Generosity and the Bosnian Refugee Family

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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