Reaching Out with Outreach

The Outreach Committee would like to give baskets of Christmas gifts to women we have helped move out of Elizabeth House.

The Walking Group has already offered to put together 2 or 3 baskets. Other groups or families who would like to help out should contact Joan Robinson (jr3@ualberta.ca; 780-988-9325) or Judi Cook (everyone knows Judi!). 

 We would provide you with a list of suggested gifts to include in the basket, and would need you to bring the basket to the church by December 12. 

For those who would rather not commit to a whole basket, we would happily accept donations of new items that would be appropriate for any adult female.

Outreach and Community

Think about how much community has been a part of our inner city outreach projects. We’ve told you many times how, from the very onset of our venture with Elizabeth House, the congregation of RUC has responded so abundantly and joyfully when we asked for help – but did you know that it was a Muslim gentleman who provided, and had delivered, a beautiful Lazyboy sofa bed for the very first apartment we set up? There wasn’t room for both bed and sofa, so it was ideally suited to the space. Community, of course, involves communication, and as people in the community outside the church hear about the project, they too are moved to reach out to these women in need. From them, we have had donations of towels, new sets of dishes, and furnishings. Most recently, we have been given 2 “nearly new” leather sofas, a patio table and chairs, and a 52” TV – all of which will help to make Elizabeth House itself a bit cheerier and more comfortable for its residents.

On July 30^th, we will be moving another woman from Elizabeth House to an independent living situation – the 7^th move since the project began this spring. Many of the essentials have been provided by our own congregation but others in the community have donated two major items, a dinette set and a futon. Making the connection between people who need help and those who can provide it has proven to be a great experience – and an example of what can be achieved when we act in community.

A Fence for E House!

It’s great to know that Riverbend United has a faithful contingent of volunteers who happily respond to a call for help, particularly when it involves our inner city projects. As the date for building the chain link fence at Elizabeth House approached, the Outreach committee was getting a little nervous - our committee consists of 4 women, and two men, one of whom is a Grandpa. We realized how much we ‘d need extra manpower to dig postholes and mix cement, so once again we used the e-mail route to contact the congregation and explain our situation. The results were better than calling a repairman; in no time we had willing helpers with lots of muscle power, and the fence building went so smoothly that we finished in half the time we estimated we’d need. On top of that, we had fun working together, chatting over lunch at E House, and getting to know each other a little better!

Although a fence may seem an odd project for Outreach, it meant a great deal to the staff and residents of Elizabeth House. Establishing a boundary to discourage unwanted visitors is important in their neighborhood and has been on their wish list for some time.

Thanks again to the group of volunteers who made it happen: Maurizio Brotto, Judi Cook, Erin and David James, Mike James, Eric Kearney, Rick and Lori Krupa, Carrie and Rob Markowski, Stan Shewchuk, Bruce and Carol Smith, Jennifer Spady, Henry Tetteh-Wayoe, and Travis Wing.

Helping inner city women to get started with their own homes.

Thanks to Ray Hawrelak, our E4C project in connection with Elizabeth House received a tremendous boost with a really awesome donation from Winalta Inc. – the entire contents from one of their Carleton showhomes!

This donation, combined with the continuing support of the congregation, enabled us to move two more women from the Elizabeth House shelter to independent living situations. Being able to make their apartments attractive and welcoming, as well as functional, was a great joy for the committee – and a wonderful start for these women as they begin a new chapter in their lives.

Funding for the transition from Elizabeth House is extremely limited, so the first month when rent, damage deposit, and groceries are the first priorities. We believe it is a great privilege to be able to make the transition a little easier and we are very grateful for the continuing support that makes this work possible.

As you can see from the following photo, it was a busy day – but what a happy one!

Thanks