It's not a typical thing for a church to cancel regular Sunday service, especially so close to Christmas. That's exactly what the St. Albert Alliance Church did last Sunday and for the exact same reason too. After all, they say, Christmas is the time of giving.
Instead of reciting its sermons of peace, the church chose to give messages of love to the community in the form of 100 food hampers for residents struggling to put food on the table.
"While for some people Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year, for families who are struggling to make ends meet or for those who are feeling isolated, Christmas can be one of the most painful times of the year," explained Matt Garvin, the church's community engagement and missions pastor.
"It's a small thing, but we wanted to find a way to express the heart of Christmas in a tangible way."
This was the sixth year that the church has undertaken this outreach mission. Starting at 9 a.m., approximately 600 of the church's members gathered to distribute the groceries that they had amassed since mid-October.
Each hamper is compiled by a team and the team collectively decides who should receive it. Many of the members report that they obtain a lot of fulfilment from this project especially since food bank usage in Alberta has spiked since earlier this year, a side effect of the economic downturn that has yet to abate.
Hope in a bag
Bag of Hope is a charity that strives to provide some necessities and comforts to the metro Edmonton homeless population. They collect new goods including clothing, toiletries, food, and bus tickets for both men and women, including a duffel bag or backpack.
In operation since 2006, the project has gone from compiling 75 bags to amassing an amazing 450 bags just last year. It has also expanded its reach to include a Christmas dinner for 400 catered by volunteers at the Mosaic Centre on Fort Road.
The next meal will be held at the Mosaic Centre next Friday with a second chili meal following up the day after at the Jasper Place Health Centre.
Local organizer Angela Pacholok indicated that she has been in contact with the St. Albert Food Bank, asking if there was any way support could be offered to people in this city.
"What they said was that because we don't have shelters in St. Albert, it's necessary for anyone who needs help in the St. Albert area to actually go into Edmonton during the winter months because that's where the support is," she said.
Through Bag of Hope, we hope that we're touching not only people of Edmonton but from surrounding communities as well. We don't know specifically who is from where, we just know that those centres are bringing in those that need the items the most."
Collections that are not distributed each year are offered to the Society of St. Vincent De Paul, which has its own community outreach efforts throughout the year.
There are a variety of collection points throughout Edmonton as well.
Call 780-970-0604 or visit www.bagofhope.ca for more information.
Christmas comes early for KidSport
St. Albert's KidSport organizer Clayton Deputan happily received a $2,000 cheque from the local branch of the Servus Credit Union last month.
The money represents a gift of community partnership from the bank. It also represents a sign of acceptance from business leaders throughout St. Albert that KidSport, on the verge of celebrating its second anniversary, is here to stay.
The organization is thriving with support from – and to – the people, he said.
"We're moving toward a healthier community by getting kids involved."
The local chapter of the national organization works to make sports programs more accessible to children by providing financial assistance to alleviate the cost of registration fees, equipment costs, youth leadership opportunities, sport camps and travel.
In 2014, it helped 96 kids with nearly $19,000 in funding. This year, those figures have increased by 15 kids and by $12,000 in funding just by the beginning of November.
"More kids and more funding!" he exclaimed. "For us, it's a case of sustaining and building some great community partnerships. It's all about maintaining those partnerships. We're super happy with that!"
Helping add to its coffers is the national organization's Give the Gift of Sport campaign to get more kids into the game next year. Visit www.kidsportcanada.ca for more information.
