Reaching Out To Those In Need

The winter months are upon us and high inflation and poverty are running rampant, causing more and more families than ever to turn to food banks to help make ends meet. The  Church of Our Saviour the Redeemer has an ongoing food drive, but during Advent one of our parishioners, Karolyn Penili, brought the idea of a reverse Advent Calendar. Parishioners were provided with boxes and each day of Advent were asked to add a food item. The response was amazing. Due to our parishionersʼ amazing generosity, bringing all of the items to the church in one box proved to be very heavy, so many opted to fill their box and then bring individual bags of food to the parish. We also asked for donations of gently used coats to be distributed to those in need of warm clothing and there again the response was overwhelming.

Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me.” In all things we are striving to follow Jesusʼ teachings and our parishioners are responding in love and devotion to our Lord.

The Reverend Canon Bahman Kalantari with some of the food destined for St. Matthew’s House.

Photo: Contributed by Bev Groombridge