Holy Trinity, Edson Team Helps Food Bank Feed Unprecedented Number of Residents

“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” -- 1 John 4:12

Our congregation, a shared ministry of Lutherans and Anglicans, selects our monthly missions annually at our AGM. Last year, we divided our contributions between local, service-based missions and national/international donation-focused missions. The feedback we received from members about the opportunity to volunteer locally as a group was very positive, so we committed to supporting several local community agencies again in 2024. 

Our March mission is the Edson Food Bank Society. This local agency is volunteer-driven and is currently serving an unprecedented number of local residents. Holy Trinity stalwart Sheryl Dubois worked with the Edson Food Bank to set up four workbees to accommodate the schedules of as many parishioners as possible. Under the guidance of Amy Pillage, program coordinator for the Food Bank, Holy Trinity volunteers ages five and up assisted with sorting, bagging and shelving items, and prepping hampers and snack bags. Throughout the month, we also collect items on the “most needed” list to keep food on the shelves. 

In addition to alleviating some of the workload for the dedicated team of volunteers at the food bank, parishioners find the time working together to be very fulfilling - and fun! In the words of faithful volunteer Beverly Kazoleas, “When we go to the food bank, we learn about their vision and goals. Our jobs are organised before we arrive, enabling us to work efficiently and effectively. It is all about teamwork. It is so rewarding, knowing that whatever we accomplish will make things go smoother for those who feed the people and, while working, pray for those who receive.”

Other local missions we have selected include the Yellowhead Emergency Shelter (women’s shelter), Edson Pregnancy Centre, Gabby’s Big Heart (local fundraiser for the Stollery Children’s Hospital), Reflections (adult drop-in centre), Edson LEAP Society (programs for children with developmental differences), and the Edson Kinettes Christmas Hamper Project. On Eagle’s Wings is a regional mission we supported financially in previous years. When three of our members participated in programming in the north two summers ago, we were moved to support this program with a more hands-on approach; helping prepare materials and, we hope, more volunteer opportunities. The national missions we support with donations and education sessions are Canadian Lutheran World Relief, the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, the Canadian Council for Refugees, and the Canadian Food Grains Bank. 

In addition to personal and in-kind contributions to support these missions, we are fortunate to have Myrna Downer coordinate musical coffeehouses for us once or twice a year. These events include wonderful entertainment by local musicians and a silent auction, the proceeds of which support our missions. Another big contribution to our missions in 2023 came from Beverly Kazoleas who invited congregants to donate in support of her 200+-km pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago. 

Submitted by Barb Shepherd, Holy Trinity, Edson