Hundreds of people living on Winnipeg's streets were offered a caring and helping hand Sunday, as volunteers handed out more than 250 backpacks filled with personal hygiene items and treated the homeless to a barbeque lunch.

"Everybody is so thankful," says Ron Eldridge of Devoted To You Street Ministry. "They're all thanking us, saying ‘God bless' to us, they really appreciate what we're doing."

The demand was so great on Sunday that Eldridge says he ran out of backpacks to give away. But he says he also created a list of those who didn't get a backpack and he'll personally deliver more this week.

Eldridge spent much of his life homeless until working his way off the streets and starting a ministry to help those still without a home. In addition to handing out hot dogs and chips he's been known to offer jackets and blankets to the homeless throughout the winter.

"We're doing what needs to be done to help these people," says Eldridge. "And we couldn't do all this without the great people of Winnipeg."

Eldridge operates entirely on donations from the Winnipeg community. He says he's been blown away by the generosity of donors and volunteers.

"Everyone says thank you," says Gord Buczko, a volunteer working with Eldridge. "Not a person passes by who doesn't say ‘thanks' and that's good enough for me."

If you are interested in donating to Devoted To You contact Eldridge at 880-5182.