"Getting Along With Our Neighbours" by Alan Beattie

A Voice from the Street

INSIDE THIS ISSUEA View from Here ...................... 2

5K Walk postscript..................... 3

Save the DATE ........................... 4

Allow me to introduce ............... 5

Calendar of events .................... 6

CityofRefuge S A N C T U A R Y M I N I S T R I E S O F T O R O N T OCityofRefugeAutumn 2011 • Vol. 10 - Issue 3

We are grateful for the many people who care deeply about the work we do at Sanctuary and who demonstrate their care in so many ways: reading our newsletters, telling others about our work, sending financial gifts to keep us going, praying for us, visiting... It's all wonderful! And we are encouraged to know that you are cheering for us in our efforts here in downtown Toronto.

But I wonder how you would feel if Sanctuary – or a place like ours – was moving into your neighbourhood? Maybe even just down the street? Would you be as enthusiastic about that work as you are about ours?

That's a tough question for many – if not most – of us to answer. Let's be realistic. There are aspects of what we deal with at Sanctuary that make us less-than-ideal neighbours for the average homeowner. A higher-than-usual concentration of men or women dealing with

addiction or mental illness might result in extra rowdiness, occasional fighting, messier property, unpleasant cat-calling. None of those are things that are characteristic selling features of a particular neighbourhood.

But while all of this is true, it still begs the question: What would we do if a place like Sanctuary moved into your neighbourhood? Or maybe more practically for many of us: What should we do about the men and women who we pass on our way into work every day and who make us feel nervous or uncomfortable?

We can't pretend that we don't understand your hesitation or nervousness. We do. And maybe we can share some ideas about constructive ways of approaching a difficult situation like this.

First of all, let's work together! Whether it's an individual asking for money or a drop-in centre or shelter, our friends need a great solution somewhere in the city – let’s try to find that solution right where we are. There are going to be some challenges for us to face, but let's face them together. We will try to not be unrealistic about the challenges and let's also try to be realistic about the solutions.

Second, try not to be afraid. We realize that this may be easier said than done but rest assured that our friends who live on or near the street aren't nearly as frightening as we have been led to believe. Of course there are exceptions to every rule. But people who panhandle are generally really grateful for a smile and a greeting even if we can't share our money. People who are 'under the influence' are generally far more likely to have a run-in with one of their street friends than with a passerby.

Third, dare to dream of friendship! While it might seem hard to imagine, all of us at Sanctuary can testify to some wonderful friendships that we have been privileged to

(continued on page 4...)

Page 2

A View From Here...

Greg Paul

Just as a particularly crabby, soggy May was giving way to June this year, I had what I later identified to myself as a ‘Best of Toronto Moment’.

I had been invited to attend, as an honored guest, the Annual General Meeting of the Multi-Faith Alliance to End Homelessness. Even as I write that, it strikes me as odd: AGMs are, as a rule, right up there with a trip to the dentist on my list of things to do for a good time. And I will confess that I’m often skeptical of multi-faith gatherings. Christians have so much trouble agreeing on things, and consequently so often miss the point of our own faith, that it seems rash to compound the problem by actually trying to work along side of people with very differ-ent beliefs. (Hold your fire; I nevertheless do so regularly. Call it a leap of faith.)

The gathering was in itself a sweet thing. This group of people of widely differing and deeply held spiritual convictions are able to acknowledge and honour their differences, and still find within those diverse beliefs compelling motivation to recognize and embrace homeless people, who so many others fear or disregard, as neighbours.

We met in the heart of Regent Park, formerly a grim housing project of brick boxes cut off from the rest of the city, and now being slowly re-configured into a vibrant, creative commu-nity where people who have more than they need, and people who have less, are beginning to discover each other – as neighbours. A representative of the development company which is leading the charge was there, telling heartening tales of the care with which the plans had been made and executed, and of how former tenants of those brick boxes were moving back in, this time to beautiful light-filled buildings with access to banks, grocery stores and coffee shops. Some, by means of grants put together by the developers, were even able to purchase their new homes.

It was truly inspiring, a rare and brilliant example of businesses, banks, developers, politicians, and community activists coming together to recreate a ghetto as a neighbourhood where rich and poor alike can find a home.

As delightful as the meeting was, the ‘Moment’ was distilled for me in two brief vignettes I encountered as I was on my way there.

