Newtonbrook in the News
Local couple help hungry & homeless
Bayview Post www.postcity.com
February 2010
Michelle Ervine
It was a Wednesday afternoon and Gordon Robertson was helping run the Drop Inn program at his church, as he did every Wednesday.
As the centre was closing, an older couple showed up looking for help. Gordon suspected they hadn't eaten in days.
"They had absolutely nothing, and they wondered if they could just get a few groceries," he says.
It's a familiar story, Gordon says, especially recently, as the economy has dampened.
The former North York General Hospital doctor and his wife, Evelyn, coordinated the drop-in centre for the hungry and the homeless with fellow churchgoer, Irene Carriere, more than a decade ago. They recognized a need in the area and established the program through Newtonbrook United Church's outreach branch, in partnership with the Taiwanese United Church.
"People were coming to the door of the church asking for food and asking for help," says Evelyn.
The long-time area residents had spent a number of years volunteering for Out of the Cold, so they had a sense of how to go about setting up this assistance, Evelyn explains.
Even though the Drop Inn opened the same day former mayor Mel Lastman called in the troops to dig Toronto out from a massive snowfall, six people made it in. The program now brings in about 100 people a week, says Gordon, with a notable increase over the past year.
"They're really a forgotten group in our society and they need help," he says.
Gordon indicates that many of their guests have a serious mental health issue or are battling substance abuse. A smaller number of people have simply lost their job. Not all the people who attend the drop-in are homeless, but all require assistance.
Evelyn says she feels nobody should have to go hungry or face those circumstances alone.
"It's really important that we do something to help alleviate that and give people the opportunity to get support," she says.
The Drop Inn centre is held in the Newtonbrook United Church's auditorium every Wednesday, all year round. Opening at 8 a.m., the program includes a buffet breakfast and a noon hour lunch, served up by the volunteers.
The program receives funding through donations from church members and the general public.
Rev. Allan Baker says that Gordon and Evelyn's stewardship of the Drop Inn has been tremendously important to the program's success.
"They are the saints," he says.
The Robertsons are incredibly humble about their contributions though. Gordon remarks that all they do is coordinate the program, along with Carriere.
Evelyn adds that it would be impossible to run the drop-in centre without the tireless efforts of its many volunteers. Through word of mouth, she says, the kind of assistance they've been able to provide has expanded considerably.
In the last year, two doctors and a psychiatrist from North York General Hospital have come on board, providing much needed medical and psychiatric care.
Dr. Antoinette Wertman is a family physician who lends her time and services to the drop-in program. Simply put, Wertman says, "It's like a community centre."
In many ways, the drop-in is more than a place to get a meal. Not only can visitors shower and pick up clothes, they can relax and have a cup of coffee. Another of the program's partners, Toronto North Support Services, sends outreach workers who are available to go over how to access disability, pensions and welfare with guests. There's even a fellow who helps people who have lost their identification or had it stolen, Gordon says, as a social insurance number is needed to get a job.
Evelyn recalls the day a man who had been sleeping in a tent was able to come in and tell them that he would no longer be stopping by - he had found a job.
"We realized it's only a drop in the bucket," says Gordon. But their goal is to help however they can.
"When you go home, you might be tired and exhausted, but you do feel a lot better by then," says Evelyn. "The words we hear most frequently are "Thank you.""
February 2010
Michelle Ervine
It was a Wednesday afternoon and Gordon Robertson was helping run the Drop Inn program at his church, as he did every Wednesday.
As the centre was closing, an older couple showed up looking for help. Gordon suspected they hadn't eaten in days.
"They had absolutely nothing, and they wondered if they could just get a few groceries," he says.
It's a familiar story, Gordon says, especially recently, as the economy has dampened.
The former North York General Hospital doctor and his wife, Evelyn, coordinated the drop-in centre for the hungry and the homeless with fellow churchgoer, Irene Carriere, more than a decade ago. They recognized a need in the area and established the program through Newtonbrook United Church's outreach branch, in partnership with the Taiwanese United Church.
"People were coming to the door of the church asking for food and asking for help," says Evelyn.
The long-time area residents had spent a number of years volunteering for Out of the Cold, so they had a sense of how to go about setting up this assistance, Evelyn explains.
Even though the Drop Inn opened the same day former mayor Mel Lastman called in the troops to dig Toronto out from a massive snowfall, six people made it in. The program now brings in about 100 people a week, says Gordon, with a notable increase over the past year.
"They're really a forgotten group in our society and they need help," he says.
Gordon indicates that many of their guests have a serious mental health issue or are battling substance abuse. A smaller number of people have simply lost their job. Not all the people who attend the drop-in are homeless, but all require assistance.
Evelyn says she feels nobody should have to go hungry or face those circumstances alone.
"It's really important that we do something to help alleviate that and give people the opportunity to get support," she says.
The Drop Inn centre is held in the Newtonbrook United Church's auditorium every Wednesday, all year round. Opening at 8 a.m., the program includes a buffet breakfast and a noon hour lunch, served up by the volunteers.
The program receives funding through donations from church members and the general public.
