Mission in the City: Special Covid-19 Related Needs (May 2020)

Special COVID-19-Related Needs

In these challenging times, our affiliate partners and other organizations have needs that you can help meet.

ADAM HOUSE

  • Assemble and donate fruit baskets to the residents to help sustain and encourage them

GOOD SHEPHERD

  • Volunteers needed to help make 800+ sandwiches per day and have them delivered to
    clients

    • Handing out sandwiches as opposed to hosting seated meal times

  • Need food supplies including mayonnaise, mustard, cheese slices, sliced bread, packaged snacks (eg. granola bars, cookies, potato chips, dried fruit), portable fruit (eg. apples, oranges, bananas), canned tuna and meat, peanut butter and jam, juice boxes, bottled water, ground coffee, and tea.

  • Need supplies for the medical clinic including hand sanitizer, alcohol swabs, Imodium, Benylin, Reactine, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, Vicks VapoRub, Polysporin, and Visine.

  • Good Shepherd accepts drop offs, delivery of online orders, and monetary contributions.

LIGHT PATROL

  • Monetary support needed to make takeout food packages for street youth

    • Light patrol is still going out on outreach across the city to serve the hidden homeless

  • Needed items to support outreach:

    • 10 pairs of sweatpants in medium and large sizes

      • For youth we recently connected with who are sleeping outside

    • Mens and womens underwear in medium and large sizes

    • Grocery gift cards (Sobeys or Loblaws/President’s Choice)

PREGNANCY CARE CENTRE

  • (Timebound - By March 25th) New baby bathtub and crib needed for expectant mom

  • (Urgent) Needed items for new mothers/parents:

    • Diapers (sizes 1,2,3), wipes, and formula

    • Cribs and travel systems (car seat + stroller unit)

    • Place an online order to have items delivered directly or make a donation to PCC who will, in turn, take care of making all the arrangements (contact Mabel for details)

SAFE FAMILIES

  • Need kitchenware and home items for a single mom who has moved into a new apartment.

    • She is looking for the following: pots, pans, baking dishes, bowls, sippy cups and kid friendly dishes, toaster, coffee maker, handheld mixer, children's towels, dresser, small couch or sectional, coffee table, area rug, and anything decorative to make her apartment feel like home

    • Help needed to deliver large items

  • Donations needed to provide groceries for Toronto moms who are unable to go out or who cannot afford groceries during this time

YONGE STREET MISSION (YSM)

  • Donations of butchered meat, chicken legs, thighs, breast, and/or wings, ground beef, as well as frozen meats (chicken fingers, wings, burgers, etc.)

    • Halal would be best but any meat is greatly appreciated

  • Donations of adult diapers and baby diapers (sizes 5 and 6)

  • Donation Drop-Off

    • Location: The Davis Centre, 270 Gerrard Street East

      • Drive to the back of the building into the laneway to the cage

    • Best drop-off days are Mondays and Wednesdays between 10 am and 3 pm

    • Contact Zana or receptionist at 416-929-9614 press "0", or email both Zana (zferataj@ysm.ca) and receptionist (receptiondept@ysm.ca)

  • Encouraging notes needed.

    • Our community members are struggling with a lot right now, especially isolation. We cannot connect with them in person; however words of encouragement can alleviate some of the stresses they are feeling. We would like to place a note of encouraging words into the hundreds of meal bags we give out every day.

    • Here is a link for any church member who would like to write an encouraging note to a community member. The note will be printed and placed in a meal bag.

  • For all monetary donations, please go to www.ysm.ca (link) and donate online, or call 416-929-9614 and press “0” to donate over the phone

YOUTH UNLIMITED (YU)

  • Young Parents Program: Items needed for Care Packages for the young parents served, including diapers (sizes 4-6 are in greater need), baby wipes, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products

For more information contact: mabel@gracetoronto.ca

Affiliate Needs

Our affiliate partners have needs that you can help meet including prayer support. Some of these programs are being temporarily suspended, but prayer is always needed and you should consider how you might serve ongoing needs once Covid-19 has passed.

ADAM HOUSE

  • Assemble and donate kitchen Start Up Kits (~$120) for residents leaving the house to settle in the community (Mabel has contents details)

PRAYER REQUESTS

  • Prayer for residents that Adam House be a pitstop on their long journey of asylum-seeking where they can get some rest and care, and meet some new friends who can support them in their journey forward

  • Prayer for residents who moved out of Adam House, that God put good neighbours into their lives who can help them adjust to life in their new communities

  • Prayer for the community at the house who are grieving for a resident who recently passed away

LIGHT PATROL

  • (Urgent) Drivers needed for some outreach nights on Mondays and Thursdays

    • Both the RV and the 12-seater health van need drivers

    • No special license requirements needed; though for the RV, the volunteer should have experience driving RVs (comfortable controlling a large vehicle downtown)

  • Volunteer to help organize incoming donations

  • Donate tarps, clothing (e.g. hoodies, warm socks, underwear, long johns), and winter gear (e.g. blankets); or donate money to purchase sleeping bags, waterproof bags

  • Food volunteers needed for the fall/winter term

PRAYER REQUESTS

  • Prayer for new youth to be open to receiving help and that that will lead to building important relationships in their lives

PREGNANCY CARE CENTRE

  • Volunteers needed -- women to walk alongside expecting mothers, and men to walk alongside soon-to-be fathers

    • Downtown location (U of T campus)

    • Tuesday or Thursday; afternoons especially, but evenings work too; once-a-month commitment

  • Donate baby clothing (contact Mabel for drop off details)

PRAYER REQUESTS

  • Prayer that Saturday outreach will continue to operate, so expecting mothers have the help they need on the weekend

SAFE FAMILIES

  • People who would be willing to host children in their homes, for a temporary period of time, in order to provide care and respite to parents who are in need of extended family-like support during a difficult time

  • Grace Gathering groups who are willing to be trained through Safe Families to be an extended family-like support for a family in crisis in our city

PRAYER REQUESTS

  • Prayer for God to provide support, comfort, and for the needs of families who struggle in isolation, now more than ever

  • Prayer for a spirit of hospitality to grow among churches in the GTA

SQUADS

  • Join sports program for elementary kids, Thursday evenings

  • Join youth choir leadership team

PRAYER REQUESTS

  • Prayer that the Squads Ministry will be able to find a new building, so kids and youth in Regent Park can continue to attend programs in a convenient location

  • Prayer for the safety of families in Regent Park amidst rising gang violence, that their bodies and minds be protected

  • Prayer that during this time of quarantine, leaders and kids can meet together online to study the Bible, that the leaders would deliver the curriculum well and the kids would have the necessary equipment to join

TORONTO CITY MISSION

PRAYER REQUESTS

  • Prayer for families served by TCM

For more information contact: mabel@gracetoronto.ca