What's Going On

What a Christmas!

2011-12-28T12:38:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was definitely a bench mark for On Rock. It was a confirmation that moving to A Ma Baie a year ago was the right move. We have had more community involvement this year than ever before. From Companies, individuals, churches, municipalities and other community organizations, so many responded to the growing need in our community to help us provide excellent food and gift boxes to those in need.

We held our fist Community Diner Christmas party. 51 people showed up and had a great evening of food, fun and gifts for the kids. Don and Ann did a great job of coordinating this event.

Food collection through the Christmas season was phenomenal. We have full shelves to help us get through the "slow" season that comes after Christmas.

This year we had 41 volunteers helping with our Christmas baskets. It was a little overwhelming, but amazing at the same time. The Police came out to help package and deliver boxes. 10 officers, including the Commander! Jim, a friend and City Councillor was on hand as well. Thank you to Xylem as well as all the other people who came out to make Christmas special for our families.

As always money is a challenge in these economic times, so I want to thank the various organizations who raised money for us this year through their Christmas initiatives. This is an encouragement to us and will help keep us moving forward.

I have started doing video blogs, which you can find on YouTube and our web site, www.onrock.org

I want to wish you all a Happy & safe New Year. We look forward to this New Year in A Ma Baie.

Peace,

K

Christmas Already!

2011-11-16T07:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, Christmas is upon us. The day after Halloween, Starbucks had their Christmas decorations and menus up. This is also when we begin planning for our Christmas baskets. We are serving 160 families now. The number seems to grow every week. We already have 5 or six families who have come on board to supply Christmas dinner and gifts for kids to some of our families. It is amazing to experience the generosity that this season brings out.

Our Tim Horton's food collection has begun as well. Four Tim's this year are providing food for On Rock through their Christmas drive. St. Charles(north), Beaconsfield, St. John's and Sources stores are helping us out. So, drop in, have a coffee or a meal and bring some non-perishables with you. A big thank you to these stores for giving back to the community.

The Community Diner is planning a Christmas dinner for some of our friends in the neighborhood as well. This is a first for us and a big undertaking, but it should be a lot of fun.

If you would like to be involved in providing Christmas for one of our families, please contact us and we will set you up.

Peace,

K

Busy Days

2011-10-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

The Diner has been running for 4 weeks today. The response from the neighborhood has been good. Walk in on a Tuesday night and you can smell that something good is going on. The mood is upbeat, how can it be otherwise when 4 women, all over 60 are playing Foosball, squealing and giggling as they play.

We have also been overwhelmed by the number of people who are calling to volunteer. We have had good response from the media coverage we have received lately. Individual, schools and organizations are calling to get involved. It is encouraging to say the least.

Today is busy. 2 men are here cleaning, 3 people working in the kitchen getting food prep done for tonight. Pete just commented that it used to be quiet on Tuesdays,... I'd much rather this.

Peace,

K

Community Diner story in the News & Chronicle

2011-09-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

The News & Chronicle did a story this week on the opening of the Diner next Tuesday. They did a great job. A big thanks to Carmen. You can read it here, http://t.co/B1SsuitW Enjoy.

Peace,

K

The Community Diner

2011-09-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a meeting with some of those who want to serve in our community Diner, Which opens Oct. 4th. It is so encouraging to sit with people who are full of ideas and experience. There were 7 of us in the meeting and there are at least 3 more we are aware of who want to help. This is amazing.

We start October 4th with a spaghetti supper. The plan is coming together beautifully, with Don and Ann co-coordinating the program. I look forward to seeing how the community responds.

Community Diner will be open every Tuesday from 5:30-8pm. Meals are $2 and $5 for a family. If you would like to be involved, let us know.

Peace,

K

Hanging out with The Queen

2011-09-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Queen of Angels Academy's beginning of the year BBQ. At this event they raised money for On Rock. We were invited to attend and set up an information table. The Principal and staff were very accommodating and interested in how the school could be involved with us throughout the year. The food was good, the people were great.

It was encouraging to make some new friends in the community. We are looking forward to exploring how we can work together this year.

Stay informed on twitter @onrockupdate

Peace,

K

Challenges

2011-09-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

This has been quite a year so far. We have moved into our new facility and are now putting the finishing touches on our programs. In two weeks our Community Diner will open. People will be able to come on a Tuesday evening and receive a healthy meal for $2 or $5 for a family. Several of our friends in the neighborhood are waiting with anticipation for its opening. The food bank is growing, which is a double edge sword.

We are now feeding 150 families a week with a waiting list of about 20 families. The need in the West Island is growing. A study done by the City of Montreal shows that 44% of West Island North live under the poverty line($0-$19,000). This is a very high number. We are committed to working with other social needs organizations and the City to do what we can to help our neighbors.

We have begun working with one of the mental health organizations in the West Island to provide a work project for some of their clients who hope to return to the work force. The client will come to On Rock on a weekly schedule to do whatever work we can offer them. This gives the individual a feel for following a schedule and interacting with other workers outside of their therapeutic community.

Our challenge as we go forward is a financial one. We have grown 4 times our size when we first moved. At present we are operating at a $12,000 a month deficit. We are in need of people who will commit to give to this ministry and catch the vision for our community. We also need corporate donors. On the encouraging end, a highly influential man in the community told us he can help us with fund raising, so we are hoping this pans out. We have also begun working with our friend Anny to raise our profile in the community in order to raise funds.

If you would like to get involved, please email me and I will get the necessary information to you. If you are already involved, thank you for your generosity and desire to help us make a difference in our community. Together, we are making a difference.

Check out our website; www.onrock.org

Peace

K

The Big Picture

2011-07-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy 6 months for us here at On Rock. We are nearing the end of our renovations and look forward to starting up some new programs for the fall.

Our first project will be the Community Diner. We will be meeting with several people interested in being involved in this project to "build the dream", in the next few weeks. We have looked at several models and will take that information to create a Community Diner that will meet the needs of our community. We will start serving meals once a week, probably on Tuesday nights, and we will see where it goes from there. Our Friends in the neighborhood say they are looking forward to having a place where they can go during the week to eat a meal and be with people.

We continue to talk with the youth organizations in the area to understand what the needs are for youth in A Ma Baie. There are several organizations working with youth, and doing a great job of it. Our goal is to find out if there are any holes in the programming going on that we can fill. I do not want to duplicate services in any way. At present we seem to be hearing that there is a need for a program for 16-25 year olds. There are many things for under 15's to do, but at 16, resources dry up. If this is the case, then we will look at filling that niche. It will be a change from our past involvement with teens, but a welcome challenge.

The Food Bank has been doing very well over the past several months. We are serving about 150 families every week. Since we moved to A Ma Baie, our emergency box service has increased to about 5 boxes a week. We have been blessed with a great bunch of dedicated volunteers to sort and pack boxes on Monday mornings. We have also had several businesses in the West Island help us out over the past few months. Whether by supplying food for the food bank or flooring for our center, they have made a huge difference in our community.

A local high school teacher contacted us about being involved in our food bank for the summer. Tony came out and helped sort food and pack boxes on Monday morning. Once the boxes were packed, Tony said he would help deliver as well. We gave him a small route, close to On Rock. This week I asked him how the experience was for him. Tony shared that he wept on the way home in his car at the reality of poverty he had witnessed as he delivered boxes of food to families for whom this was the highlight of their day, maybe week. There is a real sense of accomplishment in helping those who have less. There is also a great sense of gratitude for all that we are blessed with. You don't have to look far to understand it.

There are two challenges that we are facing over the next few months, that you can help us out with. One, is the need for non-perishable food. In the dead of summer, food seems to be scarce. We have had a few amazing weeks because of unexpected shipments, but at present our shelves are bare. If you, your church, your swimming pool, or place of employment could collect food for us that would be amazing. If you are interested in helping out please call us. The second is our need for financial help. Our expansion into A Ma Baie has been a big step of faith for us. At present our rent is just under $4000 a month. This is money well spent in this neighborhood. Please consider partnering with us, if you don't already. If you do, Thank you. Together we make a difference.

If you would like to partner with us financially, you can do so through post-dated cheques, auto-debit, or through Canada Helps, on our website.

This work is a challenge, but things that are worth while usually are. It is less challenging when we work together, that is when we truly make a difference.

Peace,

K

Sharing is a wonderful thing

2011-07-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

We learn it in kindergarten. We exhort our kids to do it. Sometimes, in adult life we forget the value of it. In the food bank world it is a huge joy to both give and receive. These past few weeks we have benefited from the generosity of Welcome Hall, a grocery store in Cote St. Luc, a food supply company in St. Laurent, Westminster Presbyterian, Christ Church in Beaurepaire and Westview Bible Church. Without the help of others we can't help others.
It is also a joy to be able to help other organizations. We have access to some supplies we can't use ourselves. We are networked with other groups that can use them, so we share. Whether it is coffee, huge cans of beans or snacks for kids programs, it is awesome to be able to call our friends and say we can help them out.
We have learned what a blessing it is to receive, and to share with those in need.

Together, we make a bigger difference.

Peace,

K

Together We Can Make a Difference.

2011-06-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

Together We Can Make a Difference. This has been our tag line for a few years now. Why? Because it is true. Alone, we are limited in what we can actually accomplish, especially when it comes to something as large as poverty. when we work together however, good things can happen.

