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Toronto
This month we're heading on over to the city of Toronto in the great country
of Canada!
Be sure to visit our opportunities page for
more information about serving in Toronto.
News from CSM Toronto City Director
With four weeks of groups almost complete, summer is well underway. Toronto
has seen 147 individuals come in and serve this summer, and is better for it. Many
ministries are benefiting from the extra help, especially at a time when so many regular
volunteers are taking vacation. Not only are the people of Toronto being blessed by the
students, but in turn the students are being affected as well. So often when groups come
in, there is a preconceived idea of homelessness and what these people are like. It is
exciting to see how a trip like CSM allows them to put a name and a face on homelessness
and have their impressions altered. Just a few of the faces in Toronto are…
Brian
“Hi Jenn”, I heard the other day as I was walking down the street – I almost
went right past Brian without noticing. I stopped to chat for a few minutes and was pleased
to find out he was now housed. Though he misses sleeping outside in the fresh air, with
nature for an alarm clock, he is definitely grateful for a roof over his head when the rain
begins to pour. Having a place to stay, and a job, Biggie is still frequenting soup kitchens
to cover his food needs.
Jerome
Jerome is a regular at Church of the Redeemer’s soup kitchen. Most groups
serving at Church of the Redeemer will often gravitate to his table as there is always a
card game going on. Having known Jerome for three years, I have yet to find out his story.
Not fitting any stereotype of homelessness, Jerome has no visible addictions, is always pleasant,
and is incredibly intelligent – one of the best Scrabble players around! I have never heard
Jerome complain of his situation, or blame anyone else for it. In fact, the only thing
I’ve heard him say regarding life on the street is that he prefers sleeping outside…sleeping
indoors gives him nosebleeds!
Andy
Living the “dream” of being an 80’s Rocker, the lifestyle hit Andy hard when
an addiction to drugs became his downfall. As a result, Andy found himself on the street.
It has been a long battle for Andy as he seeks to get his life together and provide stability
that would allow him a “normal” life as well as more time with his children. He now has a
job, and though not a place to call his own, he is able to sleep in the back of his workplace.
He also has an opportunity to take his two children on a trip to see his parents this next week.
Will
Once the ever-confident, smooth ladies man, Will was a “player” who dealt
cocaine but was wise enough not to use it himself. For whatever reason, one day Will decided
to dabble into his product which began the downward spiral of a crack addiction. Will is
now at rock bottom, having lost the faith of his parents who desperately wanted to help him,
along with others working at various outreach organizations in Toronto. Not yet willing to
get help, but deteriorating day by day, it is my prayer that Will will take a hand up, before
it is too late.
Marsha
Marsha is beautiful, healthy looking girl from South America. The CSM group
I was with, would have never guessed she was on the street, had they not seen her receiving
a bag of groceries from the Sally Van. The Sally Van is an RV sent out by the Salvation
Army to provide food, both physical and spiritual, to the youth on the streets in Toronto.
Though Marsha is housed and has a job, she is still finding it difficult to make ends meet.
Greg
Though still considered a youth, Greg is no stranger to horrors no one should
every experience. As a child, Greg was raped by his father, and bounced around from foster
home to foster home. The example he was shown by his father was one of abuse and drug use.
With a twinkle in his eye that has not been totally snuffed, Greg has been able to endear
people to him, if only for a short while. People reach out and are able to help for a
little while, but eventually, his anger or self-absorption break another bridge and he
finds himself on his own once again.
Phil
Phil is a songwriter, a Christian, and a regular patron of Good Shepherd
Centre. The Good Shepherd Centre is a shelter where our groups come to visit with the
clients and make the 90 beds that are slept in each night. Phil is quick to engage
the groups in conversation, specifically about Christianity. Rather than the groups
preaching to Phil, it is often he that gives them food for thought. He not only speaks
to our groups, but his desire is also to reach out to others on the street.
Every person has a different story, with its own struggles, obstacles,
and successes. With each story CSM groups encounter, comes a reminder that it not about
giving the “homeless” some food, but it is about relationships with real people, people
like Marsha or Greg or Phil, each with a name, and each crafted in the image of God.
Once this realization hits, we can become more powerful in bringing God’s message of
love to the streets of Toronto.
(All the names in the above article are fictional out of respect for those
involved.)
-Jenn Reimer, CSM Toronto City Director
CSM Toronto Video
Click here
to learn more about Toronto and how CSM is meeting the needs of the people there.
Local News Links
CSM Urban Updates
CSM now has it's own blog! Find out what's happening in urban centers throughout
North America, make comments and dialogue with others involved in urban missions.
Click here to check
it out.
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(MySpace membership required).
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