Rev. Allan Baker says that Gordon and Evelyn's stewardship of the Drop Inn has been tremendously important to the program's success.
"They are the saints," he says.
The Robertsons are incredibly humble about their contributions though. Gordon remarks that all they do is coordinate the program, along with Carriere.
Evelyn adds that it would be impossible to run the drop-in centre without the tireless efforts of its many volunteers. Through word of mouth, she says, the kind of assistance they've been able to provide has expanded considerably.
In the last year, two doctors and a psychiatrist from North York General Hospital have come on board, providing much needed medical and psychiatric care.
Dr. Antoinette Wertman is a family physician who lends her time and services to the drop-in program. Simply put, Wertman says, "It's like a community centre."
In many ways, the drop-in is more than a place to get a meal. Not only can visitors shower and pick up clothes, they can relax and have a cup of coffee. Another of the program's partners, Toronto North Support Services, sends outreach workers who are available to go over how to access disability, pensions and welfare with guests. There's even a fellow who helps people who have lost their identification or had it stolen, Gordon says, as a social insurance number is needed to get a job.
Evelyn recalls the day a man who had been sleeping in a tent was able to come in and tell them that he would no longer be stopping by - he had found a job.
"We realized it's only a drop in the bucket," says Gordon. But their goal is to help however they can.
"When you go home, you might be tired and exhausted, but you do feel a lot better by then," says Evelyn. "The words we hear most frequently are "Thank you.""
Update from the Green Awakening Network
Green 13 Blog
February 18, 2009 6:58 PM
The Green Awakening Network
Toronto United Churches act to reduce climate change. United Church folk have a growing understanding that their church must actively participate in the broader community’s response to the challenge of climate change. This includes the process of "greening" our church spaces and contributing to the betterment of our communities to help make this world a better place for future generations.
A network of United Church people with a deep commitment to respect and care for our common environment have come together to establish the Green Awakening Network, in partnership with Greening Sacred Spaces and the Centre for Church Development Leadership.
The new network is excited to announce that it is the recipient of one of the first grants from the City of Toronto’s Live Green Toronto Program.
The Live Green Toronto Community Investment Program (CIP) is intended to help build capacity within the community to identify, develop and initiate collective actions that reduce greenhouse gas and smog-causing emissions, or help adapt to the changes that will occur as a result of climate change. The Green Awakening Network has an ambitious first-year plan.
The chief goals of the Green Awakening Network are to:
• develop a strong awareness of the imperative to act in response to the challenge to reduce greenhouse gases;
• develop a preparedness within our communities for the challenges that they face as a result of climate change;
• implement programs of action in partnership with community groups in the surrounding neighbourhoods.
With 107 congregations, representing 22,000 people within the City of Toronto, the United Church is physically present in almost every neighbourhood. The Green Awakening Network’s workplan offers plenty of opportunities for individuals and congregations to become involved in making a difference. Some of these are:
• helping to develop "green practices" for churches;
• hosting community expositions of home energy options;
• contributing to the development of community programs that deal with climate change at both the individual and household level.
To become involved in this initiative, or for more information, please contact the Green Awakening Network Development Team through Allan Baker of Newtonbrook United Church, (416) 222 – 5417, allanbaker@bellnet.ca.
February 18, 2009 6:58 PM
The Green Awakening Network
Toronto United Churches act to reduce climate change. United Church folk have a growing understanding that their church must actively participate in the broader community’s response to the challenge of climate change. This includes the process of "greening" our church spaces and contributing to the betterment of our communities to help make this world a better place for future generations.
A network of United Church people with a deep commitment to respect and care for our common environment have come together to establish the Green Awakening Network, in partnership with Greening Sacred Spaces and the Centre for Church Development Leadership.
The new network is excited to announce that it is the recipient of one of the first grants from the City of Toronto’s Live Green Toronto Program.
The Live Green Toronto Community Investment Program (CIP) is intended to help build capacity within the community to identify, develop and initiate collective actions that reduce greenhouse gas and smog-causing emissions, or help adapt to the changes that will occur as a result of climate change. The Green Awakening Network has an ambitious first-year plan.
The chief goals of the Green Awakening Network are to:
• develop a strong awareness of the imperative to act in response to the challenge to reduce greenhouse gases;
• develop a preparedness within our communities for the challenges that they face as a result of climate change;
• implement programs of action in partnership with community groups in the surrounding neighbourhoods.
With 107 congregations, representing 22,000 people within the City of Toronto, the United Church is physically present in almost every neighbourhood. The Green Awakening Network’s workplan offers plenty of opportunities for individuals and congregations to become involved in making a difference. Some of these are:
• helping to develop "green practices" for churches;
• hosting community expositions of home energy options;
• contributing to the development of community programs that deal with climate change at both the individual and household level.
To become involved in this initiative, or for more information, please contact the Green Awakening Network Development Team through Allan Baker of Newtonbrook United Church, (416) 222 – 5417, allanbaker@bellnet.ca.
Serving up more than meat loaf
The Toronto Star
Jan 14, 2009 04:30 AM
JOE FIORITO
On a recent Wednesday morning, after a long, cold night of snow, four men slept on stage in the basement hall of Newtonbrook United Church.
