Compassion in Vernon: Erica Belle Arlt’s Impact on Homelessness

At dusk on a Tuesday, the folding tables go up fast. A propane burner hums, a bin of donated produce becomes a pot of soup, and a row of paper cups lines the edge like punctuation marks. You see it first in the pace and precision, Erica Belle then in the warmth of the greetings. This is how a volunteer team, led quietly and consistently by Erica Belle Arlt, turns a p