In our Community
The Church Of The Epiphany - Outreach
Outreach - Helping The Community
Outreach is responsible for many many programs.
Spiritual
Bells Ringing
Meals for the Needy
Hospital & in-home visitation & Communion
Operation Sharing - sponsors
Prayer Chain
Relay for Life (Team)
Support for foster children
Soup Kitchen
Space for Karate,
Meals on Wheels
Exercise Group
Drivers
Provide Space for AA and other community groups
Pastoral Counselling
Christmas Radio HOPE FM
If you require help or would like to volunteer please call our office 519-537-3921
Missions and Outreach
Jesus left us two commandments. The second one, to care for each other, is the focus of the Missions and Outreach group. We are a small (5 members) group who sought carefully for an international project we could support. With our pastor’s advice we researched a variety of organizations so we could be confident we’re working with one with integrity. We had to be able to trust that they deal responsibly with the people they were trying to help and that the funds donated will benefit the people they were intended to help. To that end we researched the Charitable Organizations reports to see what portion of the donated money actually got to the people it was meant to reach. Stephen helped us to set up meetings with representatives from several organizations, each of whom introduced a variety of projects. We discovered that sponsoring individuals can victimize the person who receives the help. If one person is singled out to be given gifts, they may be targeted and have the new clothing or books taken from them. Projects that benefit a whole community and are equally shared, like a well or a school, provide opportunities for everyone without fostering resentment. One of our group pointed out that the one thing we could provide that can’t be taken away from a child is an education. The outcome of our research was that the entire group agreed on the criteria we would use to select a project. It had to provide exposure to the teachings of Jesus and an education program open to children of both sexes. We chose the International Needs organization and from the projects they are currently supporting we picked one that we felt supported some of the poorest people in the world. With a population of half a million people, the Kiberia Slum in Nairobi, Kenya is considered to be the worst slum in all of Africa.
Our last fundraiser in February was with Pampered Chef consultant Lin Carr, who prepared some great treats and introduced some new products. Thanks to the support of the ladies of the ACW, we were able to raise $200 for our Kiberia project, which will provide supplies for a mud hut school!
For more information, go to:
http://www.internationalneeds.ca/Programs/Kenya/Kibera_Slum_Recovery.aspx
Kibera Slum Recovery Project
Reaching out to children in need
Project Summary:
With a population of nearly half a million people, the Kibera Slum in Nairobi, Kenya is considered the poorest slum in all of Africa. Kibera is at the very bottom of society. It is the place people come to when they have absolutely no choice. Layers and layers of garbage, dirt and human waste line the narrow pathways in between run down huts. Like a garbage dump, you can see the layers of rags, paper and plastic in the dirt.
International Needs is responding to the needs of the Kibera Slum through the Kibera Slum Recovery Project.
They partner with local church leaders to provide social services like education, church leadership training, home care and feeding programs, helping families envision a life beyond the devastating effects of poverty and disease. While their core work has been child sponsorship, they need to raise additional funds to build capacity for health care, income-generation projects, church planting and access to clean water.
Project Details:
More than 100,000 children live in the Kibera Slum – most have lost one or both parents to the HIV virus or ebola. These children are denied access to their most basic human rights – education, health care, food and clean water.
Our support improves the quality of life of families in Kibera by providing churches with the knowledge and tools they need to extend their support to families living in the Kibera Slum. There are a number of social programs that help alleviate the abject poverty of families living in the Kibera Slum.
Each program is uniquely invested in the core challenges of the community. Education equips future generations to lead their communities in healthy ways. Home Care provides hope to single mothers and the victims of HIV/AIDS. Church Planting brings the word of God to a group of people who have never known love, peace or comfort in their lives.
Education
Schools in the Kibera Slum are empty. There are no tables, no books and no pencils. Children sit on a mud floor, learning by rote. Our gift supplies a school with simple furniture, teaching materials and school supplies, helping children in Kibera access the tools they need to live their lives the way God intended. It invests in their future and that of their families.