The men were a pageant of fatigue. Night had left them impervious to the laughter and the loud talk of others; they could not hear that man improvising over there on a piano, nor did they seem aware of the banging of pots in the kitchen.
Newtonbrook is where the tired and the hungry, the poorly housed, as well as the sleep-starved homeless, come to eat on Wednesdays in North York.
Evelyn Robertson, one of the organizers, said, "As far as I know, we're the only drop-in around here. At least, we've been told that."
Gordon, her husband, is sure of this: "We have the only free shower. We had it put in seven or eight years ago. It's very popular."
He and she are retired health-care professionals. Gordon said, "We used to volunteer downtown. We realized there was a need here."
"Here" is near Yonge and Finch.
Evelyn said, "We thought it would be temporary. The need is growing."
The services on offer at Newtonbrook have also grown, and are both modern and pointedly useful: on hand are housing workers, social workers, nurses, legal aid helpers and an ID clinic for those who've lost their wallets or had them stolen. Also available are clothes and groceries, although the place is not a food bank.
Meals are the main thing.
Gordon said, "We serve 40 or 50 breakfasts and 110 or so lunches on Wednesdays."
Evelyn said, "We make a point of serving the people who come. It's important for us to serve." She also said, "We have a dessert cart." Gordon said, "Ice cream is very popular. We serve a good ice cream."
I left them to greet their guests and headed for the kitchen, following the scent of the meat loaf, serenaded by a fellow who had seized a couple of spoons from a cart and was hammering out a tune on his lively knee.
A good meat loaf is a thing of beauty and a joy forever if you, like me, define forever to mean for as long as the leftovers can be sliced for sandwiches.
Edna Miller, in the kitchen, had just pulled two big burnished loaves from the oven. She said, "I've used 35 pounds of beef for this. I cook enough for 100 people. I get the beef at Metro. I watch for the specials. I use onions, bread crumbs, two dozen eggs, a couple of quarts of milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, a bit of ketchup and parsley."
The milk and the bread crumbs are a classic addition, acting with the eggs as a binder, an extender and a canvas for beefy flavour; the milk adds nuttiness; the nutmeg is the mark of a chef who cares for the people she feeds.
Anne Walker said, "We do 35 pounds of potatoes. We mash them with milk and butter."
Edna said, "The soup today is beef and vegetable. Sometimes those are the only vegetables people will eat." I do so understand that sort of thinking about vegetables.
Edna also said, "If there are leftover meat juices from a roast, we add them to the soup." Yes!
Newtonbrook, when Methodist, was the former parsonage of the father of Lester B. Pearson, our last good – perhaps our best – prime minister. Mike would be pleased by the good work being done in the neighbourhood where he was born. He would not be pleased that we have made so little social progress.
Jan 14, 2009 04:30 AM
JOE FIORITO
On a recent Wednesday morning, after a long, cold night of snow, four men slept on stage in the basement hall of Newtonbrook United Church.
The men were a pageant of fatigue. Night had left them impervious to the laughter and the loud talk of others; they could not hear that man improvising over there on a piano, nor did they seem aware of the banging of pots in the kitchen.
Newtonbrook is where the tired and the hungry, the poorly housed, as well as the sleep-starved homeless, come to eat on Wednesdays in North York.
Evelyn Robertson, one of the organizers, said, "As far as I know, we're the only drop-in around here. At least, we've been told that."
Gordon, her husband, is sure of this: "We have the only free shower. We had it put in seven or eight years ago. It's very popular."
He and she are retired health-care professionals. Gordon said, "We used to volunteer downtown. We realized there was a need here."
"Here" is near Yonge and Finch.
Evelyn said, "We thought it would be temporary. The need is growing."
The services on offer at Newtonbrook have also grown, and are both modern and pointedly useful: on hand are housing workers, social workers, nurses, legal aid helpers and an ID clinic for those who've lost their wallets or had them stolen. Also available are clothes and groceries, although the place is not a food bank.
Meals are the main thing.
Gordon said, "We serve 40 or 50 breakfasts and 110 or so lunches on Wednesdays."
Evelyn said, "We make a point of serving the people who come. It's important for us to serve." She also said, "We have a dessert cart." Gordon said, "Ice cream is very popular. We serve a good ice cream."
I left them to greet their guests and headed for the kitchen, following the scent of the meat loaf, serenaded by a fellow who had seized a couple of spoons from a cart and was hammering out a tune on his lively knee.
A good meat loaf is a thing of beauty and a joy forever if you, like me, define forever to mean for as long as the leftovers can be sliced for sandwiches.
Edna Miller, in the kitchen, had just pulled two big burnished loaves from the oven. She said, "I've used 35 pounds of beef for this. I cook enough for 100 people. I get the beef at Metro. I watch for the specials. I use onions, bread crumbs, two dozen eggs, a couple of quarts of milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, a bit of ketchup and parsley."
The milk and the bread crumbs are a classic addition, acting with the eggs as a binder, an extender and a canvas for beefy flavour; the milk adds nuttiness; the nutmeg is the mark of a chef who cares for the people she feeds.