As I rode my bicycle along Gerrard Street, I came up behind two young girls, perhaps fifteen or sixteen, who were strolling along the sidewalk together. They were chatting animatedly, bumping shoulders with an ease and lack of self-consciousness that bespoke best pals. Nothing especially different about that.

Except that one of the girls was South Asian, dressed in very funky hip-hop garb, with snap-brim fedora jammed down over short spiky hair, and the other was clad head-to-toe in the

most conservative, black, Muslim dress, including a hijab.

Sweet, I thought, as I turned my bike to cross the road and headed through a park-ing lot. I was still smiling to myself at the thought of the great distance that had been bridged, both in terms of culture and, most likely, the girls’ respective families’ countries of origin, as I cruised toward a kind of alley created by fencing around two construction projects. The space between the fences was narrow, just wider than the badly broken sidewalk they bordered.

There was an old Asian woman just entering the alley, using a walker and moving slowly. I would guess that she was Chinese, mostly likely in her late seventies, maybe older. She wore baggy trousers, clogs, a square-cut shirt in a faded flower print, and a

BOARD OF DIRECTORSAndyBurgess-Chairman

MervMercer-President

BruceGooding-Treasurer

TedSmith-Director

CindyGladstone-Director

AlisonMarthinsen-Director

WillMoreno-Director

ShannonBlake-Director

(continued on page 4...)

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous

inside and out, true from start to finish.

John 1:14 (The Message)

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5K Walk postscript...Based on the dozen volunteers, over 100 walkers and pledges exceeding $20K, we could describe this year’s walk as a success; what made it a roaring success were all the folks from our core community who came out to walk – and some even found sponsors and/or donated from their meagre portion!

Many thanks to all who participated and donated, especially our sponsors -Maggie's, Smoke’s Poutinerie and Jam Cafe

This year’s route led walkers through pretty, tidy neighbourhoods and depressed ones, where many of our folks live. One of our walkers, Brenda Cosburn, sent us her reflections about the day:

“The Walk was excellent... a real eye-opening experience...walking through a completely normal looking neighbourhood, and when we reached the end of the street, we turned a corner. I couldn't believe what I saw. There were rows of boarding houses and hostels, with lots of people running and walking around, lying on the ground, and smoking pot. In fact, the pot smell was extremely strong on the entire street. Many people were barely dressed. There were also the sounds of fight-ing up and down the street. One half-naked and heavily tattooed man approached us and asked for some water. I gave him my ‘Sanctuary’ water bottle. The evidence of poverty, drug addiction and mental illness were at once both heart-breaking and shocking. I always knew that these places ex-isted, but I had never seen one with my own eyes. I prayed for the people the entire walk through. If I describe the whole experience as surreal, I wouldn't be doing it justice. It was almost as if I had visited a movie set, but this was and is so very real! In fact, my mind had difficulty processing this as reality, involving real human beings and situations... God willing, we intend to walk [with Sanctu-ary] again next year.”

Financial Update by Alan BeattieAs we continue to grow at Sanctuary and look toward celebrating our 20th Anniversary in 2012, financial stability is, as always a core issue. As of the end of August, our donations are $50,000 behind where they were last year at this time with the biggest shortfall being in the area of individual staff support. Our faithful God has worked in many different ways to keep us rolling to this point and we are confident that he will provide again this year. Please join us in praying for those needs to be met as we welcome others to join us as partners in our work. For more information on how to support Sanctuary - or an individual staff mem-ber - financially, contact Nada at nadat@sanctuarytoronto.ca or 416-922-0628 x.225.

Page 4

...Coming Up...

misshapen, broad brimmed straw affair that just missed being a coolie hat. Frustrated by her glacial speed, I bal-anced on my pedals and tried to calculate whether or not I could slip by without bumping her.

Immediately, that option was closed. A grizzled black man of a similar vintage to the Asian woman came scooting along the path toward us in a powered wheelchair. He slowed down, and she came to a full stop. I groaned to my-self. He slowed down some more, then raised his hand as he brought the chair to a halt.

The old woman raised her hand too, and they pressed their palms together. I couldn’t see her face, but his was lit up with a smile. He listened to whatever she was saying to him, and spoke very quietly to her in return. The whole time, their hands remained pressed together.

Being a neighbour is, at least in biblical terms, more than living near someone. It’s a matter of moving in, ‘flesh and blood’, heart and soul. Bridging the gaps, great and small, that divide us. It’s actively loving the other, the unfamil-iar. It’s the ancient, enduring law of God; it’s what Jesus did and taught and does; it’s the essence of how his follow-ers are supposed to live.

