Mission in the City: June 2021

RACHEL'S STORY

I got started with Light Patrol through Grace Toronto Church about 3 years ago. I had been living and working in the downtown core for about a year. On my way to work, out with friends, no matter the time of day, I kept seeing people in need on the streets. I had no idea how to help or what to do, but I knew I wanted to serve and love my neighbours. It can really only be God-orchestrated as a few weeks later, I was at Grace Toronto flipping through the bulletin and saw that there was an organization called Light Patrol. I contacted Light Patrol and got around to doing a try-out volunteer run. Pre-covid times, I loved spending a few evenings a month with the team of volunteers and staff. We drive around Toronto in an RV and stop at a few locations - we normally have soup, sandwiches and clothing for our friends on the streets.

It overwhelms me that over the years, Light Patrol volunteers have built some incredible relationships. A lot of our friends on the streets come onto the RV to chat and hang out, sometimes it is to share funny stories, or how our days are going, and other times they want to talk about the struggles they have. A lot of the times, I nod, listen and share my own anecdotes. Other times, I ask if I can pray for them and with them. I remember meeting a woman who was about my age, living in a shelter nearby. She opened up about her past and how she ended up at the shelter. The conversation with her was so memorable to me because even though she found herself in a tough spot in life, she was still hopeful for what is to come. She told me she believed in God and that she relies on Him as her strength for each day; it was such an encouragement to me. We prayed together and said goodbye. I haven't seen her since, but I pray and think about her when I pass by that shelter. Another night, I sat with one of the regular RV attendees for about 30 minutes. He wasn't himself that night; he was very high and had those glossed over eyes. I think he just wanted someone around to listen. He spoke of things that were haunting him and scaring him, sometimes he cried and sometimes he laughed. I just sat there and listened. I felt so helpless in that moment and remembered praying for God to give me the right words to say. Before we left, I passed along some food and water and prayed with him.

Not all of my volunteer moments are heavy, actually, a lot of the times I go home with a light and joyful heart. People come onto the RV, crack jokes, tell us funny stories and I love listening to them. There is a regular visitor who comes to the RV often. I love seeing him - he is one of the kindest men I have ever met. He had found an injured squirrel on one of his walks and decided to nurse it back. For a few weeks he carried the squirrel in his jacket or his backpack - I never got to see this in person. But he told us he set it free a few weeks later at a park nearby, and each day he would visit the park, call out and his squirrel would run back to him.

I am reminded through these interactions that God calls us to love all of His people, and that they are precious to Him. I pray that as Torontonians that our hearts continue to grow for those that are poor and those that are in need. I pray that we would continue to be loving neighbours to the people we see when we take walks and go to the grocery store. Light Patrol is doing some smaller outreaches right now; please continue to pray for the staff who are meeting our friends on the street every week. Please pray that they can connect and build relationships and that those would ultimately lead to Christ.

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

  • Bless a family with 3 kids who are transitioning out of Adam House by sending them a fruit basket; see the Booth House sign up here, or contact Tim for more information.

Pregnancy Care Centre

  • Learn how the Grace Community can support PCC in serving new parents who may feel alone in Toronto by attending a training session hosted by Grace Toronto and led by the Pregnancy Care Centre on June 23rd. If you are interested, please sign up here.

Safe Families

  • Would you consider joining the Safe Families GTA Leadership Council?
    • Safe Families Toronto is looking for individuals who share the vision of the organization and desire to serve using their unique expertise and experience to support and guide the local Chapter. This document gives an overview of the Leadership Council roles and responsibilities. For more information, please contact Serena (here).
  • 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

SERVING - FOR GRACE GATHERINGS

Pregnancy Care Centre

  • Learn how the Grace Community can support PCC in serving new parents who may feel alone in Toronto by attending a training session hosted by Grace Toronto and led by the Pregnancy Care Centre on June 23rd. If you are interested, please sign up here.

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

  • Adam House East (a new transitional house acquired by Adam House) aka Booth House is looking for donations of new or gently-used patio furniture. Please contact Danyao for more information.

Pregnancy Care Centre

  • Needed clothes: baby boy clothes (12-24 months), baby boy and girl clothes (0-12months)
    • Text 416-229-2607 to schedule drop off.

Safe Families

  • Items Needed:
    • Spring and summer women’s clothing (size L and XL) - can be gently used
    • Women’s shoes (size 10)
    • Children’s clothing (boy, size 5T and 6T) - can be gently used
    • Safe Families can also accept monetary donations to help purchase these items.
  • Please contact Serena (here).

Yonge Street Mission

  • Needed Items: body soap/body wash, sunscreen, toothpaste, deodorant, body cream, toilet paper, wet cat food, wet and dry dog food, baby diapers (size 6, the most popular and we have none left, and size 7), pull-ups (sizes 2T-3T, 3T-4T, and 4T-5T)

For more information contact: rosemarie@gracetoronto.ca

PRAYERS

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

+ ADAM HOUSE

Praise God for providing for the furnishing of Adam House East aka Booth House through the generous donations of church members.