Anne Walker said, "We do 35 pounds of potatoes. We mash them with milk and butter."
Edna said, "The soup today is beef and vegetable. Sometimes those are the only vegetables people will eat." I do so understand that sort of thinking about vegetables.
Edna also said, "If there are leftover meat juices from a roast, we add them to the soup." Yes!
Newtonbrook, when Methodist, was the former parsonage of the father of Lester B. Pearson, our last good – perhaps our best – prime minister. Mike would be pleased by the good work being done in the neighbourhood where he was born. He would not be pleased that we have made so little social progress.
Canada's Faith Communities Urge Government of Canada to Stop Deportation Actions Against U.S. Iraq War Resister Corey Glass and Others
Deportation Actions Against U.S. Iraq War Resister Corey Glass and Others
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 07/07/08 --
Canada's faith communities are today appealing to the Prime Minister and Immigration Minister to stop all deportation actions against U.S. Iraq War conscientious objector Corey Glass as well as all those who have sought refuge in Canada. The federal government's July 10 deportation order against Glass is still in effect. With only three days remaining, Glass and all conscientious objectors are experiencing enormous stress, anxiety and turmoil. The letter, sponsored by Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers) and signed by representatives from many faith groups notes that: "The government's quick action is urgently required to alleviate the terrible tensions and pressures on those people for whom conscientious objection to war and killing was the only deeply ethical and moral choice they could make."
Similar articles can also be found in Canada.Online (CBC/Globe & Mail), MarketWire, Straightgoods, LexisNexis News, MSNBC, International Business Times, Denver Post, Financial Content, Street Insider, New Catholic Times, Reuters, BNET, and Houston Chronicle.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 07/07/08 --
Canada's faith communities are today appealing to the Prime Minister and Immigration Minister to stop all deportation actions against U.S. Iraq War conscientious objector Corey Glass as well as all those who have sought refuge in Canada. The federal government's July 10 deportation order against Glass is still in effect. With only three days remaining, Glass and all conscientious objectors are experiencing enormous stress, anxiety and turmoil. The letter, sponsored by Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers) and signed by representatives from many faith groups notes that: "The government's quick action is urgently required to alleviate the terrible tensions and pressures on those people for whom conscientious objection to war and killing was the only deeply ethical and moral choice they could make."
Similar articles can also be found in Canada.Online (CBC/Globe & Mail), MarketWire, Straightgoods, LexisNexis News, MSNBC, International Business Times, Denver Post, Financial Content, Street Insider, New Catholic Times, Reuters, BNET, and Houston Chronicle.
IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
North York Mirror
DECEMBER 4, 2007 04:07 PM
IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, supports Newtonbrook Drop Inn to feed the hungry, local news personalities read Christmas stories, featuring: Paul Bliss (CFTO), Steven D'Souza (CBC), Christine Barak (CBC) and Farah Dallah (CFRB), the Seneca Hill Public School choir, Toronto French Montessori School Choir, Newtonbrook UC Chancel Choir and The East York Concert Band provid seasonal music, Newtonbrook United Church, 53 Cummer Ave., 7 p.m. Tickets are $10, half price for children under 12. Available at the door or by calling 416-222-5417.
DECEMBER 4, 2007 04:07 PM
IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, supports Newtonbrook Drop Inn to feed the hungry, local news personalities read Christmas stories, featuring: Paul Bliss (CFTO), Steven D'Souza (CBC), Christine Barak (CBC) and Farah Dallah (CFRB), the Seneca Hill Public School choir, Toronto French Montessori School Choir, Newtonbrook UC Chancel Choir and The East York Concert Band provid seasonal music, Newtonbrook United Church, 53 Cummer Ave., 7 p.m. Tickets are $10, half price for children under 12. Available at the door or by calling 416-222-5417.
Churches turn over new leaf as they ‘go green’
MARITES N. SISON
STAFF WRITER
Jul 3, 2007
Behold the cabbage.
Where most would look at this leafy vegetable without much thought except perhaps how to serve it for dinner, Rob Kennedy sees in it a deep connection to the divine. “Just to hold a cabbage, with its colour and shape, that you’ve seen grow from a seedling that then you’re going to serve, that’s really special,” said Mr. Kennedy. “It’s connecting with God’s creation.” Mr. Kennedy is one of several parishioners at St. Thomas Anglican Church, Toronto, who helped construct the parish garden. During its first harvest last fall, the 45-square metre garden yielded 800 servings of fresh produce that served the church’s Out of the Heat meal program. “It’s such a consumer society these days that you think more holistically, in a way, when you get connected with the garden and with green initiatives,” said Mr. Kennedy.
“The guests of our program got very excited about the vegetables and it’s different for them because they get access to fresh produce that they don’t normally have access to. So it makes them think more about food and growing food. It’s environmental justice in a way,” said Suzanne Brooks, another parishioner. She adds that parishioners are using the garden as a springboard for projects to turn this church, nicknamed “Smoky Tom’s” for its liberal use of incense and known for its music and high church liturgy, into a green, sacred space. “We’re increasing our composting and looking into harvesting rainwater,” said Ms. Brooks. The formation of a “green team” is being considered and interest is high. The garden has about 30 volunteers; recently, an anonymous donor gave St. Thomas $45,000 to fund green initiatives.
