Sean Van Steinburg has seen some things in his long career as an OC Transpo bus driver. Some good things and some bad things. Last week he saw an elderly lady fall on her way out of the bus, and other passengers walk by as she struggled to get back to her feet. The week before, he saw a passenger pull a 12-pack of granola bars out of his grocery bag and give them to a homeless man.
It was what Sean saw one day in 2014 that got him involved with Operation Come Home. A homeless youth got on the bus, and fumbled around in his pockets for change. “Oh, here we go” thought Sean. He rolled his eyes as the bus rolled through three bus stops while the kid continued to search his pockets.
A snowstorm was raging outside, and the conditions were icy, so Sean paid little attention to the youth as he navigated from stop to stop. He pulled up to a stop on Montreal road where an elderly woman with a walker had rung the bell to get off. The youth was still at the front as Sean lowered his bus for this passenger. As the woman made her way to the front, the young man stepped off the bus so he could help this woman and her walker get off safely. Then he walked her all the way to the sidewalk, made sure she was okay, and got back on the bus.
The young man eventually did find enough change and paid the bus fare. Sean printed him off a full day pass, and the young man asked him why. “For being a good dude” said Sean. But that wasn’t entirely true. It was also penance for Sean’s preconceptions. He realized he had judged this good dude based solely upon his appearance, and felt a powerful sense of guilt.
The next day, Sean heard about Operation Come Home’s 24 Hours of Homelessness on the radio, and signed up right away. It was the beginning of a long partnership. He’s participated in three 24 Hours events now, but thinks it might be getting to a point where he can no longer manage. The event takes an enormous toll on many people, and Sean is finding that it takes a week for him to get back to normal now.
So he helps in other ways. Twice a year, he approaches the OC Transpo Union Executive Board to hit them up for money for OCH. Twice a year they oblige. He attends fundraisers and events, and helps out whenever he can. And he brings in water. A ton of water, all the time. If there’s one thing Operation Come Home can use all the time, it’s bottled water. It’s easy to forget that staying hydrated outside in the winter is as important as it is in the summer. And so there is a need for bottled water year round.
OCH never has to worry about it though, because of Sean and his friends at OC Transpo! Elspeth, the Executive Director of OCH, is over the moon about the fact that whenever we start to run low on bottled water, she need only tweet to Sean. Within a few days, he will show up with a truckload from his bus driver buddies down at the station. It has become a welcome and appreciated ritual over the years.
Sean talks about being part of the community, and he has a specific view about what that means. It’s not about “giving back”, and it’s not about philanthropy in a larger sense. His thought is simply, “if you have the ability to do something, then do something”. We appreciate the sentiment, and we know that everyone no matter who they are, can do something. Whether that be delivering water, or helping an elderly lady off a bus.
