Winter Highlights 2021
In September 2020 a new school year started and for Toronto City Mission that meant a new year of after-school programs! While still in the middle of the pandemic, the Ontario government allowed for schools and programs to be re-opened, which meant we would be able to see kids, youth and family alike. Outreach Workers were able to connect with families face to face, at a safe distance. Programs both in person and online were offered, allowing for programs to be accessible for everyone. Through in person programs, children spent most of their time outside playing various activities like skipping rope, obstacle courses and basketball. New activities that could be played at a safe distance, like floor hockey was a favourite for the kids.
The Importance of Connection
For one young girl in Kingston-Galloway, Chelsey, her favourite weekdays were Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Why may you ask? It’s because she can come to “camp” (aka KIC and EPIC) to see her friends and leaders. Fast forward to January 2021 when restrictions were tightened and all programs were moved fully online. During a recent Zoom gathering, Chelsey had privately messaged Carmen, one of the Outreach Workers, and said that she feels lonely on days that programs are not offered. It was shocking to hear as Chelsey comes from quite a big family, yet she felt lonely. It became apparent how important online programs were for the kids, when we cannot meet in person. Even if it meant meeting online for only an hour. At that moment, Carmen reminded her that she can always message her or Rachelle but what was more important was that God is always with her, that He would never leave her. Chelsey replied with “I know”. For Chelsey, it is because of our supporters that she can have hope that in her feelings of loneliness, she can know that God will always be by her side.
The Power of Relationships
Online programming can be challenging and can be difficult for children to focus online. For Jessica, this was the case. Even before the pandemic, Jessica was a soft-spoken teen who was shy and tended to be in the background during summer camp. Only when she was having a conversation with someone one-on-one would she heavily engage in conversation. Through a recent interview, we learned that although she doesn’t know much about God, she came back to programs because she enjoys meeting new people and playing games and activities with her friends. We learned about her love for her grandmother and that when her grandmother was sick in the hospital, Jessica prayed really hard. After the interview, Lincoln and Nuri saw a slight change in Jessica's character. She was coming out of her shell and was more open about her life. When she comes to Youth Extreme and EPIC, she comes telling stories of her baking adventures and how delicious egg nog is. For Jessica, it is because of our partners that there is hope that she will continue to grow curious about the Gospel and succeed in online schooling.
Watch Jessica’s testimony video here.
The Gift of Christmas
December brought along various opportunities for our supporters to become involved in the lives of the families we serve. Thanks to the generosity of donors and the time of our volunteers, opportunities were created for families to reconnect with one another through sharing a Christmas dinner and playing board games. Not only were families able to reconnect with one another, but through giving of the gifts, we were able to do home visits and deepen relationships with the families. Each site held a virtual Christmas party where the kids and staff did activities like build gingerbread houses, and shared the Christmas story with one another. Due to the generosity and support of many through the Gift of Christmas, families are able to experience the Christmas message all year long through programs like, KIC, EPIC, and Youth Extreme. Here is a video of the Christmas Story, drawn by the children.