Serving the Community
Care & Service
On Sundays we gather to worship God through prayer and music. We actively serve our neighbours, especially the homeless, underhoused, and marginalized. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded land of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. Whoever you are, you are welcome here.
Westside Anglicans Neighbourhood Ministry
Street Ministry
At the core of the Neighbourhood Ministry is its street outreach program. Parishes collect non-perishables and basic necessities, which are packed up and distributed by teams of 3-5 people (one from each parish) to homeless folk on the Westside every Saturday morning, year-round. The greatest gift is that of conversation and companionship, and those living on the street have developed a trust in Neighbourhood Ministry volunteers. This ministry initiative transforms the lives of everyone involved –those who donate to the packets, those who pack them up, those who deliver them and our homeless neighbours who receive them – by fostering friendship and understanding.
Building Community at Dunbar Apartments
Neighbourhood Ministry volunteers help build community at the Supportive Housing apartments at 17th and Dunbar. Dunbar Apartments offers housing to formerly homeless people from the area – many of whom were referred by the Neighbourhood Ministry – as well as those suffering from mental illness. Volunteers at Dunbar serve dinner on the weekends and offer seasonal celebrations for building residents. In addition, volunteers offer one-on-one assistance that ranges from accompanying residents to medical appointments to pastoral care. The Neighbourhood Ministry contributes funding toward a breakfast program.
Mobile Care Unit
In 2017, the Mobile Care Unit (MCU) was launched in partnership with the UBC Schools of Medicine and Social Work. The MCU is a travelling team who provides basic medical care and social services to homeless and low-income populations in our neighbourhood who may face barriers to care. The team is comprised of doctors, medical students, social work students, and Neighbourhood Ministry volunteers. They visit three sites about 8 times per month, sites where homeless and needy neighbours gather for community meals. Currently, this includes visits to the Kitsilano Showers for the Homeless program (Saturdays), St. Mary’s Kerrisdale (Tuesdays), and St. Augustine’s Marpole (Thursdays). Volunteers assist in any way they can to help clients access resources and services available.
The Angels Program
The Neighbourhood Ministry has ‘angels’ to help with supporting the people we serve. Volunteer angels are paired with clients who require extra support in accessing services for which they are eligible. Angels play a significant role in supplementing services done by the Mobile Care Unit, working behind the scenes to advocate for and assist clients.
Funding and Support
Funding for the Neighbourhood Ministry activities is shared by the four sponsor parishes. Parishes donate items-in-kind, provide financial support, and the bulk of volunteers. Over the years, neighbours and friends not associated with the churches have joined as volunteers, to be part of this special and life-changing ministry. There are many ways to support the Neighbourhood Ministry. You are warmly welcome to join us!
Syrian Refugee Sponsorship
As a Sponsorship Agreement Holder with the Diocese of New Westminster, St. Helen’s Anglican Church has been proud to support the private sponsorship of several Syrian refugees who were residing in austere conditions in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, due to the war in Syria. In addition to ten Syrian refugees who were sponsored and arrived in Vancouver in 2016 and 2017 (three brothers and a sister, and their respective families), two more children were born in Canada in 2017 and 2018. All are doing very well, with gainful employment, great places to live in Vancouver and Richmond, and healthy, fast-growing children! We have been so honoured to support and get to know these awesome new Canadians!
St. Helen’s Continuing Support of Syrian Refugees
All of our former refugees are doing very well, with gainful employment, good places to live in Vancouver and Richmond, and healthy, fast-growing children! We have been so honoured to support and get to know these awesome new Canadians!St. Helen’s role as a sponsor of Syrian refugees is still ongoing. A family of four (with another on the way!) arrived in September 2022. We are delighted to welcome Abdul Rahman, Rahaf, Ahmed and Amen to Canada after their very long wait in Turkey! As their sponsors, we have the responsibility of financially supporting them until September 2023, although additional support to them will likely need to continue into 2024. St. Helen’s has a dedicated fund for the Syrian Refugees. All monies donated to this fund will go towards the food, rent, utilities, phones and transportation for Abdul Rahman and his family. If you wish to contribute to this fund, you may do so online, HERE. In the drop-down menu for online donations, be sure to select “Syrian Refugee Fund”. You will receive a charitable receipt for your donation.