Over the next few weeks I hope to highlight various local missions that Grace Mennonite Church supports – including Bridge of Hope, Westview Centre for Women, the St. Catharines Soup Kitchen, and Bears and Blankets.
 
Bears and Blankets Update!  We have placed just over 200 Bears and Blankets Care Kits in 13 Long Term Homes. Only 13 more LTC Homes to get on board! And the offering is ongoing. I continue to welcome all donations of next-to-new teddy bears and homey small blankets. The kits also includes a beary sweet card and a bear-paw cookie.
 
In the next few months I hope to meet with our local MPs – Jennie Stevens and Wayne Gates – to see what can be done to ensure our Elders are treasured and LTC staff are valued. If you would like to join me, let me know. Love always, Jan Steven.
 
“It always a blessing to learn the wisdom from elderly people.” - Lailah Gifty Akita

​All things going well, after the service on Sunday on December 24, I should have extra virgin olive oil, olive oil soap, and za’atar thyme & sumac herb mix. These Fair Trade Items from Palestine help farmers with the greatest need. Cash, cheque or e-transfer works for me! 😊 Jan Steven

The MCC Thrift Shop on Grantham is temporarily closed for renovations. But there will still be a place to donate goods at their 254 Grantham St. location. Come visit Laur and me on Thursday mornings. Many of the teddy bears for Bears and Blankets come from the MCC Thrift shop. I will look for bears in good shape at other Thrift shops, but if you know of a good source, I’d love to hear about it. Contact me at church or 289-990-4839 or [email protected]

God’s purpose for you is not that you should sit around waiting for Jesus’ return to redeem the world. He wants your life to make a difference now. You are called to be a blessing to those around you..  – Nicky Gumbel, Day 339, Bible in One Year

​Let us continue to keep in touch with church friends who are not able to attend our Sunday services and who welcome prayers, phone calls, cards, and visits. Their contact information is in Church Directory. These friends include (but are not limited to): Tom B, John B, Erna & Jake B (Ester’s parents,) Reg F, Agnes G, Abe H, Francine and Theo I, Erika I, Hertha J, Mary L, Helene M, and Marlene W.
Have I missed anyone?  Let me know. Would you like a friendly visit? Let me know.
 
Laur’s and my annual Christmas card is available in the foyer – along with a sweet treat.
With love from your community chaplain, Jan Steven. 

The Westview Centre for Women always needs blankets and sleeping bags. If you have some you don’t want or need, you are welcome to bring them to Grace MC. Either Erika or Jan will bring them to the WCFW. There are pamphlets about the Westview Centre in the rack in the entranceway.
If it’s more convenient for you to drop off during the week, you can leave them at Laur’s and Jan’s home at 63 Beamer Ave. – wrapped in a plastic bag - please and thank you! I can also do a pick-up.
 
Mary K, Ester, and I also welcome donations of homemade shawls and small blankets for our Bears and Blankets program for Elders in Long Term Care. We have provided 117 care-kits thus far. We have requests for 171. Our care-kits go to Seniors who don’t get many visitors and who are lonely. I can pick up if needed. Contact Jan at church or at 289-990-4839 or [email protected]

Did you know that you can volunteer at MCC from home? Donor Stewardship Support Volunteers help by phoning and thanking donors for their gift, and helping to write out thank you cards.
For more information, contact: Beth Hovius
Phone: (519) 745-8458 ext. 239
Email: [email protected]
https://mcc.org/get-involved/volunteer/donor-services
​

“Violence begets violence; hate begets hate; and toughness begets a greater toughness. It is all a descending spiral, and the end is destruction — for everybody. Along the way of life, someone must have enough sense and morality to cut off the chain of hate.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
 
“Evil, even in the darkest moments, is impotent before the miracle of human kindness. This miracle defies prejudices and hatreds. It crosses cultures and religions. It lies at the core of faith.” – Chris Hedges, “How Kindness Saved My Life”

From Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi:
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I am hoping to find a person – doesn’t have to be from Grace MC – who would like to visit seniors in two retirement communities. (Not long term care facilities.) It would be one afternoon a week. Contact Jan at 289 990 4839 or [email protected]
 
By the end of this week, your Bears and Blankets team – Ester, Mary, and Jan – will have placed over 60 gift packs to selected Seniors in Long Term Care. The gift includes an individualized teddy-bear, a shawl or blanket, a bearpaw cookie, and a card. We welcome donations of clean next-to-new teddy bears and homey or home-made shawls or small blankets.