As concerns about global warming and the fragile environment grow, more and more faith communities are acknowledging that they are part of the problem. “Combating climate change, for example, you have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You can’t just tell people to do it, you have to work with them, “said Rory O’Brien, of Faith & the Common Good (FCG), a national organization that encourages inter-faith action on social and environmental concerns.
“Greening is, of course, much more than energy conservation. It’s the entire range of changes. In particular, we wanted to develop an attitudinal change such that the decision-makers within the faith community would put the environmental considerations much higher up in their priorities,” said Mr. O’Brien, who co-ordinates Greening Sacred Spaces. The program provides information packages and offers grants that offset the cost of energy audits. (An energy audit can tell a church where energy is used and how it can conserve by changing behaviour or structural systems. Audits cost between $2,500 to $3,000 for small to medium-sized buildings and for larger ones, between $5,000 and $8,000.) savings,” of about 30 per cent, said its former warden, Ted Dunstan.
Green initiatives span all faiths – mosques, temples, synagogues and other houses of worships have signed up for the Greening Sacred Spaces. Among them, Newtonbrook United Church in Toronto’s North York area, which embarked on an energy conservation program by replacing an old, inefficient boiler, caulking or replacing windows, insulating its roof and replacing an old freezer and refrigerator with energy saving appliances. Rodger Thompson, chair of the church’s administration committee, estimates that the cost of the two new boilers would be recovered in seven or eight years from energy savings.
To read the complete article, please access the following link:
http://www.anglicanjournal.com/issues/2007/133/junejuly/06/article/churches-turn-over-new-leaf-as-they-go-green/
STAFF WRITER
Jul 3, 2007
Behold the cabbage.
Where most would look at this leafy vegetable without much thought except perhaps how to serve it for dinner, Rob Kennedy sees in it a deep connection to the divine. “Just to hold a cabbage, with its colour and shape, that you’ve seen grow from a seedling that then you’re going to serve, that’s really special,” said Mr. Kennedy. “It’s connecting with God’s creation.” Mr. Kennedy is one of several parishioners at St. Thomas Anglican Church, Toronto, who helped construct the parish garden. During its first harvest last fall, the 45-square metre garden yielded 800 servings of fresh produce that served the church’s Out of the Heat meal program. “It’s such a consumer society these days that you think more holistically, in a way, when you get connected with the garden and with green initiatives,” said Mr. Kennedy.
“The guests of our program got very excited about the vegetables and it’s different for them because they get access to fresh produce that they don’t normally have access to. So it makes them think more about food and growing food. It’s environmental justice in a way,” said Suzanne Brooks, another parishioner. She adds that parishioners are using the garden as a springboard for projects to turn this church, nicknamed “Smoky Tom’s” for its liberal use of incense and known for its music and high church liturgy, into a green, sacred space. “We’re increasing our composting and looking into harvesting rainwater,” said Ms. Brooks. The formation of a “green team” is being considered and interest is high. The garden has about 30 volunteers; recently, an anonymous donor gave St. Thomas $45,000 to fund green initiatives.
As concerns about global warming and the fragile environment grow, more and more faith communities are acknowledging that they are part of the problem. “Combating climate change, for example, you have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You can’t just tell people to do it, you have to work with them, “said Rory O’Brien, of Faith & the Common Good (FCG), a national organization that encourages inter-faith action on social and environmental concerns.
“Greening is, of course, much more than energy conservation. It’s the entire range of changes. In particular, we wanted to develop an attitudinal change such that the decision-makers within the faith community would put the environmental considerations much higher up in their priorities,” said Mr. O’Brien, who co-ordinates Greening Sacred Spaces. The program provides information packages and offers grants that offset the cost of energy audits. (An energy audit can tell a church where energy is used and how it can conserve by changing behaviour or structural systems. Audits cost between $2,500 to $3,000 for small to medium-sized buildings and for larger ones, between $5,000 and $8,000.) savings,” of about 30 per cent, said its former warden, Ted Dunstan.
Green initiatives span all faiths – mosques, temples, synagogues and other houses of worships have signed up for the Greening Sacred Spaces. Among them, Newtonbrook United Church in Toronto’s North York area, which embarked on an energy conservation program by replacing an old, inefficient boiler, caulking or replacing windows, insulating its roof and replacing an old freezer and refrigerator with energy saving appliances. Rodger Thompson, chair of the church’s administration committee, estimates that the cost of the two new boilers would be recovered in seven or eight years from energy savings.
To read the complete article, please access the following link:
http://www.anglicanjournal.com/issues/2007/133/junejuly/06/article/churches-turn-over-new-leaf-as-they-go-green/
Tools for Advocacy: Making a Difference in Our World
Anglican Outreach Networking Conference
Anglican Outreach Networking Conference
Keynote Cathy Crowe
October 2, 2004
Advocacy is promoting, fighting for and defending the welfare of others and it is based on caring and on the values of social justice and human rights. I know that’s why you are each here today.
