Outreach

Christmas Outreach Program

With parishioners assistance, we provide gifts and food hampers for families in need through the “Feed NS Program”. This year we will strive to support between 15 and 20 families in our community. We start the food drive for non-perishable items to be included in the food hampers usually around the second week of September. Each week the bulletin will list a specific item to be brought in the following Sunday. Donations can be placed in the Narthex by the Lifeboat. All food donations collected during the food drive will go into the Christmas food hampers and all extra items will go to FEED Nova Scotia.

If you would like more information on ways you can help with Christmas Outreach please contact Anna Henderson at 902-435-1530. Following is a list of food items for the 2017 food hampers.

Food Drive

Cole Harbour Cares

After much prayer, hard work and preparation I am pleased to announce that we have an arrival date for the Kilani family. Mohamad and his wife Taghreed and their 3 children Fares, Tala and Taim are set to arrive in Halifax on July 21 at 3:10pm. Our family will be moving into the Lakefront apartments which is off Portland St. Mohamad wanted me to express his sincere appreciation for all of the prayers and support which have been extended to his family.
In terms of next steps, the Cole Harbour Cares group is always looking for volunteers for issues or situations that may come up as helping our family arrive in Canada was just step one of the process, helping them adjust to Canada, becoming friends and living with them is the next step.
We do have a helpers list and many of you from the congregation are on it but if anyone wants to be added onto the list, or if you have any questions, come and see me or send an email to chrisjames6@hotmail.com. On behalf of Cole Harbour Cares I wish to extend my sincere appreciation and ask for continued prayers for the Kilani family.

Feed the Students

In December 2014 we received an exciting email from Sonya Benjamin, Hillside Wesleyan Church, co-ordinator of their outreach program, Feed the Students.
Since losing the kitchen resources at Cole Harbour Place several years ago, the Kraft dinner lunches that feed students of Cole Harbour High School had to be discontinued.
The folks from Hillside worked hard to find an alternate solution and were blessed to have received a single donation from a community member that allowed them to renovate the kitchen at their Parkway Campus and purchase everything required to get the program up and running again.
Thankfully in January 2015, Sonya emailed that the lunches would resume from the Hillside Parkway Campus in February. The team there had a run through late February, all went smoothly and the lunches would resume!
With Rev. Katherine’s blessing we volunteered to host this now twice a month program, in both May and October.
The lunch hour changed for the high school students this year and there is now just one lunch period, at 10:30, for all the students. In the past we served at 2 separate lunch periods.
There is an influx of some 170 – 200 hungry teens that need to be feed within a very short span of time.
It makes for an intense 40 minutes but the students are happily received, fed and on their way with full bellies and sometimes full pockets full of extra cookies they can take along with them.
The Church of St. Andrew provides the original Kraft Dinner for the event each time we host which means approximately 150-200 boxes of KD must be collected through the donations of our parishioners twice a year. The Hillside team have a reserve of KD on hand which is used if there is any shortfall.
The volunteers from St. Andrews are always on board, upbeat, dedicated and delighted to participate in this outreach program. The Cole Harbour RCMP continues to have a presence on sight, serving and socializing with the students in a relaxed, happy and safe environment.
We believe that by welcoming these kids, filling them up, showing they are important to our community, interacting with them, extending a hand and a friendly smile, is an important role and helps contribute to their sense of well-being.

Feeding Others of Dartmouth (F.O.O.D.)

Our parish family continues to be involved in providing meal provisions and desserts for the needy of Dartmouth at Margaret’s House, 43 Wentworth St. the last Friday of each month. This charity kitchen serves between 75-80 clients daily. Our supplies to Margaret’s House now include ground beef which their cook includes in preparation of a main meal. Other items we contribute are margarine, apple juice, napkins, cool whip, tin foil and plastic wrap. We also provide 8 homemade desserts which are baked by volunteers from our parish. Volunteers take part in various ways by cooking/baking, donating, coordinating, shopping as well as delivering and serving. If this outreach appeals to you please contact Anna Henderson at 902-435-1530 or Joan Meade at 902-434-3220.

Food Bank Donations

The first Sunday of every month is “Lifeboat Sunday”. This is when all the non-perishable food items that have been donated to the Food Bank are brought to the altar in the Lifeboat and blessed as part of our offering. These food items are then taken to the Church of the Holy Spirit Food Bank and distributed to those among us who are in need.

Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund

PWRDF is the Canadian Anglican response for emergency relief, refugees, development and justice. And it’s making a difference in the world. We, at the Church of Saint Andrew fully support PWRDF.
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund is the Anglican Church of Canada’s agency for sustainable development, relief, refugees, and global justice. With the support of Anglican parishes across Canada, PWRDF makes financial and human resources available to support partners’ initiatives and to promote knowledgeable actions of solidarity at home and around the world.

PWRDF strives to be a part of the outreach ministry of every Canadian Anglican parish and an expression for all Anglicans of their baptismal covenant to strive for justice and peace and to respect the dignity of every human being.
For more information on PWRDF please visit their website at pwrdf.org