For nearly a year now, Gus Carrasco’s Street Gospel has been bringing food and hope to those hungry, unhoused and struggling with addictions in our community. 

And he’s doing it because he’s lived that life. 

Originally from Peru, Carrasco lived on the streets of Regina and eventually moved to Saskatoon wanting to get clean. He got his GED and got a student loan, but his addictions weren’t done. Having money in his pocket, he wanted to celebrate and relapse.  

Laying in Royal University Hospital due to a heart condition from his drug use, he learned he was alone and many that he loved around him who were also struggling with addictions were putting drugs ahead of his well-being. 

He knew he had to make a change before he died from his addictions and made the decision to move to Moose Jaw to get away from the drugs and bad influences. 

First, he knew he needed to keep busy so he started to do volunteer work and started attending Victory Church. He said in Regina he was marginalized, but joining the church and spirituality was a game-changer for him. 

Part of his volunteering was making and serving sandwiches at various meal offerings to the homeless at churches around the city. However, he learned that they stopped serving food in the summer.  

He started looking at his life and decided it was time to start making a difference and close that gap. 

“You're hungry to do good. Suddenly, you wake up and want to do more good than bad. I want to take a negative into a positive. You get into the mindset that you want to do your best and start making better choices, strong, healthy, wise choices. You want to keep doing that,” Carrasco said. 

It started with making sandwiches and taking them to Crescent Park. But getting the groceries to make the sandwiches was sometimes an internal struggle for Carrasco. 

With facial tattoos and his appearance as well as being told he was never good enough throughout his life, he didn’t know what response he would get went he approached Fellinger and Sons Meats to ask for slices of ham to make sandwiches. They would get on board with his mission. 

Carrasco then wanted to take things to the next level and wanted to make homemade meals and his first thought was chili. He went to the food bank to see if they could help him out with food. He talked to Deann Little and gave her his pastor’s name and number.  

He did the same thing with Moose Jaw Coop. His pastor backed him up and suddenly he had three organizations backing his cause to help the hungry and those struggling with addictions. 

One day after church, a lady approached Carrasco asking if he needed a vehicle and said she had one he could use. Now with a vehicle, he was able to access more people and make deliveries. 

However, he was recently in an accident and the car was damaged, but he was able to purchase a new vehicle. 

He understands that there have been people hurt by crimes committed by those homeless and struggling with addictions in the community, but he also asks that people forgive and give second chances. 

“Straight people they have been robbed, or they stole whatever. But that's the forgiving part and giving another chance part, it's on them now,” Carrasco said. 

At the same time, he said many of them steal because they are hungry and looking for food. 

“I just feed them because I know when you are struggling with addictions food is the last thing on our minds,” Carrasco said. 

He now feeds at least 25 people each day who are unhoused and/or struggling with addictions. 

Not only does he bring food, but as a gospel he is also willing to pray and read scripture with everyone he meets. He said, in the end, he wants to give hope and spread positivity to those out on the streets. 

“Change is possible. The success rate is low but if one out of five can be saved and stop dying then to me it is a win,” he said. 

He’s already seen people who he used to feed now getting free of drugs and helping him feed others. 

You can learn more about Gus's Street Gospel through his Facebook page.