Locate the work as close as you can to the people affected and involve them. This is why the 1996 inquest into the 3 freezing deaths occurred. Homeless people said to us – what are you doing about these deaths? So we formed a coalition and fought for an inquest. This is why Tent City occurred. People asked us for help and we gave it in the form of housing, food, toilets, generators, propane, wood stoves.
In most cases the media are essential to getting the message out and influencing public and political opinion. Witness Home Depot’s eviction of Tent City – it made international news and was in part responsible for a solution that created a pilot rent supplement program that housed over 100 people, and this will go down in Canadian housing history as a big political win.
Logistical support is always important because individual groups have limited resources. It was the Newtonbrook United church, among others, that brought disaster relief to Tent City on a cold winter day in the form of hot turkey dinners - while we delivered the disaster houses, the pre-fabs on a flatbed truck in the midst of a heavy police presence.
In closing, I’m grateful to be here speaking with you. I believe you have the potential and the power to make great inroads in this province, at this time, on the issues that you will be addressing in your workshops. I look forward to seeing the power of your prayers and your political influence in truly making a difference in our world.
To read the complete speech please access the following link:
http://www.tdrc.net/resources/public/Crowe_Speeches_04-10-02.htm
Signature Quilts
by Elizabeth McQuillan, Willowdale, ON
The Canadian Quilter - Summer 2004 Issue
Signature quilts are usually made to celebrate an occasion such as a birth, a marriage, an anniversary or a retirement. In the past, groups often made signature quilts to raise money.
I am the custodian at Newtonbrook United Church of two such signature quilts, as well as being a member of the church quilting group. We, the quilters of today, are most impressed with the planning and execution of these machine-pieced, hand-quilted masterpieces which the Church now owns - due to the generosity of the descendants of the familes who bought the quilts at auction.
The pattern of the 1913 red and white quilt is Red Cross, Roman Cross or Washington Sidewalks. It contains 310 hand-embroidered names. The embroidery on the middle sashing reads "The Ladies' Aid 1913 Newton Brook." This tells us when the women of Newton Brook Methodist Church made the quilt. It also reminds us that the name of the Church and the community were spelled as two separate words up until the 1930s. When it was made, church members, members of the community and their friends each paid 10 cents to have their names put on it. The quilt was purchased by James and Lucinda Dean, whose names appear on the same block as The T. Eaton Co. These quilts are interesting, not only for their design, colours and stitching.
In 1925, the Women's Association of Newton Brook United Church created a blue and white quilt with 485 names embroidered on it. The 1925 date tells us that this quilt was made to celebrate the formation of the United Church of Canada. The large centre block has a skillfully-stitched picture of the Church, taken from a sketch drawn by the well-known Group of Seven Member, Franklin Carmichael. The names of 5 members of his family are on the block above the picture of the Church. Mrs. Carmichael even worked on the quilt. Because of this drawing and the reason for its making, it is also treasured by the Church members who received it as a donation in 1980.
We know that not all church signature quilts have found a home with people who recognize names and the history behind them. Some may have ended up at yard sales or in antique shops because the people who had them failed to tell anyone the quilt's story.
It is reassuring that people are beginning to take an interest in such quilts. They really do deserve a good final home. They are part of our heritage.
Mayor Lastman – We need a 200 bed shelter. “No body” should be forced to sleep outside.
TDRC Media Releases
January 16, 2002
For Immediate Release
Mayor Lastman – We need a 200 bed shelter. “No body” should be forced to sleep outside.
Advisory Committee on Homeless and Socially Isolated Persons
Friday, January 16, 2003
City Hall, Committee Room #2
Discussion from 9:30-12pm
At the Homeless Advisory Committee on Friday January 16, petitions that call on the Mayor to open a 200 bed shelter will be gathered and delivered. Mayor Lastman will be asked to contribute a positive legacy before he begins preparation to leave City Hall by opening a desperately needed emergency shelter. The recent reliance on Cold Weather alerts to add beds and mats to an already crowded shelter system still does not provide an adequate addition of emergency shelter beds. Below are only some of the organizations supporting the call for the immediate opening of a 200 bed shelter.
Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario
All Saints Church
Anishnawbe Street Patrol
Canadian Pensioners Concerned
Caring Alliance
Central Unitarian Church
Central Neighbourhood House
Church of the Holy Trinity
Catholic New Times
Homelessness Action Group
Housing Action Now
John Howard Society of Toronto
Kensington Bellwoods Community Legal Services
LAMP Community Health Centre
Newtonbrook United Church
Ontario Coalition of Seniors Citizens Organizations
Ontario Coalition for Social Justice
Parkdale Activity and Recreation Centre
Parkdale Community Legal Services
Open Door Centre
Out of the Cold – Trinity St. Paul’s
Parkdale Community Health Centre
Regent Park Community Health Centre
St. Claire's Multifaith Housing Society
St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association
Street Health Community Nursing Foundation
Tuberculosis Action Group
Street Youth Legal Services
The Bargains Group Ltd
Toronto Buddhist Peace Fellowship
For more information, contact TDRC at tdrc@tdrc.net
January 16, 2002
For Immediate Release
Mayor Lastman – We need a 200 bed shelter. “No body” should be forced to sleep outside.
