For more than 38 years, on the first Sunday of the month, people from St. Mary’s hae gathered in the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre (WRC) to wheel patients from their rooms to attend an Ecumenical Service in the Chapel.
The service is based on traditional Anglican hymns, chants, prayers, and liturgy. With the use of an overhead projector those attending the service can see the words to sing along to well-known hymns and join in the psalm, confession, creed and the Lord’s Prayer.
We gather in the WRC about 12:30 pm to share a light lunch prepared by one of the porters. At 1:00 pm the patients are wheeled to the Chapel. The service begins at 1:30 and is led by one of the volunteers.
Patient comfort is a priority so the service is planned to last less than 30 minutes. The patients are then returned to their rooms. Most of the patients are not members of St. Mary’s nor members of an Anglican parish however they are grateful for this outreach of St. Mary’s which enables them to worship God in the company of like-minded Christians.
Over the past year St. Mary's has once again been a generous giver of food , books magazines, egg cartons , bags, plastic dishes, along with cash donations. Two baskets sit on the Montague street landing for this cause and become quite full by the end of each month. Once a month the two baskets are emptied and taken by your volunteer to the food bank located on the four block of Winnipeg St. The helpers there help the volunteer to unload and put the articles on a scale to be weighed and the book is signed so that letters of thanks can be sent out for the donations they receive.
During the Lenten period and the Christmas season articles from the baskets are donated to the Food Bank, Souls Harbor Mission and then at Christmas time we take articles also for our Christmas hampers.
This past year a group from st. Mary's took on the task on a Saturday to help fill bags of macaroni for theChristmas hampers given out by the Food Bank which included a talk about the work at the food bank and a grand tour of the place and the work bee and within two hours we filled two large bins to the top.
The food bank is always looking for more volunteers and the time I have spent there has been very rewarding. The food bank is open to everyone and tours are available. What you see will make you want to spend some help time with them.
I wish to thank everyone who have helped out in any way and to those who may have done things for the food bank..
May God bless St Mary's for this ministry and say thanks for giving me the opportunity to work as your food bank volunteer.