We have had a tough couple of weeks when it comes to food supplies. It just seems that companies are holding onto their stuff longer. However, yesterday we received a call from Welcome Hall Mission, offering us food supplies. We were there 2 hours later with a truck to pick up 3 pallets of food and 20 racks of bread. We appreciate their generosity and willingness to share. A few hours later, I received an email from a grocery store that helps us out when they can. Rocky said they had some food for us. He usually fills our van.

This is what I was talking about in the beginning. When we work together, more people get fed. Less food is wasted. It really makes a difference.

We are in need of a dock level delivery truck. We are exploring lease possibilities, but it would be amazing if one was donated. With a truck at our disposal, we have access to more food, which means more families get taken care of.

Together, We Can Make a Difference.

Peace,

K

A Great Week

2011-05-26T06:04:00.001-07:00

This has been a good week. Actually a good couple of weeks. Yesterday we picked up about 4 tons of rubber gym flooring, donated by Monster Gym. Today, we pick up 126 cases of cold cuts, and Jack Astor's is giving us some dishes. As I type, there are 5 women from Westview Bible Church packaging Ramen noodles for our food bank.

There is something energizing about people's generosity. Whether they are donating goods, money or giving of their time, it is encouraging to those of us who do this every day. Thank you to all who give to this work.

Peace,

K

Good News

2011-05-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

We received a phone call today from one of the families we serve. The lady called to say that she was very thankful for all the help we have given her family, but they no longer needed our food support. She found employment. She can now take care of her own family.

This is the kind of news that makes me smile. We are so happy for her. I can't imagine how good that phone call must have felt to her. This is why we do what we do.

We heard from 3 other families this week as we did our check-ins that they no longer need our services. It is good to see families getting on their feet. So far it has been a good week.

Peace,

K

The light at the end....

2011-04-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel called renovation.
We have had our share of challenges. No doubt you heard about our fridge fiasco. Well, it was delivered, almost as promised. 5 months late but it is working. Thanks to the Gazette, the Suburban, and the many people who called Metro Caisse on our behalf. You helped motivate them to keep their promise.

There is still some work to do but we are almost there. The date for our Grand Opening is Saturday, May 7th, from 1pm - 5pm. We will have a BBQ and celebrate this new beginning. The adress is 9554 Gouin West in Pierrefonds. Please, join us in our celebration, and see first hand the imfamous fridge.

Peace,

K

We need your help

2011-02-23T08:40:00.001-08:00

We have been waiting 5 months for Metro Caisse to deliver our walk-in fridge that is fully paid for. They have been promising that it will be delivered every week. It turns out they sold us something they did not have. It cost us about $4000, which is a ton of cash to a charity. Mr. Roy, the owner continually promises results he has no intention of producing. How can you help? I am asking EVERYONE to call Metro and inquire as to when our fridge will be delivered. something like, " I am calling on behalf of On Rock Ministries, when will you be delivering our fridge". We have turned down $1000s of dollars of food because we do not have this fridge. Please help us. The # is 514-273-2274. Call often. Thank you.

Food bank and Renovations

2011-02-10T06:38:00.001-08:00

We are half way through our slowest months of the year. After Christmas, food supplies tend to dry up pretty quickly. January and February are a challenge. So far this year we have been doing alright. We have had a few slim weeks, but our Christmas collection has helped us through this period. We are now serving 130 families every week and the number is climbing as we increase our food supplies. We have 20 families on our waiting list.

We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel as far as renovations go. Last weekend we had 11 people come in and paint the whole facility in 1 day. It was amazing. The office and kitchen are almost complete. We will begin building the snack bar this week. The floor on the center side is still a question, but I am sure we will figure that out soon.

Our Grand opening should be announced soon. Stay tuned.

Peace,

K

2010 in the rearview

2011-01-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

2009 felt like it dragged on forever. 2010 seemed to blast by us before we knew it. 2010 was big year of change for us at On Rock. In the spring, we decided to put our building up for sale. It was becoming impossible to effectively operate our Ministries out of a small facility. We expected that it would take a long time to sell. We told our Real Estate Agent that we wanted $400,000 for it. He was not optimistic, telling me that the most we would get was $270,000, but to expect as low as $210,000. I insisted on $400,000 and he got me down to $395,000. He also reiterated that this would not be a quick sale.

A month later, Our Agent called me, to say a gentleman had driven by the building and wanted to buy it. He said the man wanted to deal immediately and would give us $360,000, but we had to be out in one week. He did not want an inspection, just a quick sale. The Agent was encouraging me to say yes, but I felt we could do better. I countered $380,000 and he had to give us two weeks to leave. This made our agent nervous, but he said he would try. 5 minutes later he called back to say the offer was accepted.

This amazing miracle meant we had to get out right away. Westview Bible Church was very generous in allowing us to run our food bank out of their gym every Monday. All our other programs went on hold and we moved everything into a borrowed 53 foot trailer. Challenger transport later donated a 53 ft trailer to us for permanent storage.

We spent about 8 months as a “homeless” Food Bank, and then found space in A Ma Baie that was large enough for us to grow into the community there. We wanted to move into this community because about 70% of our Food Bank clientele live there. We want to build relationships and offer more services to our friends there. .

November 1 we took occupancy under the bowling alley in A Ma Baie. We are in the process of equipping and renovating our new facility with hopes to open again in a month. The Food bank continues to operate in our new facility every Monday. We now serve 127 families a week. At present 35 of our families can now pick up there food every week, creating more contact between us and the community. It is a challenge, but we must continue to serve those in need.

We have new challenges ahead of us with this transition. We are renters once again and need to raise $3500 a month for rent. We have a fully equipped kitchen and a walk-in freezer, with a walk-in fridge to come. This is all second hand, but expensive none the less. We have spent about $20,000 on equipment. We are confident that people, churches and businesses will partner with us to meet this very real need in the West Island.

Thank you to all who support us and volunteer with us. We could not do the exciting things we are doing without you. Together, we can and do make a difference. We look forward to this new year and the opportunities to serve that it brings.

Peace,

K

Meet Frank...

2010-12-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

I would like you to meet Frank. Frank is a 70+ year old man who started supporting our food bank about a year ago. Every month Frank brings us about 8 cans of food and a cheque for $50. The incredible thing about it is, he walks to wherever we are. All summer he walked from Dorval to Pierrefonds to come visit the food bank and give his contribution. Monday was a terrible day to make the trek from Dorval to A Ma Baie, which would be amazing in nice weather. It was snowing with 60 km winds. Frank walked for 2 hours to visit and contribute. He is a quiet, humble man, who just wants to help. After his visit, he left, to walk home. Another 2 hours. Thank you Frank. He is an encouragement to our team.

On the renovation front, we had a work team of 13 in on Saturday to tackle some gyproc, tiling, wall building and brick work. By the end of the day, we made an encouraging dent in the work to be done. Thank you to all the guys who came out to help. There is more to do and we will have another work day soon.

Christmas is upon us and we are looking for people and Companies to adopt some of our families for the holiday. This involves supplying Christmas dinner and/or presents for the kids. If you are interested, we will supply you with gender and size of the kids from one of our families. Please contact Kathryn at kmccreath@videotron.ca

Peace,

K

Sobering News

2010-11-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

The Gazette ran an article a week ago about the challenge that food banks face in Canad in our present economic reality. "- Quebec — usage up 37.9 per cent, with seniors comprising 3.8 per cent of users and children 37.9 per cent". The article states that food bank use is up across the board 28%, and that one in ten is a first time user.

Our experience this year validates this article. At present we are feeding 120 families a week and in our new location, I expect we will reach 200 in the next 6 months. The need is huge. Our new facility will enable us to store more food. We will be capable of storing frozen and refrigerated foods as well as non-perishables. We are working hard to meet the challenge that we see in our community.

Christmas will soon be upon us. Renovations don't change that. We will once again be looking for people to adopt a family for Christmas. You can pick the size of family. We will provide the age and gender of the children, you do the rest. If you are interested please contact us.

If you would like to make a donation, that would be welcome as well. You can do so through Canada Helps, at the top of our web page.

Peace,

K

An Amazing Monday

2010-10-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

After a holiday weekend, food bank can be slim pickings. Our food distributor is closed on holidays, so there are no deliveries. Today, was the worst I have ever seen it. I asked one of the managers if they had anything we could take by pallet. He said all the had was a "big" box of frozen vegetables. We said we would take a look at it.... The box was 4x4 and weighed 800 pounds! This was one box, with one bag in it. With so little food to distribute we had to take it and get creative as to how to package it.

On the way back from picking the food up, I got a call from my friend Stephane who works at The North Face. I almost didn't answer because I was processing how we would handle the days slim pickings. However, I decided to pull over and answer the call. Stephane had about nine massive containers of non-perishable food that The North Face had collected at there annual sale! When it was all done, a day that we thought we only had cold cuts, frozen veggies and bread, turned into an amazing grocery box, thanks to the "extras" that came out of nowhere. God is good.

We still have 6 containers of left overs for next week,.... sounds like a Sunday School story.

Thank you to The North Face, Challenger Transport and CTS.

Peace,

K

New Beginnings

2010-09-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

It is happening! We have a new home. As of November 1st we will be in A Ma Baie. We will be situated behind the bowling alley on Gouin Blvd. After about 5 months of being homeless, we can't wait. It has been a challenge to say the least to run a food bank out of 3 or more locations.

