Grace Toronto. A church for the city in the city. Get to know us.

By Beth Williams

Have you ever walked along the streets of Toronto and noticed those people sitting on the sidewalk or standing on the street corner who look unclean, wearing ragged, mismatched, filthy clothes that do not fit them and usually have a distinct smell that saturates the air around them? They often have their hand extended or hold a hat or used paper cup available for passersby to place loose change.

Have you ever given them some of your change or bought them a coffee or sandwich?  Perhaps you’ve flashed them a smile and said “God Bless you” back to them when they’ve thanked you for your kindness. Have you ever stopped to talk to them, to listen to their story, to see the real person that is living underneath the dirt and the filth and the poverty?

I have learned that in the eyes of society these are invisible people. One man said to me “Wow, I’m surprised someone actually saw me. I do exist,” when I stopped to hand him some change. I’ve had a few men start walking along with me and telling me their life story, or stop me on my way somewhere and talk to me about what has happened in their life to bring them to this point of poverty. I’ve learned to listen and acknowledge their humanity, even though at first I’m secretly a bit freaked out.

The most constructive time I have spent with this group of people is at the Salvation Army Warehouse, teaching literacy classes. Through conversation with them, I have learned that these people learning how to read and write grade-school level English are among society’s lowest status ranks. This is usually due to abusive, broken homes growing up as children, mental health disorders that are not properly treated and cared for, divorces where the estranged spouse is awarded everything, and debilitating work-related injuries where workers’ compensation programs do not deliver nearly enough funds to comfortably support one person. And the list goes on.  A few of the people I met at literacy classes trying to better themselves are the same people we see panhandling around the corner of Spadina and Bloor. The same could be true of any beggar we see on the streets of Toronto.

There is a stigma that people living on the streets or living in poverty are there by choice.  It was their own choices in life, their own mistakes that got them into that situation, and it continues to be their own choice that keeps them in hopeless circumstances. While this may be true to some extent, this is not always the exclusive case. In the article Meeting the needs of homeless people: The St. John Ambulance mobile service, Paula McGee and Ann Marie Barnard say “The experience of homelessness is associated with high levels of social exclusion. The lack of a home can also lead to being stigmatized by those who have more regular lifestyles and consequently, homeless people may be deterred from seeking help because they fear negative attitudes” (Nursing Standard, 1999, Vol. 13, Is. 42, pg. 38). It is the very stigmatizing opinion that we as a society have of people living in poverty that keeps those very people from achieving anything more than their own poverty.

Although this can seem like a rather depressing thought, by God’s grace we are not left with that as our only reality. Jesus said “Whoever wants to be great among you must be our servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” Matthew 20:26. What a great example set by Jesus! In Ephesians 6:7 He says, “serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.”  And in Galatians 5:13, Paul says we are “called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature, rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

Justice and mercy extended to people living in poverty is the outpouring of God’s love and compassion unto these people. It is what makes them visible. It is including them and acknowledging them as valid members of our society.  So may we take part in this and serve our Lord humbly by reaching out to them and being vessels of mercy and justice to them.  And perhaps in doing so, may we see Toronto transformed from these pockets of poverty to a place where restoration and healing occurs in all its streets, to all its people.

By Elita Fung

Working at Toronto City Mission in the community of St. James Town can be such a blessing.  Even so, it is easy to get into the rut of believing that we are there to give to the community, without having eyes to see how the community gives to each other and to us.

The past few months have been a lesson in generosity for me, as I have watched the families we work with from a high-needs neighbourhood share with one another.  There were many highlights, including the mothers cooking and bringing dishes to our community potlucks and Bible studies.  I also had the chance to see some of our teens give what they can in way of encouragement to one another, as well as share their faith zealously with their classmates.  The pinnacle for me, however, happened about a month ago when I noticed three of our young kids in our after-school program going around with a piece of paper.  When I approached them, I realized they were writing down the names of other kids and next to their name, an item such as “chips”, or “popcorn”.  When I asked what they were doing, they told me they were planning a party at Kids Club and these were the people bringing something to share.  They were organizing a potluck party of their own, without direction from any adult leader! – and they kindly invited all the leaders to attend as well.

It was a fabulous reminder that as workers and volunteers who go into these communities, we do not have a monopoly on giving and that there is no hierarchy in giving and receiving.  After all, everything we have comes from a generous Father.  And what better way to learn that than from children?

Some of our very own members of Grace Toronto traveled to the Dominican Republic for a week to help build a school, visit patients in a hospital, play with orphans in an orphanage and see life as it is in the DR.  These are some of their pictures and stories of their time there.  Thank you to all who supported, prayed and financially sent them!!

On our first day in the Dominican Republic, the team was taken on a tour of one of the villages in Sosua, to get a vision for the work that the Samaritan Foundation has been doing for the last 22 years. First, we looked at the original village where many people still live as they await new homes to be constructed. The shacks were small and poorly built with very little light or ventilation and no running water.

After touring the village, we were taken across the street to Esperanza, the 8th village under construction by the Samaritan Foundation. Row, upon row of cement brick houses greeted us. Each house had access to electricity and running water – a vast improvement over what we had seen in the shanty town.

On Monday morning, the team arrived in Villa Paraiso, our worksite for the week. We quickly arranged into teams and got to work hauling load after load of dirt into a local school that was under construction. Building had been delayed, and the school was in danger of not being completed for the original August opening. But with help from our team, the cement floor was ready to be poured by the end of the week so that construction could continue.

One of the special joys of being a part of the Dominican Republic project was the opportunity to spend time with the children in the village. Every morning when the bus arrived, the quiet village would suddenly spring to life with children running from every home to greet the team. Some wanted to help, but many just wanted to be hugged and loved.

And dinner was always something to look forward to after working so hard! It was during these times that the team was able to bond even more.

On Friday, we had the privilege of attending the dedication of one of the houses to a very deserving family. First, the team was taken on a short tour to see the shack where the family had previously been living.

Then, we watched with a mix of tears and cheers as the family was handed the keys to their new home.

With the generous support of thousands of people from across Canada, The Samaritan Foundation has been able to build over 2,500 homes in the Dominican Republic. Under the banner of “Build A House, Change A life” our group supports the work of the organization and creates opportunities for each of us to show the love of Christ to others in a very tangible way.

For more information about this project, please check out the following video.

Bittersweet

This is the best word I can think of to describe my experience in Cambodia over the past 3 weeks. 

Although I was exposed to a level of darkness and human depravity beyond what I was even prepared for, God was gracious to allow me glimpses, and even full-blown success stories, of what He is doing in this devastated country.     

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