F A I T H L I N E S
15 December 2020
Third Week of Advent
Wishing you a Blessed Advent
In this issue:
Flemingdon Park Ministry - Amos' Story
Flemingdon Park Ministry - The Common Table Farm
We've reached $90,000 of the $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant
Virtual & Video sermons available
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If you wish to highlight your Parish's events in support of FaithWorks, please forward the details to [email protected]
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Flemingdon Park Ministry

Olalekan Amos Owolabi

Amos has been an integral part of the FPM team since early 2018. He came to us through an Investing in Neighbourhoods opportunity provided by the City of Toronto where the city pays the first year salary and contract. We are happy to say that Amos is now a permanent employee and plays a key role at The Common Table farm.

Nigerian born, Amos came to Canada via the United States. As a widower and single father, he believes that Canada has better opportunities for his young daughter and himself. They have been here since 2017. Amos is in process to be a permanent resident in Canada.
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Many newcomers to Canada farmed in the land they came from. Finding themselves in an urban environment where they cannot use their skills to make a living diminishes their self-esteem and leaves them more vulnerable.
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“The Common Table Farm thrived this season thanks to agency partnerships. More people received fresh and healthy produce this summer than ever before, and it is ongoing. Snow may be in the air, but the kale is still being grown under row covers. It is joyfully shared with the community each week.”
The FPM Advocate – December 2020
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The Common Table

The Common Table is both urban farm and farmer’s market. It came out of a desire to see healthy produce on the tables of the food insecure residents of Flemingdon Park and the surrounding neighbourhood. The Church of Our Saviour in Don Mills gifted FPM the unused land on their property in 2017 and now, after a few seasons of growing, you will find a farm that produces multiple tonnes of fresh, organic vegetables to be given to the families we serve.
 
Our produce list includes kale, tomatoes all of kinds, peppers of all kinds, lettuce of all kinds, onions, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, swiss chard, bok choy, carrots, spinach, peas, radish, garlic, and the list goes on.

The harvested produce is taken to the FPM market where families get to shop with their awarded shopping points, given to them according to family size. Market day in the park is a weekly community event with other agencies and organizations joining FPM to build a fun day of gathering, learning and simply being in community. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 harvest was safely distributed to registered families at the Angela James Arena through a partnership with FoodShare and the Flemingdon Health Centre. Over 750 families were served through this partnership. We hope to reopen our market in the park in 2021, once again building a community atmosphere and bring people together.

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Can you help us reach our Goal?

We're at $90,000
of the
$100,000
Matching Challenge Grant
For PARISHES !!!

We are excited to have been offered a Matching Challenge Grant of $100,000 for new or increased donations. The challenge is only for parishes. In other words, for every increased dollar a parish contributes this year to FaithWorks over last years amount, this generous donor will match it with another dollar up to $100,000.
 
If a parish increases it's contribution to FaithWorks this year over 2019 by $1,000, it becomes $2,000. If a parish's increase is $5,000, it becomes $10,000. If a parish's increase is $10,000, it becomes $20,000, for those most vulnerable and struggling every day.

There are two ways for individuals to participate in this challenge and contribute to their parish's total.

1) An individual can make a donation directly to their parish designated for FaithWorks, as in the past.

2) To make online contributions easier the FaithWorks website has been modified to give credit to a parish for an individual's donation. Simply go to faithworks.ca and follow the instructions to put the parish's name in the Comments section when making a donation.

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Virtual and Video Sermons available
We are only gathering virtually. The Director of Stewardship, Peter Misiaszek, and I would normally be visiting parishes in person to speak of FaithWorks. Why not virtually!!! If you would like one of us to speak to your parish during your online Sunday worship please contact FaithWork Speakers Bureau at [email protected]

If you would like the pre-recorded video of my sermon promoting FaithWorks (11 minutes) or the 20th Anniversary of FaithWorks video
(2 minutes) for your Sunday morning services, please email me so that I can make them available to you.
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Peter Mentis (he/him)
FaithWorks Campaign Manager

135 Adelaide St. E.
Toronto, ON M5C 1L8
416-363-6021 ext. 242
1-800-668-8932 ext.242
We build healthy, missional Anglican communities that engage faithfully with the world and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I acknowledge that my office resides on the territory of sovereign Indigenous Nations, the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat. I acknowledge especially the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Toronto Treaties.