This move means we are going to need more people to partner with us as we meet the needs of the people we serve. For the first time in years, we have to pay rent, which will be about $2500 a month, including commercial taxes. We are also in need of a walk in fridge and freezer.

More good news.... Challenger Transport is donating a 53ft. trailer to On Rock. This gives us all the storage space we will need.

We look forward to being in the position to increase our services to the people we serve, right in their neighborhood.

If you would like to partner with us in making a difference, please send me an email.

Peace,

K

It's Picking Up

2010-09-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

The school year has begun. We have started to communicate with our schools regarding the Lunch Program. So far we have one school signed up for 25 lunches a week. They have asked if they can spread the word to other schools that don't know about our program. It seems that each year we pick up a new school or two.

Our facility issues seem to be coming to an end. We are presently negotiating a lease in A Ma Baie and it looks really good. We should have occupancy October or November 1st. The sooner the better.

It has been slow concerning our usual food suppliers, but that has not slowed us down. It seems that every time we hit a slow period, new companies or stores show up to help. This month a Grocery store in Cote St. Luc called up and gave us a van load of canned food and juice. A trucking company just gave us about 20 cases of cereal. God always provides.

We look forward to the new opportunities that will come from living among the people we serve.

Peace,

K

Crazy! Great!

2010-08-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

First we will talk crazy,... On Sunday, I was picking up the Second Cup box at Fairview. I came outside and could smell burning.... I got in the truck to leave and the brakes were gone. I opened up the hood and noticed the burning smell was a little stronger. Now, remember, we lost our last Safari to a fire. I thought I would take a look underneath, and low and behold there was a fire. I immediately called 911 and stood way back, feeling a little sorry for the guy parked next to the van. The fire department was very quick in responding, and it turns out the fire burned itself out before they got there. I had the van towed to my mechanic,(Frank, at the ESSO on the corner of St. Charles and Hymus. Amazing dude.) $138 later, it turns out my brake line leaked on the exhaust and it was an easy fix. I have owned 4 Safaris/Astros,... two have caught fire.... that is crazy.

Now for Great. This week promised to be a hectic week at the Food Bank. Pete is on vacation and John(who drives the bus) couldn't make it. So, I had to drive the bus and we were using interim delivery guys to get the boxes to our families. It was a great day for food supplies. My son and 2 of his friends came to help me do the pick up, which was awesome. Loading the bus alone is a lot of work. Three 14 year old boys make it easy. When we arrived at Westview to unload and pack boxes, I was amazed at the amount of volunteers we had. Kathryn, Trish and Janet, two of whom are newbies, did our fruit and veggie triage. All three brought their kids who, along with the three I brought made short work of packing boxes along with our regular people. It is amazing how smoothly things run with positive, eager people. I was not looking forward to this Monday morning but it turned out to be a great day. Thanks to all those who came out to help, you helped make a difference.

Peace,

K

Thank You

2010-08-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted that we were in serious need of staff on Mondays for the food bank. The response was amazing. For the past two weeks we have had several people come in and volunteer. My web designer, a friend from football and his son, to a friend and her two teens. It has been very encouraging to see people give of their time and energy, especially on really hot days. Thank you to those who volunteer.

We continue to be blessed with food supplies. We now have enough Veggie thin crackers to feed a small country. Vegetable supplies are awesome as well.

Thank you to all those who support this ministry financially. It is a great encouragement to see the generosity of people as they invest in this work we do to serve our community, especially those in need.

We are hoping to be situated in A Ma Baie by October. We are working on a rental agreement. It is not "in the bag" yet, but it looks good. More news as it unfolds.

Peace,

K

A Few Good Weeks

2010-07-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Monday at the Food Bank is always more fun when there is an abundance of food to give to our families. The last two weeks have been amazing. This week our boxes were filled to the point that the boxes wouldn't close. Summer is always good for fruits & vegetables for obvious reasons, but this week was over the top.

Summer creates other challenges though, like having enough staff to make it happen. Many of our volunteers are on vacation. If you have a Mondays open, we would gladly accept your help.

It is always good to get a phone call from one of our families saying that they no longer need our services because they got a job. We have had a few of these calls in the past few weeks. One in particular is a woman we have been serving for a few years. She has been working toward getting her qualifications to be an x-ray technician. This week she called saying she got a job in her field and can now take care of her family. It is encouraging when the system works. Now we can add another family from our waiting list.

Peace,

K

Heat!!

2010-07-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

The food bank operates regardless of the weather. Yesterday was no exception, and it was HOT. Sunday night As I was drifting off to sleep, I asked God for an a lot of food for our families on Monday. When we got to the distribution center the place was wall to wall with food. We had more vegetables, fruits and non-perishables than we had seen in months. The bus was packed. And it was HOT. I think on average we lost about 5 pounds each as we loaded, unloaded, packed and then reloaded the food for our families.

I was amazed at how good natured our volunteers were in the heat. Lots of water and Gatorade were consumed. At the end of the day our 120 families received a healthy box of food to help them through the week. Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor. The biggest food haul of the year on the hottest day of the year. Be careful what you pray for.

It was a good week.

Peace,

K

The summer begins

2010-06-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

The wine tasting was a success. We received great reviews from those who attended. Karl did an excellent job of representing Portugal's wineries and Brenda and her kitchen staff did an equal job of representing Portuguese cuisine. Thanks to all those who helped put this evening together and those who attended.

The food bank continues to run full swing throughout the summer with the help of Westview Bible Church. Our big challenge at this time of year is to figure out which of our clients are moving and where. Many move without notifying us ahead of time. This is a challenge every year.

We continue to look for a new location. We have had some interesting prospects, but none have panned out as of yet. We are still focusing on the A Ma Baie area, and look forward to partnering with other ministries and organizations working in that area to better meet the needs of the community.

Peace,

K

Wine Tasting June 12th

2010-05-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

June is quickly approaching and it is time for our Wine Tasting Extravaganza. This year it will be on June 12th at the beautiful A Ma Baie Cultural Center. This is a new facility and will be ideal for this event. This time around we will be sampling the wines and cuisine of Portugal.

Tickets are $60. To reserve send an email to kim@onrock.org

There will also be a silent auction.

Peace,

K

Poker Tournament was a success

2010-05-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

The On Rock Poker Tournament went off without a hitch. It was a good night. We had 50 people come out to play. We would have had more but the Game 6 kept many people at home, glued to their TV's. However, it was an awesome night.

When all is said and done, we made $4410 on the evening. Steve Greenspoon did a great job of running the game. Thanks to our friends Don, Martine and all the dealers who came out to lend a hand.

I also want to thank Air Canada, Elan, Monster Gym, Aptech and Bob's Auto for providing our prizes for the final table.

Now, it's on to the Wine Tasting Juns 12th.

Peace,

K

Time is Flying

2010-05-04T09:59:00.001-07:00

Wow. We have been homeless for six weeks. We are still looking for a place near or in A Ma Baie, but there is not much available. We are not rushing into anything, but, it would be nice to have a home again.

The On Rock Poker Tournament is coming up quick. Monday night at Bourbon Street West, 6:30pm. It is going to be a good time. I hope to see you there. There is more info on the On Rock Website.

June 12 is the On Rock Wine Tasting. This time around we are doing wines from Portugal. We will be sampling Portuguese Cuisine as well. You won't want to miss this event. There are only 120 seats available and we sell out every time, so reserve early.

Today we got a call to pick up 86 cases of sandwich meats. It was a welcome call because our freezers were empty. This will serve our families for about 3 weeks and help the school lunch program. It is amazing when local companies chip in and help serve their community.

Peace,

K

Sharing is Good

2010-04-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

We received a call 2 weeks ago offering us 25 pallets of frozen goods. We were unable to take any of it because we don't have a facility yet. However, the food was directed to The Old Brewery Mission and they were able to make good use of it. We have had this kind of relationship with The Old Brewery Mission for a few years now. This week they called us and offered us two pallets of non-perishables. That is amazing, because we can keep them in our bus. So we went down and picked up 2 pallets of food for our food bank this coming Monday.

Sharing is one of those lessons that you learn in Kindergarten and if you keep practicing, it helps make the world a better place. Thank you to The Old Brewery Mission.

Peace,

K

The Food Bank Marches On

2010-04-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

On Rock is without a permanent home but our programs continue. Thanks to the generosity of Westview Bible Church our food bank continues and is growing. It is refreshing to be working in a spacious environment. The gym and kitchen at Westview feel like we are on the open plains compared to the space we had at 5000 St. Charles, as you can see in the picture.

We continue to look for a building. There are a few possibilities that we are considering, but we are not rushing into anything.

Please keep in mind our Poker Tournament on May 10th at Bourbon Street West. All the info is on our website. We have great prizes once again, including Air Canada Tickets, Monster Gym membership prize packages worth $600, Alouettes tickets and more. I hope to see you there.

Peace,

K

Moved Out

2010-03-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

As of Saturday we are homeless. We moved all of our gear into a 53ft trailer, generously supplied by Challenger Transport. They will hold it for 1 month, free of charge. A big thanks to all the guys who showed up to help move. We pulled the move off in under 3 hours.

