With winter behind us for at least a few months, Calgary’s homeless no longer have to deal with freezing temperatures however, as the warm weather moves in so does a new set of challenges for some of society’s most vulnerable. Exposure to heat stroke and severe sunburn, dehydration and natural hazards such as mosquitos and other insects are all risks that the homeless face as the mercury rises.
On Saturday, June 21, two Chestermere Church groups came together to make sure that the individuals within the homeless community of Calgary had their basic needs met to alleviate at least some of these concerns. St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish and Lake Ridge Community Church joined forces to build summer themed blessing bags which volunteers from St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish then personally distributed to homeless men and women on streets around downtown Calgary.
Rev. John Nemanic, Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish invited his parishioners as well as those at Lake Ridge Community Church to collect donations for items used to fill the blessing bags. Enough donations were received to fulfill their goal of making 50 bags, each of which consisted of a large Ziploc bag filled with some basic personal toiletries like shampoo and dental care as well as SPF sunscreen, insect repellent, wet naps, Gatorade, summer hats and bandana’s, granola bars, fresh fruit, band aids and even a small gift card from Tim Hortons.
Serve Day is a grassroots and relational day set aside to build bridges and relationships within our greater community when Christian Churches take part in a variety of acts of service. This year’s Serve Day joined forces with the mayor and the City of Calgary in the anniversary of the floods that ravaged Southern Alberta last year. The main objective is to be the hands and feet of Jesus in order to impact our communities and unite in purpose as the body of Christ.
Rev. John Nemanic says he supports Serve Day for three reasons; the fact that it unites Christian faiths, it answers Jesus’s call for us to love our neighbour, and because of the age old belief that it is better to give than to receive.
“[Serve Day] is an initiative that enables different Christian churches to work together; much divides us, but much more unites us in that we are saved by Jesus and therefore we must model our lives on him,” commented Rev. Nemanic, “Jesus asks his followers to love our neighbour as ourselves, especially the least of his brothers and sisters – the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, imprisoned, and the stranger. Serve Day was our way to serve Jesus through our neighbour.”
Eight year old Tony Wourms joined his sister Darienne, mother Karen and father Owen in delivering the packages to the homeless. He carried a load of the blessing bags in his backpack, and after offering one to a woman on the street, she explained that she was also in need of a backpack herself. Tony’s mother, Karen Wourms explained that her young son immediately took off his backpack and began unpacking his personal belongings from it before handing it over to the woman. “It was a proud moment for us as parents, Tony is very generous and has a kind heart,” said Wourms.
“Our family often serves in our church through music ministry, etc. but this experience took us out of the church and out of our comfort zones. The donations of supplies for the homeless were valuable, but even more valuable were the encounters we had with the individuals on the street. Some shared their songs or stories, others tears of joy, and all of them smiled and thanked us for our donations – we received many blessings in return for the time that we took to greet them and share the light of Christ.”
Rev. John Nemanic remarks about the lessons participating in Serve Day provided, “One of the things Serve Day has taught me is how truly lucky we are in Chestermere. Really, we’ve won the lottery ticket in terms of material bounty, and for me spiritual riches. The teaching lesson for me and for our young people involved is how do we use our bounty – do they enslave us so we have to hoard and guard, or liberate us to share with those in need?”
Both St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish and Lake Ridge Community Church of Chestermere regularly find ways to serve those in need whether it be spiritually, emotionally or physically in an effort to build a stronger, healthier community.
