Outreach - St. Nicholas, Birch Cliff

OUR FAITH - OUR HOPE: RE-IMAGINE CHURCH

In the Our Faith–Our Hope campaign, we have highlighted various portions of the campaign. This week, we focus on another need the campaign will address, which is “Giving to Others.”

One of the most important ministries of our Church is outreach to the less fortunate. As members of a Christian community, we are called to respond to those in need.

The Council of the North comprises 9 financially assisted dioceses, including sparsely populated areas in the Arctic, Northern British Columbia, the Prairies, northern Ontario, Quebec, and Labrador. These places have scarce financial resources, but incur high costs. Many clergy in northern communities across the country serve on a non-stipendiary basis. In addition to working at secular jobs, these clergy spend hours in ministry without being paid. The Council of the North has established a stipendiary support fund for the purpose of compensating these clergy who serve in the North. Our Faith – Our Hope will allocate $2.5 million to allow the Diocese of Toronto to continue its support of the Council of the North and the stipend support fund.

Locally, Anglicans have long been involved in combating the housing crisis and related efforts to counter poverty. Our work has spanned a broad range of initiatives, including providing emergency shelter, building houses, and advocacy efforts. Anglicans have also focused their outreach on combating child poverty, HIV/AIDS and the needs of other parts of the world.

Globally, Our Faith – Our Hope will allocate $2.5 million to help answer God’s call to see and respond to human need. With other Canadian Anglicans, we will support: Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund; Healthcare Programs in Africa; The Anglican Ministry Ordinariate of Canada; and partner dioceses in other parts of the world.

Our Faith - Our Hope website

OUTREACH REACHES OUT!

Interesting things are happening with Outreach at St Nicholas. Guided by the principle that the committee must be more than a fundraising committee, it must be an actual reaching out of helping hands, St Nicholas Outreach has set in motion two exciting initiatives, one old and one new.

Church by the Bluffs Food Bank

‘The ‘old’ initiative is our re-involvement as a parish community with the Churches By the Bluffs Food Bank website », of which we were a founding member. We have supported the food bank financially since its beginning, but in recent years the ‘hands on’ participation of St Nicholas’ parishioners has decreased significantly. We want to reverse that trend.

Food arrives by the truckload at the Food Bank every Wednesday morning and must be unloaded, divided up and packaged. A number of us from St Nick’s have already begun turning up to help. Whether it’s bagging carrots, sorting fruit and veggies or freezing our fingers unpacking broccoli from chopped ice, there’s plenty to be done, so do consider whether this might be something for you. 416-436-8464 - foodbank@rogers.com

Beaches Interfaith Lunch Programme

The ‘new’ initiative is our participation in the Beaches Interfaith Lunch Programme. This programme provides a free lunch for whoever needs one every weekday from Thanksgiving to the 24th of May weekend. The lunches are currently prepared and hosted by Beach United Church website », the Beaches Hebrew Institute website », Corpus Christi RC Church website », and Kingston Rd United website » with the assistance of St Aidan’s website ». Since Beach United currently has responsibility for both the Tuesday and Thursday lunches, St Nicholas’ Outreach has undertaken to assist them on Tuesdays, with the goal of taking over completely on alternate weeks.

This extremely rewarding and necessary ministry feeds anywhere from 50 to 95 people on a daily basis. Help is needed either to be part of the Tuesday work team at Beach United, or to provide soups, salads or desserts for the lunches. In addition, cash donations which can be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables are, of course, always welcome.

Thank you to all who have already volunteered their time and efforts to these projects. If you aren’t yet involved, but would like to be, please sign up on the sheets posted at the Manderley entrance or speak to Deb Chapman or a member of the Outreach Committee.

PWRDF 50th Anniversary! One of the FaithWorks agencies is the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an evening of food, fun and fellowship. It takes place at Artscape Wychwood Barns at 601 Christie Street, Toronto. The evening will feature an international buffet, and performances by world-renowned tenor Mark Dubois and Juno award-winning jazz guitarist Nathan Hiltz.Tickets are $100 each and are available on the Diocesan website (www.toronto.anglican.ca). Tickets must be ordered in advance of the evening.

The Arts, the Economy, & St Nicholas The Parish in the process of commissioning a piece of art work produced by the women who belong to an Arts Studio in the town of Hamburg in Grahamstown, South Africa - the Diocese of Toronto's partner diocese (link »). It may possibly be several pieces - a tapistry, chausable and stole or altar frontal or a combination - details are still being worked out.

The commissioning of this artwork puts several women to work, not only sparking their creativity, but literally putting a roof over their heads and food on their tables. And they worked for it! It really helps to build selfesteem for the crafters, many of whom are victims of HIV/AIDS. We became aware of the Keiskamma Trust that coordinates the Art Project and the HIV/AIDS Treatment Centre through Rachel Johnson, a nurse that manages the treatment centre and who also just happens to be the daughter of our diocesan bishop, Colin Johnson.