Now, we begin the process of finding a new facility. We have a few properties we are looking at, and hopefully we will be situated in the next month. While we are homeless, Westview Bible Church has generously provided space for us to continue to run the food bank and our Wednesday after school program. This is a great relief because our one concern was that we had to keep the food bank running. 117 families depend on our services.

Until we find our new home our address will be:

On Rock Ministries
P.O. 178
Succ. St. Charles
Pierrefonds QC
H9H 0A3

A big Thanks to all of the individuals and organizations who have helped make this transition smooth.

Peace,

K

Homeless

2010-03-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

It is done! The sale is finalized. We have 8 days to vacate the premises. To add to the excitement, we do not have a place to go yet. We will be homeless. We had two possible locations that fell through yesterday. We are pretty committed to being in A Ma Baie. Our Real Estate agent is helping us look. If all goes according to plan, we will move out of 5000 St. Charles on Saturday, into a trailer.

The food bank will continue to operate, thanks to the generosity of Westview Bible Church. We will also be running our 7-12 year old program at Westview. There is a lot of work to be done, but it is exciting.

Our Agent, upon signing the papers said, "you know that this is a miracle?"... I totally agree, and now we await another.

Peace,

K

Gearing Up

2010-03-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

This has been a very busy year so far. I am amazed that it is March already. We have had quite a bit of interest in our build. A proposal is being made to the city by a potential buyer and we are waiting for the news. We have been talking with several people about our plans to move into the A Ma Baie area. Everyone seems excited by the project and agrees that this area needs our services.

Our Poker Tournament is scheduled for May 10th. Bourbon Street West has kindly made their facility available to us again. We have confirmed our first prize. It will be two tickets to anywhere in North America that Air Canada flies, including Hawaii, and the Caribbean.

Admission is $50 in advance and $70 at the door. It should be a great time.

We also have our Wine Tasting happening on June 12th. This time around we will be treated to the wines and cuisine of Portugal. Stay tuned for more information.

Peace,

K

Breakfast

2010-03-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

The first On Rock Breakfast is over. It was a great morning. The food was good, the turnout was awesome. It was a good opportunity to share what is going on at On Rock and to express our vision for the future. Many seemed as excited about the future as we are.

A big thanks to all who were involved in making the morning a huge success.

Peace,

K

Optimistic

2010-02-23T11:51:00.000-08:00

The building has been for sale for two weeks now. We have had at least three interested parties so far. Our agent says there is considerable interest, so things are looking good. Today one of the prospects brought a contractor in to discuss his plans.

Don't forget the On Rock Breakfast Saturday morning at Westview Bible Church. We will be sharing some of our plans for the future.

Peace,

K

A Step or a Leap of Faith

2010-02-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

As of yesterday, our building is officially for sale. We outgrew our building about 2 years ago, but struggled to make it work for us anyway. However, we have reached a point where it is now effecting the scope of our work in the West Island. Our location has also hampered our vision for the West Island because we want to offer more services to the people that we serve, but we are removed from many of them geographically.

Our vision is to move into the A Ma Baie area. About 75% of our clientele live there. So, we have decided to sell our building and make the move. Last year was a very rough year financially, but we think that this is the time take a step of faith and move into our vision. It is a little crazy, but it feels good. Stay tuned for more developments.

We will be talking more about this at our Breakfast Fund Raiser on Feb 27th. I hope to see you there.

Peace,

K

The First On Rock Breakfast

2010-02-04T08:15:00.001-08:00

On February 27, at 9am, at Westview Bible Church, On Rock will be hosting its first ever breakfast fund raiser and information session. It is no secret that On Rock has had a tough year, but we are in the process of making some bold moves to better serve our clientele. Come to breakfast and find out what we are up to and how you can be involved.

The food promises to be great and the news even better.

Peace,

K

No food for 3 days

2010-02-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

I got a call this morning. It was a friend asking if we could put together an emergency food basket for a family he knew. I asked him what the situation was. He explained to me that it was a family of 4, a Dad and 3 kids, and they haven't eaten since Friday. One wonders how that happens in Montreal. To think that while most of us were having a good time and eating whenever we felt like it this past weekend, within Kilometers is a family not eating at all. It is a little mind boggling. Obviously, we jumped to help out and put together some food. This week we will find out what other resources they need.

You would be surprised how many times last year we heard similar stories, of people too ashamed or timid to ask for help.

What a start to the week.

Peace,

K

Generosity and the Bosnian Refugee Family

2010-01-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

Syl met a Bosnian family at Maxi on Friday. They approached her and asked her for money for food. Syl said she did not have any money but would buy them some groceries and that we ran a food bank and would help them out further.

Today, Syl and I drove to Laval to bring this family some food and assess their needs. They have been living for two weeks in an empty apartment, with a few borrowed items. Syl put out an SOS for some furniture, clothes, bedding and dishes. The response so far has been amazing. People have been contacting her and offering some amazing stuff. Stuff that we take for granted. Thank you to all who are helping this family.

We are still looking for;
Bed - double or queen for parents
Sheets for the same
Beds for three children.
Bedroom furniture. Their rooms are EMPTY
Kitchen appliances.
coffee maker
toaster (Sandie)
toaster oven
some kind of mixer
frying pan
tupperware?
serving dishes
Towels
Blankets
Baking pans etc
book shelf
school supplies

If you can help email Syl at syl@onrock.org

Peace,

K

The Good The Bad and the New Year

2010-01-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

Last year was a challenging year. A lot of good things happened, but there were some not so good things as well. We are going into this year with hope. Hope that this year will be a year of generosity and growth.

However, it started with a grind, which lead to $1000 van repair. Our van is a necessity for the food bank. It is safely back on the road.

On the good side, we have made contact with a food distribution company that may be a regular supplier of food for the food bank. We pick up our first pallet today. We are grateful for the generosity of people who see the need that we fill and want to be a part of it. This is always an encouragement.

As the new year starts, we are looking into putting our building on the market, so that we can move into the neighborhood where most of our clients come from. This will give us the opportunity to become a part of that community and make an impact on so many different levels. It means building daily relationships, rather than just weekly. Increased visibility and contact gives the people we serve more opportunity to see the love of God at work.

Happy New Year.

Peace,

K

Christmas Delivery Accomplished!

2009-12-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our Christmas basket delivery. Every family received 2 boxes. One, overloaded with food and the second contained Christmas gifts for the family members. Our food supply was amazing this year thanks to Tim Horton's(St. Charles), and several other generous people and organizations. Thank you.

Many of our families were sponsored by individuals, families and companies, who supplied Christmas gifts for the kids and in some cases, food. Thank you, You have helped make Christmas an easier time for some of our families.

Pete was telling me today that while doing one delivery he received a very enthusiastic hug from a little old lady.

Once again Beaconsfield Emergency Services helped out in a big way, helping pack and deliver boxes. We appreciate their time and willingness to participate in this project.

We truly do make a difference when we work together.

Peace,

K

Christmas is upon us

2009-12-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

Monday Dec. 21 is our Christmas delivery for our food bank. Many of our families have been adopted by individuals and families desiring to make a difference this Christmas. This means that our families will not just get food for Christmas. The kids will get presents that their parents can wrap for them.

Beaconsfield Emergency Services will be helping with deliveries again this year. This a big help because families will get 2 boxes each.

Thanks to all of you who adopted a family or donated food and/or money this year. Food Banks are struggling across the board, so your generosity is appreciated more than ever.

Peace,

K

Helping Hands

2009-12-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

It is amazing what happens when the Christmas season approaches. We have been blessed with people calling us to adopt families for Christmas. Tim Hortons on St. Charles North has partnered with us in collecting food, and they have been doing a great job. We are able to stack our shelves and guarantee a good Christmas for our families and some left over for the post-Christmas slow down. Thank you to all who have participated.

I also need to thank Dave and Second Cup Fairview for their ongoing commitment to helping us feed those in need in our community. Second Cup donates all of their surplus food, to our food bank. This Christmas, they also have a toy collection going on for our families. If you buy a toy and donate it, they will give you a free coffee.

When the community works together, it becomes so much easier to meet the needs that exist.

Peace,

K

Christmas is Coming

2009-11-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas seems to be arriving faster this year than other years. Six weeks away! We are doing our Christmas baskets again this year with gifts for the kids. We are looking for families who will sponsor a family. This means providing Christmas gifts that are age and gender appropriate for the kids in our 111 families.

If you are interested in sponsoring a family, contact us at On Rock and we will put you in touch with Kathryn, who is coordinating our gift program. Contact us at onrock@onrock.org

The only time of year where we spend money on food is at Christmas. We buy turkeys, chickens and frozen vegetables in order to supply traditional Christmas dinners for our families. If you would like to contribute to this, send a cheque to On Rock, attn:Christmas Baskets.

Thank you and Peace,

K

Thank you North Face

2009-11-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

My friend Steph called last night, telling me that North Face collected food as part of their admission to the big warranty sale this year. He said the food was ours if we wanted it. Obviously, I jumped on it. Today we went and picked up four large containers that were too heavy for one person to lift. Amazing!

Thank you North Face. This week our families will eat better because of you.

Peace,

K

The Big Question

2009-10-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Our needs are out of control. We need space. Freezer space, cold storage space, non-perishable space, drop-in center space, The list goes on. We have talked about finding a new facility for about 4 years now. Money and timing are always issues. What do we do?

