It is November, and our weather in Saskatchewan can be challenging. We all have heard the joke about six months of winter and two months of poor sledding. While you and I may laugh, it is not a lot of fun for people who are living on the street or existing in temporary housing.
Fortunately, all three of our dioceses in Saskatchewan are stepping up to respond to the needs of the least of our brothers and sisters, through programs run out of the three cathedrals.
St. Paul’s Cathedral in Regina has a wonderful history of providing lunches and currently work withs a dedicated group of denominations to continue this necessary ministry.
Through co-ordinated efforts, each church takes a turn to supply the groceries (list supplied), make the lunch and serve the guests. St. Paul’s rotation is approximately every six weeks.
This will be the third year that St. Alban’s Cathedral in Prince Albert has donated the use of its hall to two groups that feed people every Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.
This program runs from the end of October until the end of March (dependant on the weather). “Reaching Out Street Ministry” and “Embassy Reach Out” alternately provide the meal, and they accept donations of jackets, hoodies, socks, mitts, toques and blankets.
They also appreciate monetary donation through e-transfers to [email protected]. They cannot issue income tax receipts, and all cash donations are used to purchase food.
St. John’s Cathedral in Saskatoon collects food items for the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre. They also volunteer regularly at Friendship Inn, assisting with the preparation and serving of meals.
They also are connected to NEST (a refugee settlement agency) and Never Hungry Saskatoon. In addition, they work with their ecumenical partners in the Saskatoon Inner City Council of Churches. St. John’s Cathedral also keeps granola bars and juice boxes on hand to address immediate needs.
Drawing on the experience of many years, the people at St. Paul’s in Regina have developed a list of most-needed toiletry items. These items are staples to our existence but can be on short supply or difficult to either obtain or store while living on the street.
The following items are especially needed and appreciated by organisations working with the unhoused:
- toilet paper
- toothbrushes
- toothpaste
- alcohol-free mouthwash
- Tums/Rolaids
- bar soap
- shampoo (travel size)
- deodorant
- feminine hygiene products
- incontinence products
- 1/4 cup portions of powdered laundry detergent (in a marked zip-lock bag)
- reusable shopping bags
Perhaps your church would consider being a collection point for these items. This small act of stewardship might be one of your endeavours to respond to this call and live out the mission God has set before us.
I know that often we feel that the needs of society are too great, or the problems are too large for us to address. However, with a little attention and minimal expense (some people save the toiletries from hotel stays – these are a perfect size for those who have little storage capacity), item by item we can accumulate resources that can and will make a difference.
Jesus said to “feed my lambs” and to “take care of my sheep,” and we are His hands and feet in this place.