Prayer for staff who have been juggling multiple priorities, planning for the upcoming World Refugee Celebration, setting up Adam House East, coordinating churches participating in virtual gatherings, and ministering to the material and spiritual needs of the residents.

Prayer for residents who are waiting for their refugee case hearings.

+ PREGNANCY CARE CENTRE

Praise for PCC meeting and exceeding their First Response Relay fundraising goal of $100,000.

Praise for Grace Toronto’s participation in the First Response Relay and helping the PCC achieve their goal by raising over $3800.

Prayer for the moms and dads who are currently looking for suitable housing. Pray that they are able to find housing that fits their budget.

+ SAFE FAMILIES

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

Prayer that the staff and volunteers would 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.

Prayer that Safe Families Canada would become a place of refuge in Toronto for families who have nowhere else to turn in times of isolation and crisis.

Prayer 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.

Prayer for a smooth transition as another staff member temporarily fills the position of executive director for Safe Families Canada.

Prayer that the right people would decide to join the GTA Leadership Council and that they would be unified in their vision for the advancement of the Safe Families movement throughout Toronto.

+ TORONTO CITY MISSION

All of TCM's communities are located in COVID-19 hotspots. Although there are opportunities to get vaccinated, the lineups are long, and making appointments is an arduous task.

Prayer for discernment in building community and engaging with kids, youth, and parents.

Prayer for families learning to manage work, family, and virtual school.

Prayer that God calls the right people to join TCM staff and fill the 3 Outreach Worker positions that have opened up, as well as the Role Model Mom facilitator position.

+ FIGHT4FREEDOM

Prayer for the Toronto street outreach team as there have been some changes to the members. Pray for new members to join in this ministry.

Prayer for resource provisions as we take steps in exploring a men’s ministry that supports men who are impacted by sex trafficking.

Praise for the new staff who just joined our staff team. Pray for their transitioning to their new roles.

+ YONGE STREET MISSION

Pray for more donations so that we can continue to serve our clients.

Pray for volunteers to feel safe to come and volunteer, be the hands needed, be the contact needed for people living on the fringe.

VOLUNTEER OPENINGS

PREGNANCY CARE CENTRE

PCC is looking for female volunteers to assist staff when meeting with clients, connecting with clients through email or phone calls, and/or assisting with administrative tasks such as housing or job searches on clients' behalf.

+ Details

Location: Downtown (U of T Campus)

Once-a-Month Commitment: Tuesdays or Thursdays; afternoons (3-6pm) or evenings (6-9pm)

If you are interested, please contact Rosemarie Friesen: rosemarie@gracetoronto.ca

FIGHT4FREEDOM

Fight4Freedom is an organization that works in the GTA with women, children and men enslaved in the sex trade. In addition, they offer aftercare, advocacy, and referral support to individuals who are ready and able to transition into alternate work.

F4F is currently recruiting qualified individuals.

+ Details

Street Outreach

Commitment: minimum 1 year, weekly outreach

Outreach time: Fridays from 10:30pm-2:30am (usually it doesn't take up the whole 4 hours)

Through our street outreach ministry, we continue to journey with women in Toronto who are involved in sex work and often face challenges related to housing, substance use and mental health. During outreach time, we walk around the neighbourhood where it's known to have sex-work-related activities. We approach individuals with gifts and try to start up conversations. We listen as they share stories about their upbringing, relationships and long-distance parenting. From these stories, the common narrative that often emerges is one of intergenerational trauma perpetuated by cycles of criminalization and structural violence – many share about growing up in foster care, getting recruited into the sex industry, using street drugs to self-medicate, having 3-8 children apprehended due to addictions and then being incarcerated for drug possession. We continue to pray that our relationships with these ladies would allow us to speak truth and hope into the narratives that distort their sense of worth and identity. At a systemic level, both our ministry and survivor care departments are working with community partners to provide survivors and individuals who would like to exit with health support and to develop sustainable employment opportunities.

Club or Parlour Outreach

Commitment: minimum 1 year, monthly outreach and prayer gathering

Outreach time: one evening a month between Monday to Thursday for outreach; one evening a month for prayer and gift bag preparation; meet up time varies between 6-9pm; each outreach usually is within 3 hours time

Each club or parlour outreach team goes to the same strip club or parlours every month. The team approaches a club and asks entry permission from the club manager. Once allowed access, the team will go to the main area and approach individuals working there with gifts and try to start up conversations. For parlour outreach, the team approaches a parlour and tries to start up conversations with the individual who answers the door. We listen as they share stories. Same as street outreach, we continue to pray that our relationships with these ladies would allow us to speak truth and hope into the narratives that distort their sense of worth and identity. At a systemic level, both our ministry and survivor care departments are working with community partners to provide survivors and individuals who would like to exit with various support and to develop sustainable employment opportunities.

NOTE: Volunteers may encounter nudity during outreach. It is an asset to be bilingual in English and Chinese for parlour outreach.

If you are interested, please contact Rosemarie Friesen: rosemarie@gracetoronto.ca