At present we are considering selling our present building and renting for a year in the A Ma Baie area, with a view to buying in that area. That is where most of our clientele live. We could make a much larger impact on the community if we were "in it".

I have no idea what this will look like, but that has been true for every growth step we have taken. I do know that the need for our services have grown to almost triple from when we started. We have always said we would go through any door that God opens. Is this another door?

Peace,

K

A New Challenge

2009-10-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

We find ourselves in a challenging position. As the need for our services rises, our financial base is decreasing.

We are now feeding 110 families a week and our lunch program is up to 50 sandwiches a week. We are still waiting to hear from 3 schools on their needs. We have also started providing breakfast food for one school.

We do however, find ourselves struggling financially. In the past 2 weeks, we have lost over $700 a month due to unemployment. For a small charity, this is a big hurdle. We continue to pray for wisdom and seek new resources.

To those who already support On Rock, thank you. It is because of you that we can make a difference.

Peace,

K

Over $300,000

2009-10-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

Last year, we distributed over $300,000 in food supplies in the West Island. $27,000 of that was in our school lunch program. It is amazing, when you sit down to crunch numbers, you see the magnitude of the need in our community.

We are in the process of talking with schools about their needs this year in regard to the school lunch program. So far we have 2 schools signed up for a total of 3o lunches a week. This will grow as the other schools request assistance.

I suspect that, with the current economic situation, the numbers could be higher than last year.

Thank you to all those who help us to meet the needs in our community. Together, we make a difference.

Peace,

K

Another Great Monday

2009-09-22T08:02:00.001-07:00

We are feeding 106 families. They range from families of one to 11 people. We depend on our suppliers to provide enough food to do this. This week, they came through in a big way. Our average box was worth about $75. With the addition on the Green Bus, we now have the ability to take pallets of food. This means we have more food available to us, and it is coming in handy.

We have a waiting list right now of 12 families. Hopefully we will be able to add some of these families to our delivery list soon.

We continue to explore the possibilities of moving to a bigger facility, closer to our clientele.

Peace,

K

New Face

2009-09-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Last week our van got a face lift. Our logo and info will be seed all over the West Island and beyond thanks to Adam Moss at CATSYS and Sticky Grafix. The sign you see here is on both side windows as well and on magnets that rest on my Cherokee. All designed to give us more visibility in the community we serve and to bring attention to the growing need for a the food bank in the West Island.

Other good news this week.... A transport company donated 4 pallets of breakfast cereal to us. We now have cereal for our 106 families for the next 6 weeks.

Things to keep in mind. Our poker tournament is coming up fast on September 20th at Bourbon Street West. You can sign up on our website.

More Board News

2009-09-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

Our board continues to grow. Vince Mancini, a friend, football buddy and businessman has joiuned the On Rock board. Vince joins Ted Sparkes, Karl Frigan and Steve Watts in guiding On Rock into its next stage of development. I am excited for this next year.

Peace,

K

New Board Member

2009-09-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

On Rock is in the process of rebuilding it's board. We are in a place where we need to move and grow. In order for this process to be successful we have had to re-evaluate our board and bring in some new passion. I am pleased to announce that Steve Watts has joined the On Rock board. Steve is a passionate advocate for the under-privileged in our community and is a "No task is too big" kind of person.

You can meet Steve at the On Rock Poker Tournament on September 20th at Bourbon Street West. See onrock.org for more details.

Peace,

K

Summer is over

2009-09-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

The kids went back to school today. At least mine did. This means the summer is over, and yet it feels like it barely began. Soon we will be talking about Christmas, but not yet. With the beginning of school comes our school lunch program. We have already begun supplying one school and in the next few weeks, we will hear from the other schools in the community about their needs.

It is easy to fall into the numbers of it all, and forget that these lunches are going to kids in our community who otherwise would not have lunch. Studies show that kids who are hungry learn less and act up more in school. I know what I am like when I feel a little peckish. Many of these kids may eat once a day. It is a big task, but it is one that must be carried out. We are privileged to serve our community in this way. To serve kids in this way.

Peace,

K

Growing needs create a need to grow

2009-08-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that we started out 5 years ago with 40 families. This week we delivered food to 106 families. The amazing thing is, that our food supplies have grown right along with the number of people. We always seem to have enough food to give good boxes to our recipients.

We are actually at the point where we need to grow. We need a bigger facility in order to keep up with the need in our community. I would love to move into the center of the community where most of our people live. To create a place where we can offer more resources to the people we serve.

We need cold storage and a walk in freezer. We need dedicated dry storage. We also need a dock-level truck. These have been wishes for the last few years. We are now at the place where they are needs.

All we need is $800,000.....

Peace,

K

The Big Haul

2009-08-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

This week, once again our food distribution was over the top. We used "the Green Beast" to pick up our supplies this week from Moisson Montreal. It was a good thing we did. The back door of the bus has been modified and will take a pallet. Along with all of our regular food, we picked up a pallet of McCain Slowcooker Solutions, Chicken A la King. All our families of 4 or more received a box of 6 packages. This provides the whole family with a meal at least 6 nights this week. On average our boxes were worth about $100 this week. That is amazing. Thanks to our friend who has made "The Green Beast" available. It has already opened some new doors for us.

A Columbian lady came in Tuesday looking for assistance. Her husband was laid off last week and they have 3 kids under 6 years old. She was very shy and told us that they have never asked for assistance before. I assured her that she is not alone. In the past year we have had many people come to request help, who are embarassed about needing help.

Her friend is a Peruvian who was also in need. As we talked, we asked if she could help us with some of our spanish speaking families that we had trouble communicating with. This lady has agreed to be our liason with these families, which is a big deal to us. We also acquired a Haitian liason this week.

Not a bad week. The Green Beast, and 2 liasons, and great food supplies. God provides.

Peace,

K

Rina

2009-07-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

On Monday, we were blessed with an amazing amount of food from our distributors.

The same day, Rina walks into On Rock. When she sees me she just breaks down crying. Rina suffers from depression and lost her job, she tells me she hasn't eaten for 4 days. Rina lives 1 block from the food bank. She tells me she was on her way here the other day and one of our other clients(who is very possessive about his food) told her we didn't have any food to spare. She went home and spent the next 3 days sleeping. Sleeping is a good alternative to dealing with hunger pains.

After a short lecture on what our food bank does, we drove Rina home with a great box of food. Rina and her 15 year old son will eat well this week.

We deliver 100+ baskets a week. During the school year we provided 100 lunches a week to local school kids who come to school without a lunch. Today we spent some time calculating how much food we distributed in the past year. Through the food bank we distributed $300,000 worth of food. In the lunch program we distributed $27,000 worth of lunches.

We are amazed and encouraged with these numbers. Sometimes we can wonder whether we are really helping anyone. When I see these numbers, I stop wondering. We can make a difference, and we do. Just ask Rina.

Peace,

K

Pizza for everyone...

2009-07-23T12:02:00.000-07:00

Today we had one of those amazing phone calls. It came from our primary food supplier. He asked if we wanted some frozen pizza. I replied, I will be right over. We usually pick up food on Monday right before food bank. This is the first middle of the week, "we have surplus" call we have received.

When I arrived, I asked how many boxes I could take. On most items we get there is a limit based on the size of organization we are. Today Mike said, "how much do you want? Fill your van." I love that answer. I was able to take 32 boxes. That is 374 pizzas. I had to be very creative in storing them, but we had them all in freezers by noon. Thanks to a local church who kindly let us fill their freezer until Monday when we will ship them out to our families.

It is amazing what we can pull of when we work together. We can make a difference.

Peace,

K

And still growing...

2009-07-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

This week, we broke the 100 mark. Yesterday we delivered boxes to 103 families. This is good news because it means our waiting list is shrinking. We have been making requests for more food from our distributors so that we can kill the waiting list, but it has been amazing that without any official response, we are getting enough food to make a dent in the waiting list.

It is a good feeling to be able to call up a family who has been on the waiting list since may and tell them they are now on the distribution list. I hate waiting for anything. I can't imagine waiting to get enough food to feed my family.

Thank you to everyone who helps make this happen.

Peace,

K

A Good Week

2009-07-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

This week has been a good week, and its only Wednesday. Pete and Lina had their baby last weekend and Pete is off for a few weeks. This means, I did his food bank deliveries this week with John. It is amazing to see how Pete has built relationship with some of his people. Several, upon seeing me, asked "Where's Pete?" As I explained the his baby was born, there were smiles and squeals and questions. Sometimes this was followed by, "so when is Pete back?"

Today, I had an amazing meeting with a lady who works at a health clinic. Her clinic wants to give back to the community and has asked if we could partner with them. They want to raise money, food and awareness in the West Island to help in the struggle with poverty. She also has some connection with food distributors. This is a very exciting development for us.

What will tomorrow bring?

Peace,

K

The Wine Tasting, an amazing evening

2009-06-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

We worried about the weather in the afternoon, but as the evening approached the sky cleared and the wind died down to create an incredible evening to be on the back deck of the mansion, tasting wine in support of On Rock Ministries.

The theme was Chilean wines with food matchings that were impossible to describe. The overall consensus was that it was a great evening. In the end it was a sold out event. With the help of the silent auction we will have made approximately $5,500.

We were very pleased with the outcome and thank all who helped to make this happen.

Peace,

K

Food Supply Increase

2009-05-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

We are still reeling from the food we received last week. It was amazing. Our families were thrilled to receive an extra box last week.

