Drop In
Ministry Report
Having just
passed the six-month mark in this ministry, it’s interesting and encouraging to
look back over that short time to see how God has been working in and through
people.
The core team
providing structure and leadership to the ministry continues to be P.N. (Anglican), E.C. (Evangelical Missionary), A. L. (Community Church), and myself (Baptist). We work well together and have
complementary gift-sets that create a good environment that comprises a mix of
hospitality, provision, and assistance.
Part of our
hospitality includes laying a table of breakfast foods including fresh
fruit (bananas and oranges), often not available through food banks. Several
guests have appreciated a hot breakfast of instant oatmeal. Now that the garden
is up and running, we’ve been able to hand people lettuce, tomatoes, and
zucchinis. The largest part of our hospitality, however, comprises
conversation. One man who lives in his car said recently that “having this
gives me something to look forward to. A break from just thinking about my
problems.” A young person living with disability has said that they're glad to
have the Tuesday coffee time, because otherwise they would have no reason to get
out of bed those days.
The provision
facet centres on basic needs (water, wifi, charging for devices, minor repairs).
For one of our friends living in a car (there are three who come to the Drop In
regularly. People living in their cars make up the majority of unsheltered
people in town right now), we were able to give him (on the basis of ‘pay
it back or pay it forward’) the small amount of cash needed to pay for one more
night in a Provincial Park where he feels safe and has the relative luxury of stretching
out to sleep in a tent. We also loaned $20 to another person to keep their
phone working until the end of the month. That money was repaid. We’ve provided
a man with a sleeping bag and a second-hand guitar so he can busk, and acted as
go-between for someone with an extra bike and someone who needed one.
Assistance has been given to someone needing
help with government resources, a temporary mailing address, and with
navigating the system to get a new birth certificate and photo ID. Recently,
the Drop In has been a meeting place for an informal ‘support group’ for unsheltered
people who might not otherwise have met each other, and has been a safe space
for Sleeping Cabins representatives to sit down with those who might
be interested. In that context, we’ve also provided a place where networking
can happen; for example, today Drop In and SC team members worked together to arrange
access to a safe parking space on private property for one of our regulars.
The shape
of ministry at the Drop In continues to evolve, as is inevitable for this kind
of work. More than anything, what we are providing is a safe,
consistent, and welcoming space in which people can meet, be refreshed, and find
provision, friendship, and help. The multi-church nature of the community that
has been growing over the last six months is a very encouraging, and
potentially powerful, asset as we seek to care for the poor, who Jesus said
“are always with you.”
We are on
track for being on budget, especially with the extra designated donation made
this spring.
People
occasionally ask me how long we’ll keep doing this. My reply is always, “For
the foreseeable future.” It is definitely worth continuing year-round, as it
serves not just as a ‘warming room’ but in a spectrum of ways.
Thank you
for your support.
Percipia
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