Advisory Committee on Homeless and Socially Isolated Persons
Friday, January 16, 2003
City Hall, Committee Room #2
Discussion from 9:30-12pm
At the Homeless Advisory Committee on Friday January 16, petitions that call on the Mayor to open a 200 bed shelter will be gathered and delivered. Mayor Lastman will be asked to contribute a positive legacy before he begins preparation to leave City Hall by opening a desperately needed emergency shelter. The recent reliance on Cold Weather alerts to add beds and mats to an already crowded shelter system still does not provide an adequate addition of emergency shelter beds. Below are only some of the organizations supporting the call for the immediate opening of a 200 bed shelter.
Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario
All Saints Church
Anishnawbe Street Patrol
Canadian Pensioners Concerned
Caring Alliance
Central Unitarian Church
Central Neighbourhood House
Church of the Holy Trinity
Catholic New Times
Homelessness Action Group
Housing Action Now
John Howard Society of Toronto
Kensington Bellwoods Community Legal Services
LAMP Community Health Centre
Newtonbrook United Church
Ontario Coalition of Seniors Citizens Organizations
Ontario Coalition for Social Justice
Parkdale Activity and Recreation Centre
Parkdale Community Legal Services
Open Door Centre
Out of the Cold – Trinity St. Paul’s
Parkdale Community Health Centre
Regent Park Community Health Centre
St. Claire's Multifaith Housing Society
St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association
Street Health Community Nursing Foundation
Tuberculosis Action Group
Street Youth Legal Services
The Bargains Group Ltd
Toronto Buddhist Peace Fellowship
For more information, contact TDRC at tdrc@tdrc.net
Canada Cuts Back Funds for Faith-Based Charities
By ANTHONY DEPALMA
Published: July 24, 2001
With its huge timber beams and fieldstone spire, the Newtonbrook United Church has long represented a sturdy commitment to community. Lately, it has also become a sign of how the delicate curtain that separates church from state in Canada has been shifting.
Outside the church, beside the macadam parking lot, stands a historical marker. It designates the site where, in 1897, when this area was the woodsy outskirts of Toronto, a future prime minister, Lester B. Pearson, was born. His father, Edwin A. Pearson, was minister of Newtonbrook, a congregation with a social conscience in a country where the government has routinely provided grants to religious organizations that serve the disadvantaged.
The resolve of this Protestant church to help the needy has been tested. Trying to control spending, the federal and provincial governments have reduced support for an array of social services, including subsidized housing.
The consequences of the cuts have been enormous. Housing provides a powerful example of how the relationship between church and state is changing. As housing funds have dried up, the waiting list for housing classified as affordable in Toronto has grown to 60,000 families.
Although the government still provides some loans and grants, religious organizations unaccustomed to raising money for those purposes have had to respond to the growing needs virtually on their own, without the means or fund-raising know-how to proceed.
As the need exploded, the Newtonbrook congregation decided to build 60 apartments for low-income working families on its parking lot, with or without government aid.
To read the rest of this article, please access the following link:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00EEDE1E3AF937A15754C0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1
The same or similar articles were also posted in World Wide Religious News, Alberta Equity, Goliath (Business Knowledge on Demand), Government of Ontario News, Realty Times, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the House of Commons Debate, 39th Parliament, First Session, Hon. Jim Peterson.
Published: July 24, 2001
With its huge timber beams and fieldstone spire, the Newtonbrook United Church has long represented a sturdy commitment to community. Lately, it has also become a sign of how the delicate curtain that separates church from state in Canada has been shifting.
Outside the church, beside the macadam parking lot, stands a historical marker. It designates the site where, in 1897, when this area was the woodsy outskirts of Toronto, a future prime minister, Lester B. Pearson, was born. His father, Edwin A. Pearson, was minister of Newtonbrook, a congregation with a social conscience in a country where the government has routinely provided grants to religious organizations that serve the disadvantaged.
The resolve of this Protestant church to help the needy has been tested. Trying to control spending, the federal and provincial governments have reduced support for an array of social services, including subsidized housing.
The consequences of the cuts have been enormous. Housing provides a powerful example of how the relationship between church and state is changing. As housing funds have dried up, the waiting list for housing classified as affordable in Toronto has grown to 60,000 families.
Although the government still provides some loans and grants, religious organizations unaccustomed to raising money for those purposes have had to respond to the growing needs virtually on their own, without the means or fund-raising know-how to proceed.
As the need exploded, the Newtonbrook congregation decided to build 60 apartments for low-income working families on its parking lot, with or without government aid.
To read the rest of this article, please access the following link:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00EEDE1E3AF937A15754C0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1
The same or similar articles were also posted in World Wide Religious News, Alberta Equity, Goliath (Business Knowledge on Demand), Government of Ontario News, Realty Times, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the House of Commons Debate, 39th Parliament, First Session, Hon. Jim Peterson.