This week I received a call from a friend asking if we could use frozen airplane meals on an ongoing basis. He put me in touch with a gentleman, that works for Delta Daily Foods. If things progress as we plan, we will be able to get pallets of food on a fairly regular basis. This is an amazing connection for us, and great news. We are blessed.

Peace,

K

Frozen Meals Arrive

2009-05-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

I received a call yesterday from a friend telling me that a guy he knew had 5 or 6 pallets of frozen meals to give away. I jumped on the offer and called the generous individual right away. At 6:30 this morning we picked up 6 pallets of frozen meals from a loading dock in St. Laurent. Our problem was, we only have 5 available freezers. We called up Westview Bible Church and filled a freezer there as well. We still had 4 pallets of food!

We decided to take a box, containing anywhere from 30-50 meals each to our food bank recipients. Can you imagine the look on there faces when they receive a whole box of these meals. It puts a smile on my face.

We still had 2 pallets! I called up a friend at the Old Brewery Mission to see if they could use the rest. An hour later their truck pulled up and took the last two pallets. It is amazing how this one guy making a phone call set off a chain of events that will feed hundreds of people, and it was all done before lunch. What a great day.

Peace,

Kim

Denise Update

2009-05-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Last week, I started to tell you about Denise. Well, things got worse. Her apartment building caught fire at 4 am one morning. Everyone was evacuated to a motel for 3 days. As bad as this was, Denise loved it. She got to sleep in a clean room and bed for the first time in years. She had food and was able to buy some new clothes. She felt relaxed.

As of this week the first floor tenants will be allowed back in the building. This includes Denise. The Rental board has issued her hearing date so we are going to have top negotiate how we empty her apartment. This will not be easy. Denise is very attached to her stuff. We have to help her realize that if she doesn't get rid of the stuff, she will have nowhere to live, and therefore nowhere to keep her stuff, so she will lose it anyway.

The battle in her mind continues....

Peace,

K

Traps of Mental Illness

2009-05-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

Denise is in her early 50's. She is a cheerful lady, who at one time had the world in her hands. She lived with her husband and child in a beautiful upscale home in the West Island. She had a nice car, lots of friends and was busy about her church community. Then, sickness struck. Her husband left her for the baby sitter while she was in hospital. Denise went into a spiral of depression that became OCD somewhere along the way.

Today, she finds herself living by herself in a one bedroom apartment in a poorer neighborhood in the West Island, depending on our food bank to get by. In losing everything, she has become fearful of having nothing, so she hoards. It came to a head in the last months because her radiator in her apartment blew and nobody could get to it, because it was covered in junk. I say covered, knowing that I could never adequately explain what her apartment has become. Denise collects everything, and she has been doing this since 2002. Her apartment is full of junk. 6 feet high. Not piles, the whole thing. She has to crawl and climb to get anywhere, not that there is anywhere to go. Her kitchen is only recognizable because you can see one top corner of her fridge. Her bathroom is unusable.

Denise called me last week, desperate for help. Once her landlord saw what was going on he moved to have her evicted, and rightly so. This is a major fire hazard. The Rental Board has demanded that she get rid of everything or lose her apartment. So, I recruited 6 friends a trailer and a pick-up truck to go clean house.

5 hours , two trailer and pick-up loads later, Denise now has a small path where she can get from one end of her apartment to the other. Her bathroom is usable, but we have only scratched the surface. Her bedroom and kitchen are still buried. Unfortunately Denise will still be evicted, if she can't allow us to remove the rest.

Denise knows in one part of her mind how crazy this is, but, at the same time can't let go. All of her friends, except for one older couple, have abandoned her. So she has very little rational feedback on a regular basis. As we are loading stuff into the trailer, I see the pain in her eyes, like we are ripping out a piece of her. She know it is for the best and she must go through this, but it hurts.

I am not sure how this will end up, but we are committed to being there for Denise. She is a great lady with artistic ability and a desire to help people. There is much good in her. The question is will she ever be able to find it and let go of her fear of rejection and loss.

A beautiful day...

2009-04-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

So, I am sitting here at On Rock, doing administrative stuff. Not my favorite, but its gotta be done. The phone rings and Pete tells me he has to run out and pick up a food donation. An hour later he arrives back with a van load of non-perishables, fruit and vegetables and some frozen food. It is amazing. On Monday, we depleted our stock in the food bank. We could not give an emergency box to a lady who asked because we had nothing to give. We were talking today about doing a food drive and getting that up and running, when the phone rings....

Pete is off to deliver that emergency food box. It's a beautiful day.

Peace,

K

I'm Sorry....

2009-04-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Rina walked in the other day. She is a petite woman with blond wispy hair and looks older than she is. Older than she should. Rina looks at me with sad eyes and asks me if we are still a food bank. I tell her we are. She looks down at the floor and apologizes for being here, but she has not eaten for 3 days and needs food. I tell her there is nothing to apologize for. We are here to help, and I offer her a coffee.

Rina tells me that she is a nurses aid that had to go on medical leave due to an injury. The injury re-occurred and CSST was holding out on paying her because they suspected she was faking. This lead to depression and a further inability to work. In order to pay the bills, she let her "boyfriend" move in with her. "Boyfriend" has a drug problem and spends the little money they have on drugs.

As we are putting a box together for her, she apologizes a few more times. She is expecting to go back to work soon, but it could be a few weeks. She apologizes again. This is a woman stripped of her dignity and embarrassed that she "allowed" herself to get "this low". I assure her that, she is not a burden, and we are pleased to help her. I tell her that our regular food deliveries are on Monday and if she needs any more help to call us.

Rina thanks me, with a sad look in her eyes and apologizes for the last time as she is leaving, "sorry for bothering you"........

It is a privilege to serve Rina.

Peace,

K

All in a days work...

2009-04-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

We received a call yesterday from one of the schools we serve. A mother called the principal because she can't feed her kids. Her kids are a part of our school lunch program. She was desperate and emotional. Can you imagine, being in a place where you can't even provide for the basic needs of your loved ones. How gut wrenching that must be. So, the principal called us to see what we could do.

We were able to supply her with a pretty decent food box that should keep the family going for the rest of this week. It is an amazing feeling to be able to contribute to people and organizations in need in our community.

As many are aware our Wine Tasting fund raiser is in the works. We have already sold 50% of the tickets, and they haven't been printed yet. This promises to be another fun night!

Peace,

K

Joe

2009-02-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

So, Joe passed away January 28, ending his 3 year battle with cancer. In that time he was close to death on 4 or 5 occasions and God restored him. He died in his sleep, which was an incredible blessing. Right up to the day he died, he blessed everyone who entered his room. Cleaners, orderlies, nurses and Dr.'s alike, were treated with kindness, cheerfulness and compassion.

Our family will slowly come to grips with life without Joe. He was a huge part of our lives. We miss him.

Peace,

K

Challenges of 2009 so far

2009-01-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

2009 is here. So far it has been a challenge to say the least. We as a family are struggling with the reality of Joe's fight with cancer. He is in the hospital receiving palliative care. Someone is with him 24 hours a day. In his weakened condition, he needs constant care. However, with all that we are going through, we are thankful. Joe was diagnosed 3 years ago and given 10 months(maybe). God restored him in amazing ways in the past three years and we are thankful for the gift of those 3 years.

As I watch him love people in the hospital, I am amazed. He has terminal cancer, yet he takes every opportunity to love and encourage everyone around him. It does not matter what their role is, orderly, nurse, patient, volunteer, Dr. or administrator, he always has a kind word of encouragement, a joke or challenge for people. Many staff drop by to say hello, ask advice or give him an update. As I consider Galatians and the fruits of the Spirit, it is very evident to me, that Joe exudes many of these fruits. God touches people through Joe. I hope that at the end of my life, I am half the man that Joe is.

Peace,

K

Emergency

2009-01-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

Gina is a came in today. She was emotional and asking for food. She has not eaten in 4 days. She lives in the West Island. There are a lot of circumstances that have led her to the place she finds herself in. She apologizes for asking for food, a basic need that many of us take for granted. It still amazes me at times that there is so much need in the West Island.

Christmas is over, but the need has not changed, except to get worse. We are now feeding 93 families a week, with a waiting list and providing emergency boxes for people like Gina. Our school lunch program is making 100 lunches a week for local elementary schools.

Thank you to those of you who help in various ways. Together, we make a difference.

Peace,

K

Thank You

2009-01-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

We have been blessed this year in so many ways. I was telling a friend yesterday that as we were gearing up for the christmas food and gift distribution, my van spontaneously combusted. We found ourselves in a place where we were raising money for two projects at once. This is not an ideal place to be, but so many people, companies and churches came through on both projects. I am now in the writing thank you notes mode, but I know I am going to forget someone. I hate that feeling, so, if I miss you, THANK YOU for your generosity. We can only do what we do because of people like you.

Peace,

K

Happy New Year

2009-01-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year. Our Christmas rush is over and it went well. The Christmas baskets were awesome. We had help from so may places. From a local Catholic Church to companies like Vanguard Steel and Kinetex in the West Island. We even had the Beaconsfield Volunteer Rescue squad delivering boxes. We are fortunate enough have a surplus for January, one of our slowest months of the year. So, when all is said and done 92 families recieved gifts and turkey dinners to celebrate with their family. This Christmas was a glowing example of the fact that together, we can make a difference. Thank you to all who helped us this year.

