Our Outreach Ministry is committed to building relationships with our wider community and supporting those in need. While we are active in many different facets of London life, some particular activities include:
Project Hope
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Project Hope is a group in London feeding/supplying our friends who are unhoused - providing nutrient packed, protein filled meals each week. With Project Hope, members of St James Westminster continue to make 60 or more hot meals each week.
Christians Against Poverty
- St. James Westminster has become a CAP (Christians Against Poverty) “Money Management Centre”, offering 6-hour courses on a regular basis to help those on limited incomes to manage their money to meet needs, get out of debt, stay out of debt, and even save. To learn more about CAP, go to capcanada.org.
Community Breakfasts
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Although currently on hold due to the pandemic, St. James Westminster hopes to be back with its partners Wesley Knox United Church, Calvary United Church, and St. Martin’s Catholic Church in Wortley Village to ensure a community breakfast is served every Saturday for Londoners in need of meal assistance when it is safe to do so. With a hearty breakfast of cereal, eggs, ham, hash-browned potatoes, toast, fruit, juice, coffee, tea – and much conversation, the community breakfasts are a wonderful place to gather.
Interfaith Tree Planting
- As part of the Interfaith Tree planting initiative of Reforest London, St. James Westminster has joined with other faith groups in London to plant 100s of trees and shrubs across the city since the program's inception.
Food Banks
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Throughout the year, we collect dry goods and produce to share with the St. Paul’s Social Services Daily Bread Food Bank and the Anglican Church of the Epiphany Food Bank. Each February, we hold a special drive called “Loaves and Fishes” to assist these food banks at a particularly difficult time of the year.
Refugee Support
- LERC was a partnership of the Karen Community of London and six London congregations: The Church of the Epiphany (Anglican), Colborne Street United Church, First Baptist Church, New St. James Presbyterian Church, St. James Westminster Anglican Church and St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church created in 2015. Although LERC has decided to shut down, funds for the Karen Community are still being managed by NSJ. A small committee has been formed to advise NSJ on the disbursement of funds as requested by the Karen Community of London. We hope to support the Karen heritage class with these funds. LERC was recognized at the 2023 Karen New Year Celebration and continue to have a close relationship with the Karen Community. St. James also supports the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund drives such as the “Ride for Refuge” to help refugees from Syria and other war-torn countries.
Indwell
- St James Westminster has created a relationship with Indwell, a Christian charity that works to build and supply affordable housing communties that support those seeking health, wellness, and belonging. Through generous donations from St James Westminster, along with other organizations, Indwell has communities of more than 700 people in buildings in Hamilton, Woodstock, Simcoe, and London. More information can be found at indwell.ca Periodically the youth of St James provide Breakfast Bags to the tenants of Woodfield Gate in London.
SoftBall and BBQ
- A big thanks to the Sizeland, Vass, and Ryan families for organizing the Softball game and BBQ with St. James and Wesley Knox. We had about 50 people for dinner and served hotdogs, hamburgers and huge variety of salads and desserts. Everyone enjoyed the game and especially the fellowship afterwards!