FROM THE OUTREACH COMMITTEE
Message from the Outreach Committee
Thanks to all who helped by volunteering or donation during the Outreach projects of 2009/2010!
Inn From The Cold remains one of our oldest Outreach projects. We continue to help in two ways – volunteering both at Northminister United and at the downtown agency.
Over the summer, our hardworking church volunteers were very
busy with INN FROM THE COLD events.
At the end of June, we partnered with Northminster U.C. to
provide good food & a friendly, secure place to sleep for 16
homeless men & women. The Riddell family did a great job of
helping to Set-Up, along with Don Jarmain who also gave his time
to stay for the evening for Hospitality. Merna Gabbert assisted
him with that. The energetic Stephenson family & a good friend
Sharon prepared and served a delicious fowl supper with lots of
extras for seconds! They also packed hearty lunches for the group to take away the next day. The
guests really enjoyed the wonderful homemade pies that Hilda Schufelt donated for dessert. Some of
the men even asked for leftover pie for breakfast! Mark Stein & Judy Laird graciously agreed to cover
that challenging overnight supervisory shift from 1:00 a.m. until 5:30, with Judy coming back later to
look after our share of the Laundry. Liz & Anne McGregor did a great job of Clean-Up. Good job,
everyone!
Our volunteers also helped with 3 different evenings at the INN FROM THE COLD Emergency Family
Center this summer. Helpers worked from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 the fourth Monday of each month to
pack lunches, monitor & serve supper, have supper with the guests & better understand their
challenges. After supper, volunteers assisted in the clean-up. A great way to help homeless families!
Many thanks to the following folks for helping at the Emergency Family Center ; Kay Dunn & her
grandson Liam, Gloria Davis, Deb Downey, Gerry VanKeeken, & Judi Shermerhorn!
In September, we have both an INN FROM THE COLD for men & women at Northminster on Wed.
Sept.29th, and an evening at the Emergency Family Center on Mon. Sept, 27th. We will need
volunteers for both! Please watch a table in the foyer for Volunteers Sign- Up sheets a couple of
weeks ahead. Let’s do our part to help the homeless in Calgary!
Many of our projects this year were focused around the Christmas season. Thanks for your interest in Alternative Gift Giving – many people picked up materials and catalogs at the Outreach Table about gifts that offer a hand up to people while honouring someone special. We continue to use Fair Trade coffee at Symon’s Valley so that the daily lives of coffee farmers and their communities can benefit from our coffee purchases.
We have new co-ordinators for INN FROM THE COLD, THEY ARE Gerry and Cheryl Vankeeken If you want to help the many Calgary homeless in a
very meaningful way, please contact Gerry or Cheryl at (403) 274-0684 over the next little while to find out about how you can participate. A few hours a month? Priceless!!! We have lots of openings for volunteers. give Gerry or Cheryl a call.
Thanks also to the families and groups who provided Christmas Hampers to the Heartland Agency this year under the guidance of Patty Raina .. Your generosity brightened the Christmas season for eight families with young children. We are doing it again in 2010, so see Patty if you'd like to make a donation. This time of year, let's put the Christ, back in Christmas.
What issues & projects do you think our Symons Valley United Church should be involved in this Spring ? We welcome your ideas ! Outreach meetings are held monthly on the third Tues.of each month at 7:30 in the Meeting Room.
Outreach Committee, we will always enjoy the company of new members!!!
IN PARTNERSHIP TOGETHER
Building Homes.
Building Hope.
10 WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN PARTNER WITH HABITAT CALGARY
VOLUNTEER TOWARDS THE BUILDING OF AFFORDABLE HOMES
1. Work on the construction site 2-4 days per month as an individual – the site is open Tuesdays-Saturdays and the build day goes from 8:15am-4:00pm
2. Provide home-made cookies or muffins for our construction site volunteers
3. Undertake a local mission with your church group through our Adopt-A-Day program where you fundraise $50 of support per participant and build on the site for a day
4. Inspire your corporation or for-profit business to Adopt-A-Day by donating/fundraising $165 per participant and building as a team for a day
5. Volunteer to man booths, speak to groups or help with special events and fundraisers
For information: volunteers@habitatcalgary.ca
DONATE TOWARDS THE BUILDING OF AFFORDABLE HOMES
6. Include Habitat for Humanity Calgary in your church outreach budget or learn what it takes for your church to sponsor a home
7. Plan a fundraising event (dinner, garage sale, bake sale, silent auction) and donate the proceeds to Habitat Calgary
For information: jmcmahon@habitatcalgary.ca
SUPPORT THE RESTORE (There are two of them!!)
8. Donate to and shop at the ReStore which needs/sells new and gently used furniture, appliances, kitchen cabinets and building materials
9. Volunteer to help in the ReStore 1-4 times per month or as part of our ReStore Demolition Team that remove kitchen cabinets from homes across the city so that they can be sold at the ReStore
10. Encourage church members and friends with business connections to donate building materials to the ReStore
For more information: restore@habitatcalgary.ca
Did you know that the ReStore covers the administrative costs of
Habitat Calgary so that 100% of monetary donations go towards building homes.
www.habitatcalgary.ca
If you have any questions/suggestions or want to add a message to the Outreach Committee web
page, please contact Paul at: tourab@aol.com or phone: (403) 246-9586
THE NEXT MEETING OF THE OUTREACH COMMITTEE IS ON TUES. OCT.18 AT SYMONS VALLEY UNITED, 38 Kincora Rise NW AT 7 PM. All are welcome to attend.
The Calgary Homeless Foundation, KAIROS and Symons Valley United Church are presenting a: Concert for Acadia Place: Helping End Family Homelessness on Friday Oct. 28th at 7:30 PM at Symons Valley United Church, 38 Kincora Rise NW. This concert features, Sora, Brent Van Dusen, Lewis & Royal, Alex Boisselle and the Ashbury Train and harpist, Debra Nyack
There will be wine, snacks and a SILENT AUCTION. Doors will open at 6:30 PM and the concert will start at 7:30 PM sharp! Tickets are $25.00 and are available at the church by phoning (403) 274-2361 or Paul at (403) 246-9586 Come out and join us in a good cause!!
