His Grassroots Charity Provides Drinking Water to Vulnerable People

"No one wakes up one morning and says, 'I want to live in a tent in an abandoned parking lot,'" says Lakehead University alum and university Security Services Director Lorne Clifford (BA'15).

As head of security, Lorne's weekdays are focused on keeping Lakehead University safe, and much of his free time is devoted to running I WAS THIRSTY—the humanitarian organization he founded in 2025.

It's a volunteer-driven outreach mission that provides drinking water directly to unhoused people in Thunder Bay.

"We bring bottled water to folks living in tents, makeshift shelters, and along city sidewalks," he explains.

Lorne completed a certificate in business administration at Lakehead in the 1990s followed by a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2015. "Lakehead provided a strong foundation in understanding community, governance, and the importance of service," he says. In 2019, he completed a Master of Laws, specializing in criminal law, at York University's Osgoode Hall.

In 2025, Lorne and 14 volunteers travelled more than 2,469 kilometres in their personal vehicles to deliver more than 14,784 bottles of water over a 62-day pilot period.

The mission grew considerably during the 2026 outreach season—the number of volunteers increased to 27 and 26,448 bottles of water were delivered to 12 encampment locations. Being able to shift from a small pilot project into a much broader community effort was possible because of the support of volunteers, donors, and community partners, including St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.

I WAS THIRSTY has also created a replication toolkit, including a step-by-step guide and mentor support, so that their model can be adopted by communities across Canada.

A Life of Service

Lorne's strong sense of civic responsibility was ingrained in him as a youngster.

"My dad would tell me, 'Just see what needs to be done and do it,'" he recalls.

He took this advice to heart—before joining Lakehead University he was a distinguished police officer with the Thunder Bay Police Service who held many leadership roles, a volunteer with diverse community organizations, and a Canadian peacekeeper in South Sudan and Palestine.

In 2019, Lorne received a Ministry of Veterans Affairs Commendation from MP Patti Hajdu (above). He also received a King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025 to recognize his outstanding service to his community. "I always believed that policing is about prevention and creating environments where trust and being present in the community allow relationships to flourish," he says.

Lorne felt like he was suddenly transported overseas again on an afternoon in 2025 as he drove past a homeless encampment near Simpson Street in Thunder Bay.

"I saw people in a state of desolation. I was shocked to realize that water insecurity is a fact of life in South Sudan and Palestine and that it's a fact of life here, too."

At that moment, a line of Scripture from the Bible flashed into Lorne's mind: "For I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink (Matthew 25:35)."

That passage ultimately gave the mission its name because it was so directly connected to what I was seeing: there were people who were thirsty, and we had the ability to give them water," he says.

"While I WAS THIRSTY has roots in my Christian faith, and has received tremendous support from St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and other faith communities, it's not an evangelical outreach," he adds. "Our supporters and volunteers come from many different backgrounds and there are no conditions whatsoever attached to receiving water."

This experience prompted Lorne to begin researching Thunder Bay's water distribution situation. He discovered that there weren't any agencies bringing water directly to people living in encampments.

Since then the City of Thunder Bay has created an Encampment Coordinator position and has begun providing four litres of water per tent through the Compass program. Elevate Northwest also provides water jugs and other supplies.

Despite these vital improvements, and the important services being provided by the city and other organizations, gaps in water access remain.

"Some encampments are not being regularly reached by existing services, Compass does not operate during evenings, weekends, or statutory holidays, and many of our clients report that water they receive through Compass has been stolen," Lorne says.

This problem is further compounded by limited water filling stations open to the public.

We Shouldn't Turn Our Backs on Our Fellow Citizens

"The idea for I WAS THIRSTY was simple," Lorne says. "If someone is vulnerable, you don't debate policy. You provide the essentials for human existence.

The folks I meet often tell me, 'You're keeping us alive, God bless you.' It's become clear this mission is really about dignity and survival."

Their stories stay with him—like the young woman drinking untreated river water and the Afghanistan war vet who returned to Thunder Bay, but whose trauma caused him to lose his house and his family.

"What began as a small, informal response to visible need in Thunder Bay has grown into a coordinated and data-driven volunteer outreach effort focused on delivering bottled water and essential support to vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness and encampment living," Lorne says.

Thunder Bay's 2025 point-in-time count estimated that there are more than 600 unhoused people in the city and that over 78% were Indigenous.

"This isn't accidental," Lorne says.

"It reflects generations of systemic inequality and water insecurity in Canada. Our work is as much a matter of justice as it is charity. We see it as Reconciliation in action."

That's why I WAS THIRSTY also directs people to existing social service agencies when their volunteers are asked for information about housing, health, and other assistance.

"We don't try to duplicate the work of established social-service agencies," Lorne says. "Instead, our water outreach can sometimes provide a small bridge between a person who needs help and the organizations equipped to provide it."

Lorne is proud that I WAS THIRSTY coordinates with partners like EcoSuperior to improve recycling and reduce waste associated with bottled water distribution.

His organization now delivers water to 250 people every day and makes special deliveries during extremely hot weather.

"These are not abstract challenges," Lorne says. "It's about doing what you can and never forgetting that small acts of care add up to something bigger.

Our mantra is every person matters, every encounter matters, and every bottle matters."

Click here to watch I WAS THIRSTY—a powerful 14-minute documentary about Thunder Bay's water crisis.