The nights are long, wrapped in a wet sleeping bag, shivering from the damp and the chill, sleep comes fitfully—five or ten minutes every hour. A tree, a park bench, a doorway… these provide some shelter but safety and warmth and not common experiences for homeless youth.
First†Metropolitan United Church is one of several venues which offers night shelter for street youths each evening from November to April. It aims to provide warm, safe shelter for homeless youths aged 16 to 25 years. The coalition includes Beacon Community Services (lead agency), Cool Aid, St. John the Divine, St. Saviours Anglican, as well as First†Metropolitan United.
Volunteers are needed in two capacities:
- to be present for an evening or a morning shift to ensure the provision of a meal, and
- to donate the soup, muffins, eggs and other ingredients that make for healthy eating.
We also launch a yearly financial appeal to ensure that we meet our commitment of $5,000 towards the operational expenses of the coalition.
To volunteer or contribute in any way, please call the site coordinators, Leslie and Bob Wilson at 250-590-4586.
Category: Outreach | Also filed under: Volunteer Opportunities |
First†Metropolitan United Church continues to serve over 240 roast beef dinners each month, for nine months of the year. All inner city people are welcome to our Fellowship Hall on the Friday before social assistance cheques come out.
Volunteers are always needed to help cook and serve these meals. Call Robin Breckon at 250-472-3381 if you can help with these jobs or are interested in serving in other capacities.
Volunteers are always needed to help cook and serve these meals.
Category: Outreach | Also filed under: Volunteer Opportunities |
First†Metropolitan United Church is active in inner-city outreach through its sponsorship of The Our Place Society (formerly The Open Door Inner City Ministry and The Upper Room Society). Our Place is affiliated with the United Church of Canada as a Community Ministry, and has a long history of support from our congregation.
Our Place has been operating from its new building at 919 Pandora Street since December 2007. It is open five days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on all holidays and during the winter it provides emergency shelter at night when conditions dictate.
Services and Programs
Services and programs provided at Our Place are extensive. Transitional housing is provided to 45 residents until they can move on to more appropriate accommodations, whether it involves treatment or more independence. Meals are provided to residents and drop-in members of the inner-city family. Other services include hygiene and clothing, healthy snacks, computer access, library, medical support, counseling, literacy, choir, advocacy, recreation and pastoral care. The approach is to provide a hand-up, not a handout and "unconditional love in a non-judgmental way."
First Metropolitan provides both financial and volunteer support to Our Place, including leadership through the Board of Directors. Donations of clothing, food and toiletry articles are also much appreciated.
More information can be obtained from the Our Place office at (250) 388-7112 or from the web site at: www.ourplacesociety.com.
Our Place has been operating from its new building at 919 Pandora Street since December 2007.
Category: Outreach, Reaching Out | Also filed under: Our Place |
