Grateful - Fall 2020 Newsletter | Streets Alive Mission

Fall 2020 Newsletter

Our Heart

There is a saying that at the heart of any organization is a volunteer. That is so true. We know that we would not be able to do even a small portion of what we do without your dedication, time, and energy.

Each and every day, volunteers assist Streets Alive Mission.

There are:

those who work at the Community Donation Centre sorting and boxing donations,
groups who make sandwiches or putting together mailings,
some who provide governance for the organization, and
some who give tender loving care for our clients’ feet.

We are truly blessed to be surrounded by the loving individuals who support us each and every day. We rely on you, for all that you do.

THANK YOU.

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. We have all had to adjust how we do things that used to be routine.

We have changed how we accept donated goods, allowing time between drop off and sorting.
We have changed the way meals are provided by going to bagged meals, with 140 meals being shared each night.

Each of these changes required adjustments from you, our volunteers, and you were amazing! We faced all of the challenges together and we overcame them.

THANK YOU.

Matthew 25:40 says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.” You have done just that. You have given support to all of our brothers and sisters in various ways. We are very blessed that you believe in Streets Alive Mission and everyone we serve. THANK YOU.

On January 31, 1957, the Governor General of Canada, Vincent Massey, issued a proclamation stating: “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed…”. Feasts of Thanks have been held in North America since the late 1500s. They’ve been used to celebrate good harvests, victories in battle, or just the sheer act of survival in adverse circumstances.

No one can deny that 2020 has been filled with its share of adverse circumstances. For Streets Alive Mission, this has been a year of change and growth, of adaptation and survival. Thanksgiving this year will have fresh meaning for us, as we’re here because you rose to meet the need. You gave generously, even as you were facing your own uncertainties. The most vulnerable in our community are still able to access services that offer dignity and hope because of your gifts. We are beyond grateful.

Thank You

With the generous funding help from the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southern Alberta, the United Way, as well as the Government of Alberta, Streets Alive Mission has been able to start a new Outreach program.

The workers in the program go out six days a week and are able to connect with our clients on a personal and meaningful level. They’ll drive around on a route to places we know our clients gather, equipped with food, water, hygiene items, and a smile. They’ll ask how everyone is doing, if anyone needs anything, and hand out whatever is requested. They also deliver bagged meals to several recovery and housing centres throughout the city, before running the route again to make sure that no one was missed.

This program allows us to meet the clients where they’re at and offer that personal connection that is so vital to mental and spiritual well-being. Everyone is seen and heard, jokes are shared, and lives are touched.

It’s so much more than a sandwich or a comb.

It’s hope in a brown paper bag.

Coronavirus.

COVID-19.

Social distancing.

These are all new terms to our vernacular, a reflection of the changed reality in which we now live.

All of us have been affected in one way or another. At the time of this writing (the end of July), the numbers are going back up and experts are talking of a second wave. The outlook seems to change week to week, even day to day. No one can say when this will be behind us, leaving everyone in a place of uncertainty.

Streets Alive Mission is adapting to change with new guidelines, as we strive to always keep our clients, volunteers, and staff as safe as possible.

We will continue to meet the needs of the vulnerable, and we know that you’ll continue to partner with us as we aim for that goal.

You’ve done so much; you’ve given your time and money and resources.

THANK YOU.

Meet Kathy Pepneck, who has volunteered with Streets Alive Mission for 8 years.

God nudged her to get involved, so she checked out other opportunities, but they weren’t right. One day, hearing Pastor Julie say on the radio that Streets Alive needed sandwich-makers she thought, “I can do that!”

A year later, she thought “I’m just making sandwiches. Is there more to it than this?”

She then met a lady who lives in a hotel, receiving one of the sandwiches that Kathy makes every night. Kathy heard that waiting for that nightly 6 o’clock sandwich kept her alive. Kathy thanked God for showing her she was making a difference.

Kathy has witnessed the transformation that God’s love has on clients and staff. “It has blessed me completely. It’s amazing.”

Kathy’s message to anyone contemplating volunteering with Streets Alive – “Just do it!”

Being at Streets Alive has broadened her horizons, as well as making her more sensitive and compassionate. Volunteering here will change you, she says. “It’s a living picture of God’s grace. God’s grace is here.”

Volunteer at Streets Alive Mission

The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘Thank You’ as:

“A polite expression used when acknowledging a gift, service, or compliment, or accepting an offer”.

We say these words often and they can lose value because they are “a polite expression”.

Everyone here at Streets Alive Mission wants you to know that when we say thank you it is expressed not as a passing sentiment, but with a sincere and heartfelt appreciation for the gifts you share with us. ‘Thank you’ to us is not just a throw-away phrase. On behalf of the founders, board, staff, and clients here at Streets Alive Mission – THANK YOU!

May you and your family enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving!

We all know that saving just a little every month can add up to a whole bunch given time and discipline. The same is true for Streets Alive Mission.

Our monthly sustainers program gives the Mission a steady stream of funds that we know will be there to help in the day to day operations.

Our monthly donor program is a foundational support program and we are so blessed to have so many of you actively participating in it!

Thank you so much!

As Streets Alive Mission continues to grow at this rapid rate, having an increase in the number of sustainers is also critical.

If you have not yet thought about becoming a sustainer, we invite you to consider this….

If you annually give $500 at Christmas time… as a monthly gift that would be $41.67 per month.

If, however, you could give a monthly gift of just $50, it would grow your annual gift to $600.

The monthly difference to you is less than $10, but that extra $100 in a year is a big deal at Streets Alive Mission.

The difference of $100 extra in a year:

Feeds 30 MORE people one meal.
Provides additional educational materials for life-recovery programs.
Buys a lot of laundry soap for the PIN Bank!

A small increase in giving truly makes a large and direct impact!

Thank you for considering becoming a sustainer… we appreciate all of you so much!

Choose your monthly gift.

Choose your one-time gift amount.

Posted Sunday October 04, 2020 by Streets Alive Mission

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Grateful – Fall 2020 Newsletter

Our Heart

Harvest & Hope

Changing Times

Volunteer

Thank You

Just a little gift...

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