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Ste-Geneviève United Church (Ste-Genny's)

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Past & Present Outreach

Reaching out to people around us is an essential part of Ste-Genny's ministry. Many of our outreach projects were started because someone had an idea, someone took on a cause. Some of these projects are small and involve few people, others are large and may involve the whole congregation. Many of our committees also include outreach projects as part of their activities.

Here are some of our past and present outreach projects:

*   In fall 2023 our minister, Rev. Joëlle Leduc, started to offer to offer Spiritual Gatherings on the first Wednesday of the month at 2:00 pm at The Cambridge Senior's Residence.
*   In April 2023, as well as in April 2024, our minister, Rev. Joëlle Leduc, a former bike mechanic, organized a very successful bike tune-up event. Many people from our neighbourhood and beyond, as well as our own people, came to have their bike checked and tuned up. See the two pictures here.
*   In fall 2016 we adopted new Mission and Vision Statements and started the ORA Loss & Living Program. We had many years of successful programs given by various facilitators and attended by people. Regretfully, our ORA Loss & Living Program closed its doors on July 1, 2023. However, Roma's Kitchen Talk - Cooking for Love & Comfort, is continuing as a Ste-Genny's activity.
* Every fall Ste-Genny's organizes a Food Drive. Before the sale of our property to Voluntas we collected food donations, stored those temporarily in our hall and distributed boxes of food to needy families in the West-Island. With the hall no longer available after the sale we continue the food drive year round and bring the collected donations to On Rock Community Services, who run a food bank here on the West-Island as one of their programs, serving more than 300 families every week. To find out how you can help, see our Food Drive page.
* Over a period of several weeks at the end of summer we collect school supplies which are donated to Saint Columba House to be given to the children in their community. (See details below.)
* We used to have a large building, which was available for others to use as well. Groups that have used our facilities include 7th Day Adventists, Scouts, Recovery Groups, Choirs, Tai Chi, Dance Groups and the West Montreal Readaptation Centre.
* Our United Church Women (UCW) used to have monthly visits to Ste. Anne's Veterans' Hospital and have, in the past, provided financial contributions to, for example, Montreal City Mission, Mission and Service, Caring and Helping Hands, Cheshire Foundation, Saint Columba House, West-Island Women's Shelter and West Island Palliative Care Residence. They have also catered a number of banquets.
* Our Healing Pathway team not only serves our own congregation, but also people from the wider community. After 16 years of serving people our Healing Pathway Ministry closed down in September 2018. Currently our practitioners provide services throu the Cedar Part Healing Pathway program.
* Our previous minister, Rev. Ian Smith, as part of his community outreach, was the Pastoral Coordinator of the West Island Palliative Care Residence. This outreach ministry led to many opportunities to network with - and minister to - people in the West-Island community and beyond in both spiritual and secular contexts. It has also led to invitations to speak at functions sponsored by other church communities and at training workshop events sponsored by community-based organizations. In 2008 Rev. Ian Smith was invited to lead a workshop for the ecumenical Pastoral Care Team of the Lakeshore General Hospital and was also asked to facilitate an event about "Spiritual Dimensions of Whole-life Care" held by the Montreal Presbyterian Women's Missionary Society.
* In December 2007 we started about twice a month interpretation of our worship services in sign language. This lasted for three year.
* From time to time our Community Band organized a Coffeehouse. Part of the proceeds from such an event were distributed to a local charitable organization. Groups that have received funding include West Island Palliative Care Residence, Old Brewery Mission, West Island Citizen Advocacy, AVATIL, VOBOC, West-Island Women's Shelter, The Shriner's Hospital for Children and Big Brothers Big Sisters of West-Island. Our Community Band also regularly performed at other venues. In the past they have played at the Ecumenical Picnic, Norma Mc-Alister Senior Home, Side Door Coffee House, Château Dollard, Purcell Academy and the Annual Meeting of Montreal and Ottawa Conference, as well as at other churches, Roxboro United Church and Lakeside Heights Baptist Church. Many members of the band have moved on and, regretfully, our Community Band is currently not active.
* Our many Caribbean parishioners have organized several Caribbean Extravaganzas, where all could enjoy Caribbean food, music and hospitality.
* Many of our parishioners have been active in Cursillo.
* In the past, our Youth and Young Adults (YAYA) GROUP sponsored the placement of a collection box in the church hall to collect donations for Dans La Rue. All donations of toiletries, jackets, mittens, blankets, socks, hats, etc. were gratefully appreciated! In 2009 our SG YAYA GROUP started a new project with Invisible Children, raising funds and increasing awareness of the plight of child soldiers in Uganda. Our youth have grown up and our YAYA Group is no longer active.
* Saint Columba House – Over the past several years, we have received a request from Saint Columba House to help out with school supplies for children in the community. Unfortunately normally the request comes at a point in time that many of the children only receive their supplies after the start of the school season. With this in mind, we are looking for donations and hoping to distribute them to the children before the beginning of the school year. Donations of the following would be greatly appreciated: Hilroy copy books, Hilroy loose leaf, Three-hole binders, Duo-Tangs, Pencils, Coloured Pencils (Laurentian), Blue pens, Red pens, Rulers, Erasers, Scotch tape, Yellow-highlighters, Liquid paper, Spiral Notebooks, Lunch Boxes, Geometry sets, Scissors, Glue Sticks, Lepages white glue, Kleenex boxes. Watch for sales beginning in July. Please bring your donations to the church office prior to August 7 so that we can deliver your donations and give Saint Columba House enough time to distribute them before school starts. In July a box will be placed in the church for your donations. We will make sure Saint Columba House gets them, even when supplies are brought in after the school year has started.
* CANADIAN TIRE MONEY: The UCW is collecting Canadian Tire Money to to help the UCW purchase Jam / Preserve Jars. Please drop off your contribution in the designated envelope on the bulletin board.
* UCW collect Campbell's soup labels for a program entitled "Labels For Education". Campbell's soup labels are collected and sent to the Pathways Health Center in Sarnia, Ontario. Please bring in your contributions and drop them in the designated envelope on the bulletin board.
* The LIONS CLUB collects your old prescription eyeglasses. If you have any collecting dust in a drawer around the house, bring them in and drop them in the designated box in the corridor.
* The MIRA FOUNDATION is looking for your old used towels. If you have any towels that you are thinking of throwing away, please bring them to the church and drop them in the designated box in the corridor.
* SHRINERS HOSPITAL collects aluminum tabs for recycling into money to purchase wheelchairs, etc. Please save the tabs off your cans and drop them off in the designated envelope on the bulletin board.