Outreach Projects for 2008
Regular projects:
- Primates World Relief and Development
Fund
- Refugee Committee
Susanne Adamovic, and her sons, Milan
and Miroslav... |
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...received their Canadian citizenship
on July 17th, 2008, just four years after
their arrival and our sponsorship.
The Refugee Committee
was proud to celebrate with them on Saturday
July 19'08. Seen below are some of the
refugee Committee members.
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Special Projects:
- St. James Community Services
– a multifaceted service of caring for those
in need, mainly in the Downtown Eastside (third
of three year support)
- Oikocredit – Micro- credit
investment that supports productive enterprises
of disadvantaged people worldwide with loans and
investments (third investment)
- Mission to Seafarers- provides
a “home away from home” to promote the
well-being of Seafarers from around the world. (second
of three year support)
- “Medic – Malawi”
– to provide health care in Malawi, Africa,
through St. Andrews Hospital, a Church of England
mission (second of three year support)
- “Qimaavik” women’s
shelter in Iqaluit , Nunavit, to promote abuse prevention
and education, where the incidence of family violence
is extreme. (second of three year support)
- Christmas Hampers through N.S.
Family Service
The
following is from a recent note from the North Shore
Lookout Shelter:
"Thank
you so much for your continuing ministry. The cookies
have fed both body and spirit. The staff are continually
encouraged that you care enough to bring homemade
cookies on a regular basis. And, of course, the
clients benefited from a taste of home cooking.
Please extend our thanks and appreciation to all
the donors."
Ruth
Kershaw, volunteer coordinator
North Shore Lookout Shelter
The following
is from a recent note from the St. James Community
Service Society:
Thank you
Thank you for being
a supporter of St. James Community Service Society
and making life better for the many people we serve.
Whatever their needs - emergency shelter, permanent
housing, home support, adult guardianship or palliative
care – our 300 staff provide compassion and
care that allows people to live with dignity, in spite
of their struggles. Unfortunately the need for our
services continues to grow. That makes your support
all the more important.
Welcome Jonathon
I hope you will
join me in welcoming our new Executive Director, Jonathon
Oldman, B.A., M.A.. Jonathon has extensive experience
in the health and social service fields. We are very
pleased to have him with us, helping St. James Community
Service Society chart the next phase of its history
and meet the huge challenges that still face so many
people in our community. Jonathon is keen to get to
know the many extraordinary people and organizations
that have made St. James Community Service Society
what it is today so please feel free to contact him
at 604-562-6220 or joldman@sjcs.com.
Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness
Another piece
of good news to share with you is that the Society
will be operating a new supported housing facility
at 1050 Expo Boulevard, in Vancouver’s Downtown
South neighbourhood. Targeted for opening in 2010,
this facility will bring stability to the lives of
130 people living on the street or in temporary shelter
today, many of whom are struggling with mental illness
and/or addiction. St. James Community Service Society
will provide 24/7 support services to residents at
this site, helping them live stable, independent lives.
As you know, breaking
the cycle of homelessness is one of the Society’s
major objectives. To this end, I am pleased to tell
you that we have recently expanded services for women
in our emergency shelters. This allows us not just
to keep women safe for a short period, but also help
them find permanent housing. In just the first ten
weeks of the expanded program, we’ve helped
24 women move from our Powell Place shelter in the
Downtown Eastside into permanent homes.
Experience St. James
Community Society Walking Tours
Have you wondered
what happens on the ground here at St. James Community
Service Society and how we help people with complex
needs? I invite you to join us for a tour: a one-hour
introduction to the Society, our clients and the issues
facing the community around us. To attend ( and feel
free to bring a friend) please contact Janet Chen
at 604-606-0306 or jchen@sjcs.com. Pre-booking is
requested for this tour.
Wednesday July
25th from 4:30 – 5:30 (Boardroom, 331 Powell
Street)
Friends of St. James
Open House – Mark Your Calendar!
On Thursday October
2nd from 3”00 pm to 7:00 pm you are cordially
invited to an Open House in the courtyard of our main
service complex at 329 Powell Street. Please join
us to find out what’s new and meet our staff,
Board, volunteers and clients.
Small Victories
Fundraising Lunch
We will be kicking
off our 2008/2009 fundraising campaign with the Small
Victories Lunch on October 23rd, 2008 at the Fairmont
Hotel Vancouver. From noon to 1:30 pm we will be sharing
inspiring stories from the individuals we serve. Kindly
contact Jonathon Oldman at 604-606-0307 or joldman@sjcs.com
if you would like information about hosting a table
of guests.
Thank you again
for your support of St. James Community Service Society.
We wish you all the best for a truly wonderful (and
sunny) summer.
Yours sincerely on behalf of the
Board of Directors,
Annina M. Bernardo,
President, Board of Directors
The Justice and Peace Unit of
the Diocese of New Westminster
The Justice and Peace Unit of the
Diocese of New Westminster is a group of men and women
committed to helping the church live out the social
implications of the Gospel of Christ.
The Unit meets once a month to plan
and coordinate events and activities promoting social
justice, and to share information with other social
justice organizations locally, regionally, and nationally.
The Unit is also able to provide
information and resources for parishes and individuals
interested in social justice ministry.
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