The Apostle Paul sums up the Law of Moses, and the teaching and example of Christ, like this:

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments... are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

(Romans 13:8,9 ESV)

I’ve seen it happen. And it’s very, very sweet.

"A View From Here..." (continued from page 2)

enjoy with our friends on the street. It will mean taking a risk. It might have some unexpected challenges. But it is possible! And more than that, like any friendship, it is well worth it!

And finally, we need to remember that these are men and women we're talking about. They're not “drunks” or “bums” or “crazies” or “pigs” or worse. They are men and women. They didn't grow up with dreams of living the way they do. Most, if not all of our friends, would gladly leave their addiction and its accompanying lifestyle behind if it were just that simple. We may not understand why it is so hard for them to overcome their challenges, but it is. We have walked alongside many friends and have seen that they face huge hurdles on the path to wellness.

And for those of our readers who describe themselves as followers of Jesus, we believe that these men and women are made in the image of God, dearly beloved by Him and of infinite value in His eyes. How much more motivation could we need for genuinely embracing our friends – and welcoming them in our neighbourhoods! – in His name?

"Getting Along With Our Neighbours" (continued from page 1)

arts eXtravaganza N o v e m b e r 1 1 t h & 1 2 t h

special theatre presentation:

The Bench presents 'Transient Voices'

A Christmas Night at Grace's D e c e m b e r 2 n d

...Constantin Socalski by Nada Thomson

Constantin was first introduced to Sanctuary 16 years ago by his Big Brother from Youthlink, and we quickly became a surrogate family for him, since the majority of his family is in Romania, and we have grown to love him like a brother too.

“I thank Jesus for the place that he has given me here and I bet it is vice versa with everyone here at Sanctuary, that every one cherishes one another and feels as warm and fuzzy about this church as I do, because this is our place to love and take care of well.”

His cheery disposition and high energy make him a much sought-after volunteer at all our events. And his giving spirit doesn’t stop there - Constantin is a regular at our church services too where his hard work to grow and mature has resulted in him being able to handle weekly responsibilities, much to our mutual delight. Thank you for sticking with us all these years, Constantin!

...Jay Barton by Nada Thomson

Jay came on staff at Sanctuary not long ago as part of our development team and we immediately felt the benefits of his enthusiasm! A Torontonian from birth, Jay attended Grenville Christian College and Bishops University then spent time working throughout Africa with CARE Canada and Doctors Without Borders. He even spent time volunteering at a leper colony in India!

Now, back in Toronto, married with a 5 year old son, he’s pouring his big heart into making a difference in the lives of folks living on or near the streets of Toronto. “The people in the Sanctuary community add significant value to my life...” And you do the same in return, Jay, welcome on board!

...the Sanctuary Community Garden by Emily Dueck

This summer has been an exciting adventure, gardening with community members from Sanctuary. The garden is located in the backyard of one of Sanctuary’s two houses in the East end of the city. There are four men from Sanctuary who are housed there, and they were graciously willing to let us do some digging and planting in their yard. They also agreed to help us with watering in exchange for garden veg-etables. A great deal, we decided.

The garden began with several small vegetable plants including tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, cucumbers, eggplant, honey dew melons, beans and several herbs. Over the course of the summer, these plants have grown very quickly and it has been fun to watch.

Every Wednesday, after lunch drop-in, has been our gardening afternoon. Some weeks there have only been three or four of us, while other weeks there are up to 8 community members who are eager to do garden work. While at the garden, our time has often been spent weeding, scouting out ripe vegetables, relaxing and enjoy-ing the vegetables and fruits of our labour. Other activities have included reading a book together, sharing our creative writing, telling stories, making pesto and brus-chetta bread, celebrating birthdays, and inviting the neighbours to join us.

Overall it has been a very ‘shalomful’ experience, as we have felt a renewed connec-tion to the good earth God has given us, have built stronger friendships with each other and have witnessed God’s love and goodness through both of these things. My hope is that the Sanctuary urban gardeners will continue to meet even in the fall and winter, to discuss issues surrounding food access and security, visit other urban farms, and to make plans for our garden next summer.

Allow me to introduce...

Page 5

Constantin Socalski

Jay Barton

the gardeners!

25 Charles Street EastToronto, Ontario

M4Y 1R9

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