Whenever I hear the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke’s gospel, it is tempting to feel a little smug, for surely, I am not like the Jewish priest or the Levite who ignore the beaten man’s suffering, and walk by on the other side? Surely, I would come to the man’s aid. However, in recent years I am not so certain. I think of all the times I have walked by people begging on the street, feeling uncomfortable, yet averting my eyes. I could come up with a host of reasons: I’m hurrying to get somewhere; I am nervous of taking out my wallet in the street; I don’t have any change on me; the person begging looks a bit scary; they might only go and spend the money on something other than food; I already donate money to charities who help the homeless, and so on. At one time, it was only on the streets of Toronto that I encountered people begging, but now, with the financial hardship faced by so many, it’s right here on our doorstep. So, what should we do? Jesus made it very clear: we are to love our neighbours.

Of course, there will be times when we are simply unable to help financially. Going into Toronto in my early days as a Christian, I would carry granola bars with the verse from John 3:16 taped on them, until one disgruntled man begging in the subway tossed it right back at me in disgust! Subsequently I would make sure I had some toonies in my pocket, but I would soon run out of change.

More recently, I carry Tim Horton’s gift cards which are always well-received, and  I try to engage in a brief conversation with the person. Last month a man was sitting on the sidewalk outside the grocery store, and I offered him a Tim’s card and asked  him if he was going through hard times. He told me his wife and son had been killed in a car accident a couple of months before and he had nowhere to live. I wanted to weep. I asked his name and told him about our food bank, and as I drove back to my warm home, my car laden with food, I prayed that he might get the help he so obviously needed. I am beginning to realize that this kind of interaction, as brief as it may be, is so important, and knowing the man’s name made my prayer more meaningful.

I am very thankful that at All Saints’ we can help so many needy people in our community. It’s hard to imagine that a few short years ago the “Deacon’s Cupboard” operated out of a tiny room in the church basement. Clients had to prove that they were on social assistance and could only visit once a month.

We all know that the pandemic caused a seismic shift in just about every aspect of life. People who suddenly had no income were in desperate need of food. Almost overnight the rules were relaxed, and anyone in need was able to come…not just once a month, but once a week. Our numbers exploded and on a typical day more than 40 families will be served. Monthly food drop-offs replaced the in-church donations and are visible reminders of people’s generosity.

With Deacon Gary Gannon at the helm, All Saints’ food bank has expanded enormously, and now operates out of a much larger space in the basement, with the previous room used to store extra stock. Gary was instrumental in enabling us to join the non-profit Feed the Need Durham. This agency accesses and recovers large quantities (63,503 kilograms per month) of perishable and non-perishable food from food retailers, food manufacturers, food distributors and farmers, and in turn distributes these items to food banks across the region who pay an annual fee. This alleviates some of the enormous burden of shopping each week by a dedicated team of shoppers. The latest post-covid development is allowing clients to enter the lower hall through the “Montessori” door, after registering with the greeter. They are then able to fill out their order sheet and wait in comfort as their food is being packed. While this is on a trial basis, there are also other benefits besides being out of the weather. People are chatting while they wait, and it’s obvious that this fosters a real sense of community. We are also looking forward to another growing season in the community garden, providing fresh produce for our clients.

I find volunteering at the food bank an enormously gratifying and humbling experience. I am sure we all feel overwhelmed at times by the news reports of homelessness and food insecurity, but knowing we are making a difference one person at a time gives me hope. Another stark reminder of poverty is the growing number of un-housed people who come for help, requesting pull-top cans and other convenience foods. I recall a lady recently whose meager possessions had been stolen while she was in a shelter. I will never forget the look of joy on her face when I was able to give her a donated sleeping bag and a winter coat. Then there was the Muslim man who told me “God bless you!” as I gave him his food, reminding me that we truly are all God’s people, regardless of how we may worship him.

Prayer: Theresa of Avila
Jesus has no body on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which his compassion looks out on the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. And yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.  AMEN