is to understand whether the mission is actually helping—not to create a database of vulnerable people.
COST EFFECTIVENESS
One of the strengths of the I Was Thirsty model is its simplicity.
The mission should calculate:
Total mission expenditure ÷ bottles distributed = cost per bottle
The Thunder Bay experience has demonstrated an exceptionally low cost per bottle.
Communities should track their own results rather than assuming Thunder Bay's numbers will be replicated elsewhere.
A higher local cost does not mean the mission has failed.
The objective is effective humanitarian assistance, not achieving a particular financial ratio.
START SMALL
Do not wait until you have:
- a warehouse;
- a truck;
- a large bank account;
- fifty volunteers;
- a sophisticated website;
- a corporate sponsor.
In fact you don't need those things.
Begin with:
People
A small committed team.
Water
Enough for the first deployment.
Transportation
A safe vehicle.
Location
Somewhere people actually need the service.
Accountability
A way to record what happened.
Commitment
A willingness to return.
The Thunder Bay experience began with three volunteers and less than $250. Its subsequent growth demonstrates what can happen when a simple initiative develops community support.
THE FIRST DEPLOYMENT
First Deployment Checklist
BEFORE LEAVING
☐ Team identified
☐ Two-person teams established
☐ Vehicle checked
☐ Water loaded
☐ Route established
☐ Weather checked
☐ Emergency contacts available
☐ Team Leader identified
☐ Communications confirmed
AT THE LOCATION
☐ Observe surroundings
☐ Identify hazards
☐ Approach respectfully
☐ Offer water
☐ Maintain personal safety
☐ Do not photograph without consent
☐ Record distribution numbers
AFTER RETURN
☐ Account for volunteers
☐ Record bottles distributed
☐ Record kilometres
☐ Record incidents
☐ Record remaining inventory
☐ Conduct team check-in
☐ Identify lessons learned
AFTER THE FIRST DEPLOYMENT
Do not immediately ask:
"How do we make this bigger?"
Ask:
"What did we learn?"
Consider:
- Did we have enough water?
- Did we have too much?
- Was the route efficient?
- Did volunteers feel safe?
- Were there unexpected hazards?
- Did people understand who we were?
- Were there locations we should return to?
- Were there locations we should avoid?
- Did we encounter another organization we should partner with?
- What did recipients tell us?
- What should we change before the next deployment?
Then change the model.
Replication does not mean refusing to change.
It means preserving the principles while adapting the operation.
SCALING THE MISSION
A community should scale only when its basic operation is working.
Stage 1 — Pilot
Small team.
Limited area.
Short period.
Stage 2 — Regular Outreach
Predictable schedule.
Expanded volunteer base.
Established partnerships.
Stage 3 — Community Mission
Multiple teams.
Formalized procedures.
Consistent reporting.
Stage 4 — Regional Model
Multiple communities or organizations participating.
Shared learning.
Standardized measurement.
Stage 5 — Replication
Independent communities operate their own missions using the principles and tools developed through the I Was Thirsty experience.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN THE SAME?
Every community may adapt its operation.
However, certain principles should remain fundamental.
Dignity
Every person is treated respectfully.
Safety
Volunteers work within appropriate safety limits.
Accessibility
Water is offered without unnecessary barriers.
Accountability
Money and resources are responsibly managed.
Privacy
People receiving assistance are not exploited for publicity.
Measurement
The mission records what it does.
Local leadership
Each community understands its own circumstances.
WHAT CAN CHANGE?
Communities may adapt:
- delivery schedules;
- water quantities;
- vehicle arrangements;
- fundraising methods;
- storage arrangements;
- volunteer structures;
- partnerships;
- geographic coverage;
- environmental practices;
- local communication methods.
The model should be adaptable without losing its purpose.
REPLICATION DOES NOT MEAN OWNERSHIP
I Was Thirsty does not need to "own" every community that adopts the model.
A community that uses this guide should develop its own relationships, leadership and operating structure.
The purpose of replication is not to create a collection of branches controlled from Thunder Bay.
It is to share an idea that can be independently implemented.
A successful replication should eventually be able to operate without requiring the original Thunder Bay team to manage it.
That is the test of a genuinely transferable model.
THE REPLICATION STANDARD
A community may consider itself ready to launch when it can answer yes to the following:
PEOPLE
☐ We have a committed team.
WATER
☐ We have a reliable source of drinking water.
TRANSPORT
☐ We have safe transportation.
LOCATION
☐ We understand where the need exists.
SAFETY
☐ We have established basic safety procedures.
FUNDING
☐ We can account for our financial resources.
PARTNERSHIP
☐ We know who is already working in the community.
DIGNITY
☐ Every volunteer understands the dignity-first approach.
MEASUREMENT
☐ We know what information we will record.
SUSTAINABILITY
☐ We have a plan for continuing beyond our first delivery.
If the answer to these questions is yes:
You are ready to begin.
THE I WAS THIRSTY FIELD GUIDE
The replication package has practical tools that can be downloaded and adapted.
