Located in Abbotsford, B.C., Canada, the Peardonville overpass is a place that goes largely unnoticed. The infrastructure is overgrown with weeds, abandoned exits littered with shopping carts and trash, unseen by passersby. Equally unnoticed are the homeless individuals living here – in tents surrounded by weeds, often succumbing to death or drug overdoses.
In communities throughout the Fraser Valley, including places like the South Fraser Way overpass, Clearbrook, and the Hub Pharmacy alley, Joseph Sikora is actively engaged in grassroots ministry to help those tormented by addiction, including providing free haircuts to the homeless.
Sikora, 43, revealed to Epoch Times, “There are frequent deaths, shootings, stabbings, and bear spray attacks around there.” The tent cities constructed with tents or other temporary structures are notorious.
In 2018, when the COVID-19 pandemic regulations halted his initial free haircut service at homeless shelters, Sikora, after overcoming his addiction and finding faith, rallied a group of volunteers to establish Ground Zero Ministries, venturing into these homeless camps.
A Kelowna native, Sikora shared that they have approximately 10 volunteers, increasing their services for the homeless from one day a week to two. Sometimes, they park their vehicle in the center of the camp to meet with the homeless and distribute food. Soon, they noticed a viral video on social media of a street barber providing free haircuts.
Sikora thought, “Why not offer haircuts to the homeless at the encampment?” They began bringing haircut tools, scissors, capes, and chairs to the homeless camps, and soon, photos surfaced on Facebook of homeless men beaming with smiles after getting haircuts. Donations poured in online as well.
Beyond just financial support, Ground Zero Ministries became a lifeline for drug users. Sikora believes that without their assistance, many of the homeless individuals would have perished.
“We do this to establish connections with them. And then, when they want to break free from this lifestyle, they call us, and we help them with detox and treatment,” Sikora said.
According to Sikora, since Ground Zero Ministries’ inception, they have helped over 60 people get off the streets, restoring their confidence in life. Sikora himself has become a full-time community support worker, receiving government funding for Ground Zero Ministries. However, the federal government recently deemed the organization not a viable solution to the homeless issue and withdrew funding. Now, community support is crucial, prompting Sikora to return to the construction industry while continuing his ministry.
As a former addict, Sikora’s drive stems from his life experiences. A rebellious youth with a domineering father, he dropped out at 14, delving into selling and using cocaine and subsequently opioids like fentanyl. He resided in drug dens, associating with armed drug dealers. Sikora’s transformation earned him the respect of peers who once bullied him.
“I knew I did wrong,” Sikora said. “The Holy Spirit struck a chord in my heart, telling me, ‘Joseph, you’re wrong. This is not good. This is not what I want you to do.'”
Life spiraled out of control. Friendships and family ties ruptured. “I lost everyone meaningful in my life, and I really felt like I couldn’t go on like this anymore,” Sikora revealed.
He began turning his life around, but his saga was far from over. Enrolling in a Christian youth rehab program in Ontario, he faced a relapse. As a father, he lost custody of his son, whose mother was deeply entrenched in prostitution. His life plummeted to rock bottom.
Fortuitously, during his days as a homeless 20-something with a broken jaw wired shut, scavenging from trash bins to survive, a fate-altering figure entered his life. One day, a stranger stopped him on the roadside.
“He saw me pushing a cart and crying while walking on the street. I hadn’t slept for 23 days. I suffered from drug-induced psychosis and became paranoid,” Sikora remembered.
The stranger gently said, “Hey, buddy, can I talk to you?”
Sikora reminisced, “He looked into my eyes and said, ‘God has a plan for you.’ And added, ‘God has everything arranged for you. Being a homeless drug addict is not your destiny.'”
Tears streaming down his face, Sikora prayed incessantly. Subsequently, he called his brother, a former addict himself who now runs a rehab center in British Columbia.
Soon after, Sikora flew back to Kelowna’s home. With his family’s help, he began working in construction, kicking his addiction and maintaining sobriety, although he admits he hasn’t entirely shaken off his past shadows. In January this year, he married Jennifer, also a successful ex-addict and now a mother, spending their honeymoon in Cancun. Four years ago, Jennifer joined Sikora in his first foray into homeless camps.
Today, they purchase a truckload of food from Costco to distribute to the homeless and provide everything for impoverished families, including kitchen sink installations.
Joseph Sikora disclosed, “I’m still cutting hair for the homeless in Abbotsford, every second Sunday of the month.” He currently resides in Abbotsford.
He stated that those coming for haircuts often don’t genuinely need one. It’s not always the reason they come for a haircut. They simply seek to form connections. “Even if it’s just five minutes of companionship, they’ll open up to us. Sometimes, they just need physical, emotional, or spiritual support,” he shared.
Sikora highlighted the root causes of the issues he sees in Abbotsford. He said, “It’s due to trauma, broken relationships, losing custody of children, inability to reach children… divorces, and unresolved psychological issues.”
He added that government programs aren’t the solution – in government programs, drug users might only become sober, not recover.
Sikora shared Massimo’s story, a once homeless drug addict in Abbotsford and one of the dozens aided by Ground Zero Ministries.
“Massimo used to consume about 2,800 milligrams of heroin daily, along with around an eighth of an ounce of fentanyl,” Sikora revealed.
Massimo underwent opiate replacement therapy and obtained drugs from the government. His girlfriend also called Ground Zero Ministries.
“We placed him in Joshua House Recovery Ministries about a year and a half ago. He was beyond saving at that time,” Sikora remarked.
Massimo is now drug-free and gainfully employed.
Sikora stated, “His transformation is simply incredible. To this day, he’s doing well. He’s no longer taking any opioids.”
(Note: This is a rewritten and translated version of an article originally published in Chinese by 大紀元 Epoch Times.)