Social Concern and
Outreach Committee

Grace Church volunteer at the Churches on-the-Hill food bank

Outreach Activities 2009

A special thanks to all the volunteers who helped with Outreach projects in 2009. I know that all enjoyed the experience of doing useful work to help others across our Toronto community.

Attic Sale

The parish has an annual sale of used items of all kinds: furniture, kitchenware, small appliances, linens, toys, and thousands of other things. Prices are very reasonable, and all items not sold are given to other community charities. Volunteers from all parts of parish life sort and prepare for the sale, staff the tables and the cash on the day of the sale, and the Outreach Committee helps with distribution of the remaining items after the sale. The 2009 Attic Sale was held on May 9.

Churches on-the-Hill Food Bank

This food bank, which is the second-largest in Toronto, is located at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church on St. Clair Avenue West. All Grace Church, and indeed all 8 of the churches on-the-hill, support the food bank with donations of food and funds, and considerable volunteer support. Paul McGrath of Grace Church is the current President.

Habitat For Humanity Dinner

It was a beautiful sunny day when a team of Grace Church volunteers arrived at a Habitat For Humanity work site off Kingston Road. It was an important day as 70 women were being trained to supervise the building of seven new town houses. We provided a large quantity of lasagna, rolls, fruit, and drinks, and when the dinner bell rang, we were very busy for the next hour. We received a special note of thanks from Habitat --- Hooray team!

Moorelands Camp Work Party

For the last 10 years, a Grace Church team has spent a September weekend working at Moorelands Camp, near Dorset, Ontario, on Lake Kawagama. The Grace Church team of 13 volunhteers joined a team from St. Timothy’s Church on a beautiful September weekend at the camp. This has been a wonderful annual project and we are already making plans for a weekend in 2010.

Choir Clothing Sale

Led by the parish Choir Guild, used clothing given by church members is sorted and prepared all year long for the October sale. High end fashion items are sold in the Boutique, but all kinds of clothes for men, women, and children are sold in the Parish Hall for very low prices. In the late hours of the sale, clothes are sold in bulk by the bag. The Outreach Committee helps in distributing clothes that remain after the sale to local charities. The 2010 sale will be held on Saturday, October 16.

Annual Churches on-the-Hill Food Drive

Deer Park United Church took the lead in coordinating volunteers from all of the Churches on-the-Hill. On the first Saturday in November, volunteers distributed publicity in the neighbourhood. Then on the following Saturday, they collected, sorted and boxed food donations. The result was the delivery of more than 90 boxes of food to The Stop and the Churches on-the-Hill Food Bank.

The “Mitten Tree”

Joan Pringle has generously looked after this worthwhile project for many years, including promotion, setup, and distribution of the donated mitts, gloves, toques, and scarves. As a result of the project, Joan was able to deliver over 100 items - gloves, scarves, hats, and baby clothing - to Moorelands Community Services, where they will be distributed to families in need. Thanks very much to the parishioners who responded to the call.


Teddy Bears

Once again, parishioner Ann Wallace has supported Outreach through her coordination of the knitting of “Teddies.”  A great number were knitted this year and we say many thanks to those who spent the summer knitting them ready to give away at Christmas. This year we sent some to the Mully Children’s Foundation in East Africa and to downtown Toronto communities through LOFT. Thank-you to all who those involved in knitting and distributing the “Teddies”.

Project Funding - 2009

The Outreach Committee has distributed funding to the following organizations:

We invite your support for this vital ministry. You would be welcome as a volunteer on a project, or as a committee member who would help organize, lead and expand our projects. Please contact Paul McGrath at 416-487-7081 or email Paul HERE.

A Grace Church volunteer interviews a client at the Food Bank