Mission & Outreach
Misson Statement
Our Outreach Committee strives to make the world a better place by focussing our efforts on poverty reduction, food insecurity, environmental protection and refugee support.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Helping to plant, tend and water the plants in our community garden.
- Organizing our Christmas Pyjama Drive on behalf of Kerr Street Mission.
- Assisting with the remaining tasks when our next Afghani refugee family arrives, probably in late spring.
- Participating in the Neighbourhood Care Network, an organization that provides a helping hand to local people in need.
- Planning programs to help educate our church members and the broader community about indigenous issues
Poverty Reduction
- Christmas Wonders Program – Every November we receive about 85 donations of new pyjamas plus cash of about $1000 to provide food and presents for the young clients of Kerr Street Mission.
- Neighbourhood Care Network – We partner with Kerr Street Mission to provide volunteers to help our local citizens in need of a helping hand. Our help can range from assisting clients in finding rental accommodation to helping them access social services. Sometimes the only skill required is that you be a good listener. Volunteers are trained by Kerr Street Mission and matched with the individuals in need.
- Human Trafficking in Halton – A new initiative is to work with local churches and organizations to help the victims of human trafficking in our neighbourhood.
Food Insecurity
- Our church has been supporting the Canadian Foodgrains Bank for many years in partnership with St. John’s United Church. Until the pandemic a Modern Miracle Spaghetti dinner was held annually as a fundraiser. The funds raised helped to relieve famine and provide agricultural training in the developing world. Now that the pandemic has waned we plan to revive the dinner when we are able.
- Dinners at Kerr Street Mission – Our church along with many other Oakville churches take turns in providing healthy meals to the clients of Kerr Street Mission.
- Community Garden – Vegetables raised in our garden are donated to the Kerr Street Mission foodbank as well as other foodbanks in Oakville.
Environmental Protection
Our pollinator garden of native plants was created to showcase how a garden can benefit birds, butterflies and other insects.
Refugee Support
In the past 5 years we have sponsored 7 Middle Eastern refugee families from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and we are expecting our seventh family in late spring.
If you are interested in donating gently used clothing or furniture, please contact Safety Net to make your contributions.