The Outreach activities of the parish are supported by generous donations from parishioners directly to Outreach. In 2008, $70,800.00 was distributed locally and globally, through our own Outreach projects and through donations to other registered charities.
Our own projects:
Refugees: We have continued to support our Somali refugee family,
The West Point Grey Anglican Street Ministry was a joint new initiative in 2008 involving St. Philip’s, St. Anselm’s and St. Helen’s. Teams of three, one from each parish, go out to distribute packets of supplies to homeless people in the neighbourhood.
Other direct local Outreach activities are:
Providing refreshments for parents of the Crown and Tom Thumb Preschools during the first week of school
Providing money each month to the Clergy Discretionary Fund.
Collection of food and money for the Vancouver Food Bank the first Sunday of each month.
Distribution of Christmas hampers to needy families identified through two schools, Florence Nightingale and Queen Alexandra
Donating shoe boxes full of Christmas gifts to Missions to Seafarers
Volunteering at the Food Bank at St. Michael’s Church on Fridays
Collection of school supplies for distribution in third world countries, as participants in a Mennonite project
Knitting scarves and hats for Missions to Seafarers, St. Jude’s, and women’s shelters
Clothing purchases for shelters for abused women, St. Elizabeth’s and Powell Place. Members of the Parish have been very supportive in donating clothing, knitted hats and scarves. Ashley's, Olindas and VanCity continue to support our efforts for the shelters.
Donations to other registered charities:
Most of the money received by Outreach is passed on to other Canadian registered charities, working locally and internationally. In 2008 the Outreach Committee supported the following:
GEM (Going the Extra Mile), the diocesan outreach fund which in 2008 supported the Coming Home Society, the 127 Housing Society and St. James Street Outreach Initiative
Camp Artaban
Health and Home Care BC (formerly Victorian Order of Nurses) Family Respite Centre
SOS Children’s Villages BC, an organization devoted to helping children and teenagers in foster care.
WISH, drop in centre for women in the sex trade
Quest Outreach Society , which rescues food from places of surplus such as hotels and distributes it to organizations that feed the hungry
Lower Mainland Grief Recovery
St. James Community Service Society, including St. James Music Academy, a program of music instruction for students of inner city elementary schools
The building fund for The Crossing at Keremeos, a treatment centre for addicted youth
The Aboriginal Mother Centre
Kidsafe, after school and vacation programs for elementary school children at risk
Vancouver Food Bank
Aunt Leah’s Independent Lifeskills Society
St. Michael’s Mission for support of the foodprogram at St. Michael’s Anglican Church
Three $500 bursaries to Langara College students for testing for learning disabilities to enable them to qualify for special assistance
Two $500 bursaries to Aboriginal students at U.B.C., preference to be given to students not supported financially by their band
St. Anselm’s Church for a mission trip to Nicaragua involving U.B.C. students
Support of four foster children through Plan International Canada (formerly Foster Parents’ Plan)
Stephen Lewis Foundation for AIDS in Africa
Doctors Without Borders
Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund
Many of our parishioners support this national Anglican church endeavour weekly or monthly, and many more support their special relief programs.. The PWRDF, working closely with other church agencies, has on-the-ground people in many countries who work chiefly in villages assisting with self-help projects such as setting up small businesses, sinking wells, building schools etc. In the many emergency situations to which PWRDF responds and then asks for help from the churches, the amount of money raised is matched by the Canadian government. The Outreach committee has a PWRDF representative who keeps us up-to-date about that work.
Other fundraising activities (under the umbrella of Outreach but not using Outreach money):
The St. Philip’s and Friends Gogos, have raised more than $12,000 for the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign by making and selling tote bags.
A parishioner has been selling cards made from photos of her 2008 trip to India, to raise money for a project for empowerment and education for untouchable women near Mombai, sponsored by the Church of South India.