“They see that people are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts.”
Linda Sprunt
Special to Spur Ottawa
Church groups across the city are planning for the Big Give 2016, but one church, Community Bible Church in Stittsville, is still working on their outreach from last year. Their event supported kids in need from a local school, but after reaching out, the work did not feel quite finished.
“Frederick Banting Secondary Alternative Program is a school in our community that did not have a parent-school council or access to the same type of support mainstream schools have,” says Alexia Jimenez, Group Life Coordinator at Community Bible Church. “We met with the VP, who told us one of the biggest issues for some of the students is hunger.”
Frederick Banting provides an alternate way of getting secondary school credits. Students come needing academic upgrading, flexible scheduling, or needing a change from the traditional high-school model. More than 60 students graduate annually and many go on to apprenticeships, college, or university. However, many of the students live in difficult home situations and come to school without having eaten a proper meal.
“So we decided to put on a barbeque and a clothing drive,” Jimenez continues. “It was a fun experience. We met students who were very thankful.”
While engaging with the 200 students, members of Community Bible Church saw an unmet need and decided their work was not done.
“After the initial BBQ and clothing drive there was interest from the church for an ongoing connection with the school. We brought together a hospitality team of 16—and it’s still growing,” Jimenez states. “We go in once a month (usually about six volunteers) to serve a hot meal. At Christmas the whole church put together 90 stockings for the students and our team helped serve the meal.”
Spur Ottawa asked three school staff members, Anne Murphy, Valerie Van Dalen, and Jo-Anne Schroeder, about the program’s impact on students. They all stated that the students look forward to the lunches, with Schroeder adding that the students “see that people are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. And it’s always nice to be the recipient of a good, hearty meal.”
The next hot meal is planned for mid-April. The staff members added that students also really look forward to receiving the Christmas stockings, which are stuffed with handmade items, like toques and scarves, as well candies and toiletry items.
“Our involvement with this school allows us to show God’s love to these students in a tangible way,” Jimenez says. “We are building great connections with the school community and have been able to help with specific needs for some students. It is truly a blessing to be a part of this team that is loving our neighbours.”
There are many avenues for Christians to give of themselves to a needy world. Often people look for opportunities in “overseas” missions, but, as Community Bible Church demonstrates, sometimes opportunities are (literally) just across the fence.
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