Below is a description of several of the Outreach Projects we are involved in. If you, or anyone you know, would like to participate in these missions please call 705 566-2790 and we can connect you with the people overseeing the project you are interested in. Or if have any ideas and suggestions for other outreach options please contact us also.
Barrydowne College Outreach
In the fall of 2012 we learned of an alternative high school housed in Cambrian College that needed help for its students. This high school called Barrydowne College is funded by the Rainbow District School board and is intended for students ages 18-21 who are trying to complete their High School Diploma. Many of the students struggle to make ends meet each month. We became involved by providing non perishable food items and clothing for their Value Vault. Monthly pizzas are a hit with the students.
As the school grew, and added Art, Music and a Cooking Program, so did our outreach initiative.
We invited our neighbouring churches to become involved and now St. Andrew the Apostle, Holy Redeemer and St. John’s Catholic Churches are helping out, as well as St. Stephen’s On the Hill United Church. Every Christmas we provide stockings filled with goodies for the students and each church provides a monthly healthy lunch for the students on a rotating basis.
The ACW and parishioners at the Ascension generously provide donations for Scholarships for the students, and every year we invite them to our Fellowship Hall for a meal.
Out of the Cold
For the last 12 years the Church of the Ascension has a team that works at the “Out of the Cold dinners” in the basement of the Church of the Epiphany in downtown Sudbury.
This is an outreach program of St. Andrew’s United Church and we are pleased to be a part of it. Our team prepares and serves a hot meal on four Friday evenings and to anyone in need of food or fellowship.
Elgin Street Mission
We support the Elgin Street Mission in downtown Sudbury throughout the year with our donations of sandwiches one Sunday a month and other items of clothing or food.
ELEVATE
Another Outreach ministry that we are involved in is an Ecumenical one. The North East Ministerial group (Catholic, Anglican and United Churches) work together for the ELEVATE weekend of service, fellowship, and prayer. More than 50 churches across Greater Sudbury are involved in the ELEVATE weekend to show our unity in the Holy Spirit. The idea was for each ministerial group to prepare an outreach project in their local community and then for us all to share in a service for Christians across Sudbury on Pentecost Sunday. One year we prepared a soup and sandwich lunch for the neighbourhood, and another we participated in the planting and growing of a community garden in New Sudbury.
ELEVATE is a wonderful opportunity for our congregations to get to know each other as we worked together on a service project in the community.
ACW Friendship Quilts
The Anglican Church Women’s Group meet during the winter months to make beautiful quilted sleeping bags for the homeless. Once the quilts are made they are rolled up and packed with hats, mitts, sweaters, scarves, socks and a devotional book. These ‘Friendship Quilts’ as they are affectionately known by the women are distributed in Sudbury, but have also been sent to The Diocese of Moosonee and North Bay.