Core documents available
1. Community Assessment Checklist
2. Mission Startup Checklist
3. Volunteer Recruitment Template
4. Volunteer Orientation
5. Safety Briefing
6. Team Leader Guide
7. Daily Deployment Sheet
8. Vehicle Checklist
9. Inventory Sheet
10. Incident Report
11. Fundraising Letter
12. Corporate Partnership Request
13. Volunteer Sign-Up Form
14. Anonymous Recipient Feedback Form
15. End-of-Season Report
16. Community Replication Assessment
35. THE COMMUNITY REPLICATION REPORT
Every participating community is encouraged to produce an annual report.
Suggested contents for the AR
Our Community
Where the mission operates.
Our Need
Why the mission was established.
Our People
Volunteers and partners.
Our Activity
Delivery days and locations.
Our Impact
Bottles, cases, litres and people reached where reliably measurable.
Our Resources
Donations and expenditures.
Our Challenges
What did not work?
Our Learning
What changed?
Our Community
What did recipients, volunteers and partners tell us?
Our Future
What happens next?
LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER
Replication becomes more valuable when communities share lessons.
Participating missions should be encouraged to share:
- successful fundraising approaches;
- safety lessons;
- volunteer practices;
- transportation solutions;
- partnership models;
- environmental practices;
- recipient feedback;
- operational improvements.
The goal is continual improvement.
Every mission teaches the next mission.
A NOTE TO COMMUNITY LEADERS
You do not need permission to care.
You do, however, have a responsibility to act responsibly.
If you see a need in your community, begin by understanding it.
Talk to the people already doing the work.
Talk to the people experiencing the problem.
Talk to local organizations.
Build relationships.
Start small.
Measure your work.
Protect your volunteers.
Protect the dignity of the people you serve.
And then keep going.
THE THUNDER BAY LESSON
The original I Was Thirsty mission began with an idea that was extremely simple:
People are thirsty.
Three volunteers began with very little money.
They loaded water into a vehicle.
They drove to where people were living.
They offered water.
And then they did it again.
The operation grew because people recognized that something simple could be useful.
The lesson from Thunder Bay is not that a community needs to reproduce our numbers.
It is this:
You do not need to solve every problem to make a difference.
Sometimes the most meaningful response is to identify one immediate need and meet it well.
FROM THUNDER BAY TO CANADA
The ultimate objective of replication is not uniformity.
It is action.
A community in northern Ontario may operate differently from a community in British Columbia.
An urban mission may look different from a rural mission.
A church may operate differently from a service club.
A neighbourhood group may operate differently from a non-profit organization.
That's okay.
The common thread is simple:
Safe drinking water.
Direct delivery.
Human dignity.
Volunteer service.
Responsible operation.
If those principles remain intact, the mission can adapt.
THE INVITATION
If your community believes people are being left without reliable access to drinking water, you can do something about it.
You do not need to wait for a large organization.
You do not need a large budget.
You need people who care, a safe way to transport water, a commitment to dignity and a willingness to begin.
I Was Thirsty can provide the experience, tools and lessons learned from Thunder Bay.
Your community provides the people.
Your community provides the relationships.
Your community decides how the mission should operate.
And your community decides where the water needs to go.
Replicate the mission.
Adapt it to your community.
Make it your own.
Put safe water into the hands of people who need it.
APPENDIX A — ONE-PAGE STARTUP CHECKLIST
I WAS THIRSTY — START HERE
☐ Identify the need
☐ Speak with local organizations
☐ Recruit 3–5 committed volunteers
☐ Identify a Mission Coordinator
☐ Establish financial accountability
☐ Find a water source
☐ Identify transportation
☐ Establish a storage location
☐ Identify initial delivery locations
☐ Develop safety procedures
☐ Contact relevant community partners
☐ Train volunteers
☐ Conduct first deployment
☐ Record results
☐ Debrief
☐ Improve
☐ Repeat
APPENDIX B — THE TEN RULES OF I WAS THIRSTY
1. People come first.
2. Water is offered without conditions.
3. Treat everyone with dignity.
4. Volunteers work safely.
5. Never enter an unsafe situation.
6. Don't exploit vulnerable people for publicity.
7. Work with—not against—existing community services.
8. Account for every dollar and every bottle.
9. Measure what you do and learn from it.
10. Leave the mission—and the community—better than you found it.
APPENDIX C — THE REPLICATION PROMISE
Every community adopting the I Was Thirsty model is encouraged to make the following commitment:
We will provide safe drinking water to people experiencing vulnerability with dignity, respect and compassion.
We will not require people to prove their worthiness to receive water.
We will protect the safety of our volunteers and the privacy and dignity of the people we serve.
We will responsibly manage the resources entrusted to us.
We will measure our work honestly.
We will learn from our experience.
We will adapt the mission to the needs of our community without losing its fundamental purpose.
We will share what we learn so that others may serve their communities more effectively.