Deny Them Their Victory:
A Religious Response to Terrorism
A Religious Response to Terrorism
September 20, 2001
We, American religious leaders, share the broken hearts of our fellow citizens. The worst terrorist attack in history that assaulted New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, has been felt in every American community. Each life lost was of unique and sacred value in the eyes of God, and the connections Americans feel to those lives run very deep. In the face of such a cruel catastrophe, it is a time to look to God and to each other for the strength we need and the response we will make. We must dig deep to the roots of our faith for sustenance, solace, and wisdom.
First, we must find a word of consolation for the untold pain and suffering of our people. Our congregations will offer their practical and pastoral resources to bind up the wounds of the nation. We can become safe places to weep and secure places to begin rebuilding our shattered lives and communities. Our houses of worship should become public arenas for common prayer, community discussion, eventual healing, and forgiveness.
Second, we offer a word of sober restraint as our nation discerns what its response will be. We share the deep anger toward those who so callously and massively destroy innocent lives, no matter what the grievances or injustices invoked. In the name of God, we too demand that those responsible for these utterly evil acts be found and brought to justice. Those culpable must not escape accountability. But we must not, out of anger and vengeance, indiscriminately retaliate in ways that bring on even more loss of innocent life. We pray that President Bush and members of Congress will seek the wisdom of God as they decide upon the appropriate response.
Third, we face deep and profound questions of what this attack on America will do to us as a nation. The terrorists have offered us a stark view of the world they would create, where the remedy to every human grievance and injustice is a resort to the random and cowardly violence of revenge – even against the most innocent. Having taken thousands of our lives, attacked our national symbols, forced our political leaders to flee their chambers of governance, disrupted our work and families, and struck fear into the hearts of our children, the terrorists must feel victorious.
But we can deny them their victory by refusing to submit to a world created in their image. Terrorism inflicts not only death and destruction but also emotional oppression to further its aims. We must not allow this terror to drive us away from being the people God has called us to be. We assert the vision of community, tolerance, compassion, justice, and the sacredness of human life, which lies at the heart of all our religious traditions. America must be a safe place for all our citizens in all their diversity. It is especially important that our citizens who share national origins, ethnicity, or religion with whoever attacked us are, themselves, protected among us.
Our American illusion of invulnerability has been shattered. From now on, we will look at the world in a different way, and this attack on our life as a nation will become a test of our national character. Let us make the right choices in this crisis - to pray, act, and unite against the bitter fruits of division, hatred, and violence. Let us rededicate ourselves to global peace, human dignity, and the eradication of injustice that breeds rage and vengeance.
As we gather in our houses of worship, let us begin a process of seeking the healing and grace of God.
Endorsed by Newtonbrook United Church member Janice Coles and 3934 others.
We, American religious leaders, share the broken hearts of our fellow citizens. The worst terrorist attack in history that assaulted New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, has been felt in every American community. Each life lost was of unique and sacred value in the eyes of God, and the connections Americans feel to those lives run very deep. In the face of such a cruel catastrophe, it is a time to look to God and to each other for the strength we need and the response we will make. We must dig deep to the roots of our faith for sustenance, solace, and wisdom.
First, we must find a word of consolation for the untold pain and suffering of our people. Our congregations will offer their practical and pastoral resources to bind up the wounds of the nation. We can become safe places to weep and secure places to begin rebuilding our shattered lives and communities. Our houses of worship should become public arenas for common prayer, community discussion, eventual healing, and forgiveness.
Second, we offer a word of sober restraint as our nation discerns what its response will be. We share the deep anger toward those who so callously and massively destroy innocent lives, no matter what the grievances or injustices invoked. In the name of God, we too demand that those responsible for these utterly evil acts be found and brought to justice. Those culpable must not escape accountability. But we must not, out of anger and vengeance, indiscriminately retaliate in ways that bring on even more loss of innocent life. We pray that President Bush and members of Congress will seek the wisdom of God as they decide upon the appropriate response.
Third, we face deep and profound questions of what this attack on America will do to us as a nation. The terrorists have offered us a stark view of the world they would create, where the remedy to every human grievance and injustice is a resort to the random and cowardly violence of revenge – even against the most innocent. Having taken thousands of our lives, attacked our national symbols, forced our political leaders to flee their chambers of governance, disrupted our work and families, and struck fear into the hearts of our children, the terrorists must feel victorious.
But we can deny them their victory by refusing to submit to a world created in their image. Terrorism inflicts not only death and destruction but also emotional oppression to further its aims. We must not allow this terror to drive us away from being the people God has called us to be. We assert the vision of community, tolerance, compassion, justice, and the sacredness of human life, which lies at the heart of all our religious traditions. America must be a safe place for all our citizens in all their diversity. It is especially important that our citizens who share national origins, ethnicity, or religion with whoever attacked us are, themselves, protected among us.
Our American illusion of invulnerability has been shattered. From now on, we will look at the world in a different way, and this attack on our life as a nation will become a test of our national character. Let us make the right choices in this crisis - to pray, act, and unite against the bitter fruits of division, hatred, and violence. Let us rededicate ourselves to global peace, human dignity, and the eradication of injustice that breeds rage and vengeance.
As we gather in our houses of worship, let us begin a process of seeking the healing and grace of God.
Endorsed by Newtonbrook United Church member Janice Coles and 3934 others.