Peace,

K

Presenting,... Our New Van

2008-12-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

So, here it is! The new van. It is a 2001 GMC Safari in great condition. We have already put it to the test picking up food and gifts for our Christmas baskets. Today it had 98 turkeys and 500lbs. of potatoes in it. It performed very well. Soon our logos will be on it and it will be in full swing. Thank you again to those who contributed to our van fund. The money enabled us to register and insure the truck and do some repairs. We also thank the people who donated the truck. It is just what we needed, and the timing was amazing.

Peace,

K

Christmas whirlwind

2008-12-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

The season is upon us! This is a busy time for us as we prepare for our Christmas baskets. We have been collecting food and gifts for kids for the past few months. Through The Open Door Church our food bank families with kids were "adopted". The people who adopted the family bought gifts for the kids in each household. Last weekend several of our people got together and boxed up the gifts which were delivered on Monday with the regular food supply.

This Monday coming we will deliver our Christmas food baskets. Each family will receive a full Christmas meal including turkey, potatoes, vegetables, gravy, etc. This is all in a effort to bring a little joy and hope to the families we serve on a regular basis.

Many people, churches and companies have helped us out this year with our Christmas initiative. Thank you to all who were involved.

On top of the Christmas busyness, we have been looking for a Van. Last weekend we had a 2001 GMC Safari donated to On Rock. We have collected about $3000 so far in the van fund, which will help pay for licensing and insurance as well as some repairs and modifications we need to make. Needless to say, we are blessed! Thank you all who have helped us out with this challenge that was before us.

We have truly witnessed that together, we can make a difference.

Peace,

K

Making a difference at Christmas

2008-12-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

It is amazing to me how generous people are at this time of year. We are now serving 90 families a week in the food bank and 100 lunches a week in the school lunch program. We do special food baskets at Christmas, giving each family a full Christmas dinner. Turkey, potatoes, veggies, juice, etc. We also started an "adopt a family initiative" to provide presents for the kids in our families.

Now, back to my amazement.... All of our families have been adopted. This means that all of our kids will be getting Christmas gifts. Moneys for the Christmas dinner has been coming in as well. Two months ago, we wondered , with the economy being what it is, if we would get enough funds to supply Christmas dinner for everyone. So far, we are on target with last year.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us out this year. We are truly making a difference.

Peace,

K

The Van Challenge

2008-11-25T09:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a few weeks since our van went up in smoke. We are thankful for John who has made his van available for us on Mondays for the food bank, and will continue to do so, as long as he can. We have had several people offer us free vehicles, however they are either to small or way to huge. We do thank these people for their generosity and desire to help.

We have at present raised about $1700 in pledges toward the van. We are hoping to raise $10,000, in order to buy something fairly new and be able to put it on the road. If you can help in any way, please do, it is very much appreciated and needed.

Peace,

K

WOW!

2008-11-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

So, here is the final result. What used to be a great vehicle is reduced to scrap metal. The smell gets on you. After checking out the truck yesterday, I could not get rid of the smell in my nostrils. It was a little eerie.
We have $1000 pledged so far for another truck. We are hoping to raise $10,000. In the mean time, a friend has offered us the use of his van on Mondays for food pick-up and delivery.

Peace,

K

WE NEED A VAN!

2008-11-11T07:24:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning, I lent my van to a local church youth group. At 8:30 am I was woken up by a phone call, telling me my van was on fire on the side of highway 40. Nobody was hurt, but as you can see from the picture, it is finished.

On Rock has been using my van for our community assistance programs. This was our vehicle for delivering food to 80+ families every week and picking up food and equipment from suppliers. As you can imagine we desperately need another van.

We are setting a goal to raise $10,000 to purchase a van for the ministry. Please consider what you can do in helping us reach this goal. The van is not a "wishlist" item, we really need to have one in order to continue effectively feeding our clientele.

Donations can be made to On Rock Ministries. Please write "Van Challenge" on your correspondence.

Together, we can make a difference.

K

Christmas

2008-11-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

Like it or not Christmas is on the horizon. Our thoughts turn to our Christmas baskets for our 80 families. We are asking people to adopt one of our families for Christmas. This involves buying Christmas presents for the kids in the family. We have families with one to 9 kids. This ensures that the kids get something for Christmas this year.

If you would like to adopt a family just send me an email at kim@onrock.org and we will give you details as to age and gender of the kids. This is a great way to celebrate Christmas.

In the food department, we are planning on providing each family with a full Christmas dinner. Turkey, potatoes, vegetables and all the fixins'. We are in the process of collecting turkeys and chickens. If you would like to help, we would greatly appreciate it.

There it is. Two ways that you can help us serve our friends that are in need.

We Need to Move

2008-10-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

I am increasingly feeling the need to move. To move into the neighborhood where many of our clientele come from. We need to be "in" the community in a more present way. Where there is a need for food, there are many other needs that can only be met by "presence". For example, companionship. People to talk to. A place to go and not be stuck in your own spiraling world.

If we are to love the poor, we need to spend more time with them. They need to become an integral part of "us".

We need a building in Amabay. We need about $1,000,000. The investment, although huge, would be overshadowed by the difference we could make. I believe that with all that I am. The question is, are we up to the sacrifice?

Peace,

K

Principal feedback

2008-10-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday as Don was doing the lunch deliveries to the various schools, he ran into one of the principals. The principal shared with Don how much the lunch program was appreciated. He explained that the behavior and attitude of the kids who were receiving lunches had changed significantly with a full stomach. The kids are more attentive and have a better attitude toward school and those around them.

We are thrilled to hear these stories and want to pass them on, so that we can be encouraged by the evidence that we are making a difference in our community.

On another note, I just spoke with Marcy from Christian Week publication and they are doing a story on our work in the community. It should be out in the next few weeks.

Peace,

K

We did it!

2008-10-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving. Ours was busy, but fun. Last week I put out the meat slicer challenge. When Syl suggested this I thought it was a good idea, but, I wasn't sure how well it would go. To my pleasant surprise, we had the money raised by supper the same night. I found a 2nd hand slicer in a little hole in the wall restaurant equipment store on Notre Dame east. We picked it up for $400. The owner dropped the price when I told him what we were doing with it. We used it for the first time this week and it was awesome. He also fixed our coffee maker, which is a very important part of our ministry.

Thank you to those who contributed to this challenge. You have made a difference.

Meat Slicer Challenge

2008-10-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

With the increase in school lunch production we have been looking for ways to cut costs. We are in this for the long haul. We need to purchase a meat slicer, in order to severely cut costs of cold meats every week. It costs about $25 to $30 a week in cold cuts. We can buy large hams or roast beef for much less, and it is healthier. We need to raise $450 for a used restaurant quality meat slicer.

If you can help, please send me an email at kim@onrock.org and send a check to;
On Rock Ministries
5000 St. Charles
Pierrefonds, QC
H9H 3G1

Thank you to those who partner with us in this work. Together, we can make a difference.

Peace,

K

Update on School lunch program

2008-10-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, we had 80 lunches a week to prepare. As of today we are at 95 with two more schools exploring their need. It looks like we will be doing over 100 lunches a week. This is a huge increase over last year.

Peace,

K

Lunch Time

2008-10-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe sometimes, that in our day and age that kids, go to school hungry. Surely with the amount of money we accumulate and spend in our affluent society, there are enough sandwiches for kids in school to go around. Well, that is not the case. As of this week we will be making 80 lunches a week to be distributed in 5 schools, and I expect that number to grow.

This will be a challenge, last year we did about 40 a week. However, how do you say no? One Mom has kept her kids home from school because she can't give them lunch. I can't imagine what that feels like. The humility and embarrassment of not being able to feed your kids. We are not talking about providing ipods here, but the basic needs for survival. If you can help by donating food or cash, or delivering lunches(Monday mornings before 11am), please contact me.

We are committed to making a difference in our community. You can help. Together, we can make a difference.

Peace,

K

A New Face

2008-09-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

I met with Adam today. Adam came to our wine tasting last month and offered to help create a new website for us. We have been working on some ideas ever since. We are getting very close to the launch of our new website and a new logo. All the basics are in place, we just have to flesh out some details. I am anxious to see the end result. It is going to be amazing! Stay tuned.

Busy week

2008-09-17T09:16:00.001-07:00

This last week has been very busy. We have begun to receive our food increase and it is amazing. This past Monday we delivered 75 of the best boxes we have ever delivered. Plenty of fresh produce, meat, bread and other goodies. Our staff are excited by the ability to serve our families this way. This week we picked up a single parent family with 10 kids. The social worker called us, desperate to find a resource for this family. She was relieved to hear we would jump in. She even called back to confirm that we were serious about helping.

This week we had 3 emergency calls. Usually we have 3 in a month. We have had an increase in requests since the increase in the price of gas and food. A lot of people are struggling to make ends meet.

We picked up a new French elementary school in need of our lunch program. We have not heard how many lunches they need yet, but we will start delivering lunches on Monday.

Please keep us in prayer as we make a difference in our community.

We are still about $350 a month short of our monthly budget. Please pray about partnering with us in meeting the needs of those less fortunate in our community. Together, we can make a difference.

