In a world that often rushes past quiet moments, one retired Canadian is making sure you know you are not alone, offering a simple act of kindness through a free listening service.
Paul Jenkinson travels across Canada, offering strangers a safe space to speak their hearts. No therapy, no advice—just time, presence, and compassion.
Creating human connection through free listening service
Paul’s project, I Will Listen, is grounded in the belief that everyone deserves to be heard.
He sets up two chairs and a small table in public areas, inviting passersby to sit and talk.
What unfolds is often unexpected—vulnerability, reflection, and human connection.
“I’m there as a fellow human to make connections,” Paul told the host of CBC News’ As It Happens. “I just create that safe space for them, a little bit like the stranger on the airplane that you’re never going to see again.”
Backed by his decades of work as a registered social worker in Nova Scotia and his experience advocating for elder care, Paul brings an empathetic calm to each meeting.
A life of experience behind the service
Now 70 years old, Paul offers more than a chair and a listening ear.
His own life has been marked by physical pain, divorce, and the devastating loss of his daughter. These personal struggles allow him to relate to others on a deeper level.
Still, Paul doesn’t position himself as the expert in anyone’s story.
Instead, he listens with intention, allowing others to lead the conversation. This emotional support service is rooted in humility.
“I think they’re curious, for sure. ‘Who is this older man?’” he explains. “People go back and forth a few times, surreptitiously as it were, getting some courage to come and sit down.”
The simplicity of emotional support through free listening service
What makes this free listening service so powerful is its simplicity. There’s no script, no time limit, and no cost.
People can talk about anything—from hardships to small joys, volunteer efforts, and random thoughts.
Paul offers confidentiality and only breaks that trust if someone shares thoughts of harming themselves or others.
That promise of safety, combined with the knowledge that they likely won’t see him again, gives many the courage to open up.
These moments of sharing remind people of their worth and the value of being heard—a subtle but impactful form of mental health support.
Bringing a listening ear across Canada
Paul doesn’t stay in one place for long. With no permanent home, he moves from province to province, wherever he’s invited.
The journey is flexible, guided by offers of places to stay rather than a set itinerary.
Donations from GoFundMe and Patreon help cover his travel expenses. Still, the mission remains simple: bring his free listening service to as many people as possible.
A volunteer with a purpose
Paul sees himself as part of something bigger—a quiet movement of people offering time and empathy as a form of service.
“Here I am. I’ve got skills. I’d like to make them available,” he said. “There’s a million hours of volunteering that is done in Canada on a regular basis, and I’m just one of many of those kinds of volunteers.”
This selfless perspective grounds his work. He’s not seeking recognition but hoping to remind others that emotional support services don’t always require professionals. Sometimes, they just need someone willing to listen.
The impact of Paul’s free listening service
Paul’s initiative shows that moments of human connection still matter, even in a fast-moving world.
His presence gives people space to reflect, heal, and simply be themselves—if only for a little while.
And that’s the heart of the free listening service: not to fix, but to witness, to be present, and to leave people feeling a little lighter than when they arrived.
Watch Paul Jenkinson share his inspiring journey on CBC News, where he talks about his cross-country free listening service—a safe, judgment-free space where people can speak freely and feel truly heard:
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