Missions & Outreach Team

Missions & Outreach

 

International Opportunities

 

If you have a passion for International Missions, be sure to attend the Missions and Outreach meeting being held on November 7, 2010 at 11:30 in Boardroom.  Ideas for a Calvary organized international trip in 2011 will be discussed.  See below for some possibilities!

 

Ensenada Outreach Center is a mission organization that is a part of YUGO Ministries.  We desire to serve the people and needs in the Ensenada, Mexico area.

 

Through YUGO, we partner with teams, churches, and ministries from across United States and Canada and connect them with local Mexican churches and pastors.  As North Americans, we can offer our resources, willing hands & hearts and partner with the local pastors to help care for the poor of Mexico.  We do this through building homes, facilitating feeding programs & clothing distribution, providing emergency aid, and organizing children’s programs & sports camps.  We serve children, families, and local churches.  How we serve is always growing and evolving but each service opportunity can bring transformation to both those being served and the team members serving.

Habitat for Humanity Global Village                                        

As a Global Village volunteer, you will work alongside members of the host community in building decent, affordable housing. Your active partnership will help raise awareness of the burden of poverty housing and create a true global village of love, community, homes and hope.

Habitat’s Global Village volunteer program welcomes all who want  to make a difference by picking up a hammer and helping to change lives. There is no maximum age limit. Many of the trips require strenuous manual labor, so all participants should be in good health.

As a Global Village volunteer, you may work on house construction, renovations or disaster relief. Trip itineraries are balanced with plenty of work, rest and free time. Depending on the length of the trip, most teams spend a few days discovering the area and participating in local cultural activities.

Every Global Village trip is different, but you can expect to gain a unique set of experiences and memories. Volunteers form once-in-a-lifetime friendships as they travel, live, work and eat together.

 

Wells of Hope

The Wells of Hope Group is a non-denominational group founded on Christian principles. They are committed to responding to the cry of the poor and to help them attain for themselves, the basic necessities of clean water, education, and basic healthcare.

 

Fran Gray has contacted our Church to see if there is interest in helping with the Wells of Hope Group.  Early in 2011, three teams of dentists are going to Malawi.  Five volunteers are being requested to do the “behind the scene type work” for the dental team such as cooking, getting groceries and supporting the dental team.   The cost is about $600.00 to $900.00 for airfare.  Wells of Hope covers all other costs.  

 

If you are looking for the next step in International Missions this could be for you. 

 

 

 

Local Opportunities

Habitat for Humanity – Waterloo

The Vision:     A world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live.
The Mission:  To mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting
                         homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Calvary United Church has been involved with this local mission in 2010, providing 4 teams of volunteers to help build affordable housing on Howe Drive in Kitchener.  Habitat is still calling for volunteers daily from now to December 3.  If you are interested in volunteering on your own, or with others, see the Habitat Waterloo website, or contact a member of the Missions & Outreach team. 

Out of the Cold

“Out Of The Cold” is a program which strives to respond, in a meaningful way to the needs of the most abandoned of our city´s poor and homeless people. These needs include the basic physical needs of shelter, food and warm clothing, and the deeply human needs of compassion, dignity and feelings of self worth.

It is the aim of the program to enable all those involved to share their individual riches and poverties with one another. This interaction makes possible a discovery of our common humanity, which helps eliminate barriers and leads to the building of new and enriching relationships.

The program rotates from church to church every night from November 1 – March 31.   Volunteer opportunities include:  Set up, kitchen help, servers, hospitality, breakfast maker, morning clean up…..but what they are really looking for right now is Night Owls with Big Hearts to work on overnight security. 

Welcome Home

Since it opened in downtown Kitchener, Welcome Home has hosted 76 refugees from 27 different countries. To qualify, refugees must be "new arrivals" meaning living in Canada for less than 1 year. Residents may stay at Welcome Home for up to one year while they grapple with culture and language differences, find alternate housing and jobs.  The facility boasts 9 one-room apartments with shared kitchen, laundry and lounge plus 2 one-bedroom family apartments.

With a volunteer base of about seven churches, Welcome Home organizes projects to help refugees integrate into Canadian society including matching Canadian hosts with new refugee arrivals, ESL tutoring, homework tutoring, a Friday night games night, special outings, and community meals.  

Be sure to see Sharon Schmidt when she joins us at Calvary in January, to talk about Welcome Home and how we can become more involved. 

House of Friendship - Potato Blitz

The mission of House of Friendship is to serve low-income adults, youth and children in need of support, and to promote opportunities for personal growth, wholesome relationships and community development through the application of holistic Christian principles.

This year, House of Friendship will use approximately 170,000 pounds of potatoes in food hampers and meals across its 18 programs. To meet this need for emergency food assistance, they host an annual February Potato Blitz.   The Supermarket Blitz will be held on February 12, 2011,  9 a.m. to 3 p.m.   Volunteers will be needed to work at several local supermarkets on that day.  

Get Involved!

To get involved in these local or international missions, contact any member of the Missions & Outreach team:

Marg Scheid,  

Sandy Moore 

John Lambert