Peace,

K

Food Increase

2008-09-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

In the past few weeks we have acquired 2 commercial two-door fridges. One would have been amazing, Two is just ridiculous, in a good way. We have been requesting a food increase from our distributor for the past month. I received a call last Thursday letting me know that we would have the increase in two weeks. Pete went to pick up our food on Monday and the increase was already in place. It was awesome to be able to fill our boxes, with a little left over for our emergency stock. In the past few months we have received more emergency calls that usual, so our stocks were low.

We now have a lady who is going to help us do some marketing for food with local stores and business'. With this help and the food increase we may be able to make a dent in our waiting list. It is amazing what happens when people come together to accomplish a mission. Together we make a difference.

Peace,

K

Another amazing Monday

2008-08-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

Once again we are amazed at the way that God provides. Yesterday we were buried in food. Produce was more than abundant. As the day began we had more volunteers than usual. I wondered what we would do with all these people, then the food arrived. It took 6 people to process our fruits and vegetables, it usually takes 2 people. In the end we had larger boxes than usual, filled and overflowing.

We continue to look forward to an increase in supply, so that we can add to our list and decrease our waiting list.

Another encouragement is that in our effort to raise money in the past month, we made $3000 at or wine tasting and have had about $3000 in one time donations come in. We also have about $350 a month more pledged. We still need about $450 a month to break even, but we are on our way. Thank you to everyone who has partnered with us financially, you are making a difference.

Peace

K

This just in.....

2008-08-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

We have just made an amazing contact for fruits and vegetables. We will now get calls from a transport company that transports fruit and veggies. They often have damaged pallets of produce rotting on their docks because they can't be sold. We will get called to pick up this produce so that we can distribute in our food bank. This is incredible! God is good.

This is also incredible because last week we were given a huge commercial fridge.

Peace,
K

Wine Tasting a Success!!

2008-08-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

Some said it was one of the classiest fund raising events they have been to. The weather was amazing. The wine and food were awesome. Karl did a great job of educating us on the wines and some of the finer points of wine tasting.

The silent auction went well. Thank you to all who supplied our silent auction items and to those who bought them. Many items went for more than their value, which spoke to the fact that those bidding understood that this was for charity.

Thank you to all those who helped make this evening so amazing. Those who planned, cooked,arranged,decorated, set up, tore down, parked cars, took pictures, lent their house, etc. You have blessed On Rock and me.

The final tally is not in yet, but, we should make about $2000 and we made some good contacts. We will do this again. The next time will be bigger and just as classy.

Peace,
K

Wine Tasting Fund Raiser

2008-08-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

It is sold out! This is awesome news. When you organize a new fund raiser there is always the anxiety of "what if it doesn't work?" We are four days away and everything is coming together. It promises to be a great evening,. Now we just need the Almighty Weatherman to bless us........

The food bank was amazing this week. Tons of good food, so boxes were over full. What a great problem to have.

I got a call today offering us a huge commercial fridge. Two doors and its 5-7ft. I don't know where we are going to put it, but we can't refuse it.... Another amazing problem......

Peace,

K

Good News

2008-08-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have been a drag to say the least. However, we are seeing some fruit for our labor. We have had $360 a month pledged so far, and our Wine Tasting fund raiser is filling up. At present we have about 65 seats spoken for out of the 80 available.

I want to thank those who have made the decision to partner with us. We still need about $540 a month to break even, but we are encouraged. God is good.

This week we were also blessed with some extra food. The Old Brewery Mission shared some Broccoli, eggplant and lemons with us and another friend came up with 800 lbs of blueberries. No that is not a typo. Syl and some friends have spent the better part of today cleaning and bagging them. Sometimes, God is also random......

K

We need help

2008-07-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

We are in bad shape financially. I hate talking about money, but, I have no choice. We are struggling to pay our bills and our office administrator has not been paid in ages. I don't know how to get people to see that we are making a huge impact on our community and our services are much needed. We have had approximately 20 new requests for the food bank which feeds 70 families a week at present, the drop-in center is helping people change their lives. Ministry is booming, people remark about how amazing our work is and how big the need is, but few will invest in it.

We need $900 a month to break even. That means every month we go at least $900 in the hole. We desperately need people to commit to giving monthly. No amount is too small or too big. Please consider partnering with us. Invest in our young people and help feed the poor.

You can use post dated cheques or auto withdrawl. Email me and I will send you the forms.

contact us at;

kim@onrock.org
or
On Rock
5000 St. Charles
Pierrefonds, QC
H9H 3G1

Guests at the food bank

2008-07-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

This Monday we were thrilled to have 7 ladies from Merck Frost administration come in to help us with the food bank. When you first walk in to the food bank it looks very unimpressive. A bunch of tables lined with boxes, pressed into a drop-in center. Once the food arrives the action starts. These ladies were eager to get their hands dirty. I don't think we ever unloaded a van so fast. Many hands make light work and it certainly was true yesterday. We had the food distributed among the 70 boxes in no time at all. When the boxes are full and ready to go, it can be a beautiful sight, 70 boxes filled with food and ready for a family in need.

The team from Merck wanted to deliver some boxes as well, which made Pete and Matt happy. They had three cars, so each one took 2-4 boxes, and they made the deliveries. They expressed what a great experience this was for them to be involved in helping feed people they may see in their own community. Some of the ladies expressed a desire to come back. Lately, Mondays have been a great encouragement to me.

Peace,

K

Amazing Food Bank Monday

2008-07-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

What a day yesterday was. The last few weeks have been really bad for food distribution. We have not been getting a lot of supplies, so we have depleted our stock. This week, we did not have any reserve to speak of. I went to Moisson Montreal monday morning and arrived to see that they did not seem to have very much out for us to take. However, when it was all said and done I filled the van with 4 large wagons of food. It was amazing! We had lettuce, kiwis, fish, bread, yogurt, juice and cereal for everybody in large quantity, as well as enough other mix and match stuff to fill the boxes. Matt and John had to take the bread seperately because the boxes were too full. God is good and He does provide.

We still struggle financially. We need about $900 a month more to operate in the black. Please pray with us,... and give. If you already do give, Thank you for partnering with us.

Peace,

Kim
514-808-9512

Good things and challenges

2008-06-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

The school year wraps up today, so our school lunch program has come to an end. One of the cool byproducts of our relationship with the schools is that they are giving us food stuff they can collect for our food bank. It has become a relationship of reciprocity. Today we picked up 8 cases of milk from Springdale. this will go in our food boxes on Monday. The food bank runs all year round.

We have also made arrangements for our families to get meat once a month thanks to the generosity of Premier meats. Monster Gym in the West Island has graciously allowed us to place a box in their hallway to collect food for the food bank. For the past 3 months we pick up a large rubbermaid container every Monday morning full of non-perishables that help feed our 70 families. it is amazing to have assistance from the community.

The Vault's summer kickes off tonight with our first summer concert. 5 hardcore bands will be playing at The Vault. It promises to be a great openning for the summer.

We continue to be challenged with financial needs. Our operating budget is about $900 a month in the hole. We continue to pray for more people to contribute to this Kingdom work. Please pray with us and consider helping out on a monthly basis.

In August we have a wine tasting fundraiser. It will be on August 16th at Joe's place in Senneville. It will be an outdoor affair(weather permitting), with a silent auction and some door prizes.

If you want to contact me my email is kim@onrock.org.

Have a great summer.

Peace,

K

Welcome

2008-05-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

This blog was created as a vehicle to share what is going on in the world of On Rock Ministries. There are so many people out there and only s much time. So, this is a place to find out what is new. So here we go.

2007 was for many a very challenging year. We were no different. We continue to be attacked by an unknown group of paint ball gun wielding guys in cars. Sometimes it is paint, sometimes marbles. They have become braver over time. In the beginning they shot paint balls at our building when we were closed. In the fall of 2007 they shattered all of our storefront windows with marbles. This cost us close to $2000. Lately they have gone back to paint, but, they are shooting at people. This is a dangerous situation, which the police seem to be unable to help with.

The Vault is doing very well these days Lot's of kids and a fair bit of mentoring going on. Our concerts continue to be a huge success. We are usually in the neighborhood of 100-150 kids a show. This give us a great opportunity to make friends and begin new relationships.

The food bank continues to grow. We are serving 70+ families every week. Monster Gym is helping us to gather food. They have allowed us to place a big bin in their entrance to collect food from their patrons. It has helped us tremendously. Carmine, the owner has been very encouraging and eager to help.

Premier meat company is now giving us meat once a month for our families. This is a great step toward giving more balance food supplies to the families that we serve.

The School Lunch Program has been a great success this year. We have delivered approximately 175 lunches a month through the school year. We are excited about the ways in which we are able to serve in our community.

We have three challenges before us. The first is meeting our monthly operating budget. We are about $900 short every month. We are in need of more monthly supporters in order to meet these costs and plan ahead. Secondly, we need $2000 to replace our kitchen sprinkler system. Our system s obsolete and we have to meet the new standards that have been set. And last but not least, we need a new, much larger facility. Our ministries have grown to the point where they can hinder each other, because we only have so much space. Please pray with us for a new location and the finances to see this happen.

For those of you who partner with us, Thank you for helping us be the hands and feet of Jesus to our community.

For those who would like to help, send your donations to;
On Rock Ministries
5000 St. Charles
Pierrefonds, QC
H9H 3G1

You can contact me at 514-808-9512

Peace