Activities

Board of Directors

Twelve people drawn from local area churches and the community meet bi-monthly to provide God’s inspired strategic direction for the work of the ministry.

Community Ministry Coordinator

Linda Dixon serves the Stonegate community by responding to the residents’ spiritual and physical needs and by coordinating services and events.

The Outreach Store

The Ministry operates a clothing store in the heart of the community at Stonegate Plaza. The store is staffed entirely by 20 volunteers from local churches and the community. It serves local residents with affordable clothing and other necessities including household items such as kitchen utensils, linens, toys and books.

Food Bank

The Ministry is a major supporter of a local food bank operating from the premises of St. James’ Humber Bay Anglican Church. We help to supply the food bank and find volunteers to staff it. The food bank serves an average of 130 families and 70 individuals monthly.

Stonegate Action Group

In the summer of 2001, the Ministry facilitated the set up of a residents group. The action group meets once a month, its mandate is to bring local residents and community stakeholders together to identify community issues and concerns and to in-turn develop appropriate and meaningful community-based responses. The responsibility of running the action group has now been transferred to the community.

Stonegate Festival of Praise

An yearly festival of gospel music that has been organized since 2002. The event takes place in the parking lot of the Stonegate Plaza attracting hundreds of onlookers. We have the participation of musical groups from various church communities and gospel musicians from the larger Christian community. At the festival, gospel songs are sung in the cultural languages spoken at Stonegate. The musicians also share personal stories of how their lives have been affected by Christ’s transforming presence.

Partnership with Service Providers & Community

Through the years the Ministry has worked in partnership with the Stonegate Community Health Centre in a number of projects. Most recently, we are partnering in the following projects:

Food Security Investment Program - It started in 2005 by the City-funded food animators project. The outcomes were the start-up of a local farmers’ market; expansion of community gardens; snack program for two local schools; and gardening & cooking workshops.

Toronto Farmers’ Market Network - The Ministry is also partnering in the newly formed Toronto Farmers Market Network. The Network’s objectives are to provide support to the existing markets and assist with the start-up of new market places in Toronto area.

Lasting Family Connections

This family program was launched in April 2004 and its main purpose is to nourish and support the development of healthy and lasting relationships between parents and children. Under the umbrella of Lasting Family Connections (LFC) we have launched Time Together, a program for parents and young children ages 4 months to 3 years.

The next session has been scheduled in April and is for parents with children aged 4-12 months. Classes will be held on Thursday mornings 10:00-11:00 am from April 8 - May 22nd, 2010 at the Stonegate Plaza in the Annex, early years room. Call 416 234-9948 for more information on Time Together and to register for the upcoming session.