Helping the homeless by making winter bags

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/10/2017 (2959 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Congregation members at the Windsor Park-based Prince of Peace Lutheran Church are once again preparing to help the fight against homelessness.  

The Prince of Peace Social Ministry Committee is starting its second annual drive to support St. Boniface Street Links, whose mission is to work to end homelessness, reduce poverty, and support crime prevention.

One of the initiatives of the grassroots, non-profit organization is Morberg House, which opened in August 2016 at 311 Provencher Blvd. Morberg House provides a place for individuals to call home and get the help they need to access services and transition into regular housing.

Lise Schwark, a committee member who came up with the original idea for the drive, said the goal is once again to make winter bags for the homeless that include a fleece blanket and a sleeping bag, as well as personal hygiene items. Once assembled, the bags will be distributed through St. Boniface Street Links.

“For us, it’s a community outreach project, and it’s about helping people in our own backyard,” Schwark, who lives in Windsor Park, said.

“There are people that need the help, and that’s what we were put on this Earth to do. Especially at Christmas, it should be our goal to take care of our own.”

Community members can help the cause by donating items including sleeping bags (new or gently-used), toques, scarves, mitts, long underwear, sweatpants, sweaters, hooded sweaters, jackets, and socks, as well as toiletries such as facecloths, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and shampoo.

This year, the group also received a grant for $3,000 from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada (ELCIC) Women of Faith Fund, which will be used to buy sleeping bags and fleece to make blankets, as well as purchase supplies not received as donations.

The group will also be holding two blanket-making workshop for community members interested in helping out. The first workshop will be held on Sat., Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and the second one will be held on Fri., Nov. 3 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Everyone is welcome, and no experience in necessary. Cutting material and tying knots is all that is involved, Schwark said. Coffee, tea and snacks will be served.

Item donations can be dropped off at the church, located at 930 Winakwa Rd., on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Alternatively, individuals can call the church at 204-256-8712 to make other arrangements.

“Last year’s drive was very successful, so we’re hoping we can continue that success,” Schwark said.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com