Outreach
This committee develops projects to help people locally, regionally and internationally. This is accomplished by:
- providing a broad range of volunteer opportunities so that active, hands-on involvement in Outreach projects grows from year to year;
- educating and inspiring our congregation to seek justice and love kindness in everyday life;
- fostering a charitable atmosphere within the church community so that our children and youth develop a vision of perpetuating and expanding our ministries; and
- creating opportunities for members of the congregation, and others, to use their “open hearts, open minds and open hands” to assist others in need and create a better world for all.
Avenue 15
Outreach offers congregational volunteers an opportunity to make dinner, one Sunday per month, for homeless youth living at the Boys and Girls Club shelter called Avenue 15.
We prepare dinners and the join with youth and staff to engage in conversation and share the meal. The shelter is always in need of unused makeup, toiletries, condoms, feminine hygiene products and gently used clothing, footwear and stuffed animals.
Please consider spending a Sunday afternoon to help cook a dinner or if you have items to donate, please contact Hope Cochran through the office.
Habitat for Humanity
Outreach welcomes any volunteers interested in participating any of the Habitat for Humanity projects such as the annual Women’s Build, working at the ReStore or donations to support the work of Habitat. If you are interested and would like more information, please contact Melinda-Rae Lyse through the office.
Veteran’s Association Food Bank
The Veterans Association Food Bank is run by veterans for veterans. They work to ensure that veteran’s have access to the food they need.
Food donations can be dropped off at St. Thomas during office hours and every Sunday.
For more information on how you can support the Food Bank, please contact Loree Irving through the office.
Should you wish to assist the work of the Outreach Team , there is room for more volunteers. office If you wish to help or need more information, please contact the office.
Calgary Alliance for the Common Good
In 2019, St. Thomas United Church joined the Calgary Alliance for the Common Good (CACG) to facilitate our efforts of making a lasting difference in our city. We have done many projects over the years: Inn From The Cold, Avenue 15, Veterans Food Bank among others, which has helped people in need and shown them the loving hands of Christ through our work. To build upon this success we have been searching for a way to better create a lasting change in the lives of the people who need it the most.
CACG can do just that. The Alliance is a group of many different organizations: churches, labour unions and non-profit organizations that use the power of their many and varied voices to research and find practical solutions to problems that Calgarians have. The research-backed solutions are then presented to politicians from the city, province and federally to get their support and make these changes. Most solutions do not involve governments spending more money and some, like preventative programs, can actually save tax payers dollars.
For example, the Seniors Programs that CACG presented to City Council, asked for a Seniors Help Line to better access services that would allow seniors to stay in their homes. Staying in their own homes is better for seniors as it allows them to remain active in their community with their friends and neighbors for support. It is better for the city and province as it is much more cost effective to have someone help seniors mow their lawn and shovel their walk, than have them rely upon the staff and facilities of seniors residences.
If you are interested in joining the movement to change lives for the better or want more information about the CACG, please contact Karen Kavanagh through the office