Mission in the City: October 2021

AFFILIATE AND COMMUNITY NEEDS

Find ways to love our neighbours in partnership with our affiliates and other organizations serving the community.

SERVING - FOR INDIVIDUALS

Adam House

Safe Families

  • Sign-up to become a “Family Friend” to a segregated family in our city.
    • Family Friends provide: love to parent(s) through encouragement; security and peace to parent(s) because they know someone sees them and cares about their well-being; knowledge and information they may not have; access to our extended church network; a shared desire for the security and well-being of their children; the Gospel hope of Jesus Christ; and possibly other tangible or service-based needs according to your comfort level and time.
    • If you are interested, please contact Serena (here) for next steps.

Toronto City Mission

Homeless Connect Toronto

  • For Homeless Connect Toronto's upcoming October Community Connect events, volunteers are needed for the following opportunities:
    • Storage Moving - Downtown - Wed Oct 6, 2-4pm
    • Wellness Kit Packing Party - Scarborough - Sat Oct 9, 10am-12pm
    • Clothing Sort - Rosewood Baptist Church - Sun Oct 17, 2-5pm
    • Storage Packing - Scarborough - Fri Oct 22, 1-4pm, Mon Oct 25-Thurs Oct 28, 6-8pm
    • Community Connect Week - Locations Across the City - Mon Oct 25-Fri Oct 29, 9am-4:30pm
  • To sign up: https://form-can.keela.co/2021-volunteer-form

SERVING - FOR GRACE GATHERINGS

Safe Families

  • Together, sign-up to become “Family Friends” to a segregated family in our city.
    • Family Friends provide: love to the parent(s) through encouragement; security and peace to the parent(s) because they know someone sees them and cares about their well-being; knowledge and information they may not have; access to our extended church network; a shared desire for the security and well-being of their children; the Gospel hope of Jesus Christ; and possibly other tangible or service-based needs according to your comfort level and time.
    • Interested members of your GG will attend a virtual information session, fill out an application, and complete the online training required by Safe Families. For more information, contact Serena (here).

TANGIBLE NEEDS

Adam House

  • Sponsor a pair of winterboots for a new resident: contact Danyao for details.

Yonge Street Mission

  • Evergreen Centre for Street-Involved Youth
    • Needs: cotton boxers for men (size S-XL), bras and cotton underwear for women (S-XL), sweatpants with drawstring (S-XL)
  • Evergreen Centre-Nursery
    • Needs: diapers (sizes 4, 5 and 6), pull-ups (all sizes), formula-similac powder regular (blue), grocery cards, nice treat for the mothers (eg. lotion or bath items)
  • Mental Health Department needs:
    • Needs: laptops for mental health staff (3), art materials and supplies (5 easels, 2 sets of 24 colour acrylic paint, 10 sketchbooks), 15 stretched canvas (any size), drawing supplies (30-pack of willow or set of charcoal), gift cards for clients (Tim Hortons, movies/theatre passes)
    • Psychology books needed: 2 "The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel van der Kolk, 2 "My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies" by Resmaa Menakem, 3 "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, 1 "CBT Worksheets" by James Manning
  • Bridges (Adults 24-60) Food Bank
    • Needs: christmas care packs (arm socks, gloves, mug with hot chocolate packs, warm hats, Tim Hortons gift card $5/$10, toiletries), shavers and shaving cream, adult diapers, gift cards (PC/No Frills, Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, Tim Hortons)
  • For more information or to arrange drop off, please contact Eleanor at 647-466-1865 or eedwards@ysm.ca.

For more information contact: rosemarie@gracetoronto.ca

PRAYERS

Help love our neighbours by praying for them and the organizations that serve them.

+ ADAM HOUSE

Prayer for protection for the residents, volunteers and staff as church group visits to Adam House resume in limited capacity throughout the fall and winter.

Prayer for the continued building of friendships and sharing of the Good News despite the physical and language barriers.

+ SAFE FAMILIES

Pray for God to help members of our Grace Toronto community find room in their homes, hearts, and lifestyles to become a Host family for a child in need of a safe place to stay.

Pray for the staff and volunteers - that they would be able to find strength and motivation in the sacrificial love of Christ as they sacrificially love and serve children and parents in need of mercy and compassion.

Pray that God would support, comfort, and provide for the needs of families who struggle in isolation, now more than ever. Single mothers are carrying the full burden of parenting without any time to recharge.

+ FIGHT4FREEDOM

Fight4Freedom (F4F)'s online outreach has been having good responses. A number of individuals opened up to the F4F team and shared about their current situations. Majority of these individuals is facing various financial challenges. Two in particular have young children and are homeless. Please pray for God’s intervention in providing a safe and stable place for these individuals. Also please pray for more volunteers to join F4F's online outreach team to ensure timely responses to ongoing connections.

Pray for F4F's men's ministry focus group as they continue to research and discern the set up and launching of F4F’s men’s ministry.

+ Yonge Street Mission

Pray for healing for Regent Park – too many lives being lost to gun violence.

Pray for continued protection over YSM staff

Pray for shelter for the many on the streets as the weather changes and temperatures fall.

Pray for the many community members who are suffering from isolation during the pandemic.

Pray for guidance for YSM leaders as they develop re-opening plans for YSM that will be safe for all.

Pray for dentist, physiotherapist, and chiropractor volunteers for Evergreen Health center.