Poseidon Cutlass – community relations at work

LS Craig Langille chats with children in Mumbai, India. Photo by Padre Lt(N) Matthew Squires

THE NAVY JOINS AN ARMY TO FEED THE HUNGRY IN MUMBAI

LS Brendan Gibson, HMCS Winnipeg ~

Thirty-two members of HMCS Winnipeg took time out of their schedule May 14 while in Mumbai, India, to join forces with the Robin Hood Army (RHA) and distribute a warm meal to those in need.

The venture was organized by the ship’s Chaplain, Padre Matthew Squires.

“We had a blast playing games with the local children, establishing connections with families, distributing food, and even demonstrating some drill for the kids under the direction of the ship’s Coxswain, CPO1 Sylvain Jaquemot,” said Padre Squires.

RHA is a volunteer-based organization that gets surplus food from local restaurants to the less fortunate, while providing fun activities and education to disadvantaged children. Since its start in 2014, RHA has fed more 1.8 million people and is currently established in cities throughout India, and in 11 other countries.

“Our community relations visits give us an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others at a humanitarian level, as well as recharge our spirits after being away from our families for extended periods,” said MS Kevin Simons. “There is nothing more refreshing than having smiles returned by the lives we touch to help us push through to our next event.”

With the assistance of RHA, Winnipeg was able to make a small, yet profound, contribution to a huge cause. The “take away” on opportunities like these is best summed up by OS Anthony Brockmoeller who said, “Seeing the impact of our contributions while deployed is not always easy until we serve others and see the joy it brings.”