Nothing can be so discouraging as reading the headlines: inflation, a lack of housing that’s affordable, cutbacks at the grocery store and rising costs all around us.
Add that to the ever-darkening days and it can be quite challenging to remain a person of hope, someone who helps bring God’s love and light into a sad, lonely and economically depressed world.
But at St. Andrew’s, we have a history of helping others as we express the excitement of giving.
Years ago, we had a soup kitchen and we opened our doors as we began the Out of the Cold program. Others have joined in and partnerships began; these still are critical.
Today, we partner with our neighbouring downtown churches to help ease hunger – both on the street level and at the Barrie Food Bank. We help fill the Little Food Pantry at Trinity Anglican.
We also reached out into our neighbourhood to help the Barrie Food Bank with its food pantries downtown. For five days just before Halloween, we joined our friends at Collier United and went into nearby condos to collect food, which was divided between the Little Food Pantries at Trinity Anglican and Collier United.
This growing partnership is so encouraging, especially as we look back a year, when we first began working alongside Trinity Anglican to help ease hunger.
And as winter sets in, we are beginning our work to help others stay warm. We collect mittens, hats, scarves and socks for people who need them – and on a Sunday before Christmas, we decorate a tree with them. We will fill our Mitten Tree Dec. 18, and what we gather will be shared among agencies who help others, including the David Busby Street Centre and Youth Haven.
Stay tuned for details on this year’s addition and how you can help.