Next month, needy St. Albert families may go hunting for toys for their children and they can do it in privacy and with dignity without any cost to them at the toy centre at the Salvation Army church.
Next month, needy St. Albert families may go hunting for toys for their children and they can do it in privacy and with dignity without any cost to them at the toy centre at the Salvation Army church.
"This is the second year we have tried this and are expecting to fill more than 220 toy hampers at the Christmas toy centre," said Salvation Army Lieut. Peter Kim, who is a pastor at the local church.
"We invite parents to come and choose a gift for their own children. They come at their appointed time and we hope it gives them a sense of dignity rather than just having someone else choose presents for their children."
The Salvation Army works closely with the St. Albert Food Bank, especially at Christmas time, so those needy families will also receive vouchers for food hampers.
"The food bank understands food. We understand toy hampers. We have come to this arrangement to avoid duplication of services," Kim said.
Those wishing to donate toys can do so at the St. Albert Walmart from Dec. 1 until Dec. 22.
As Kim talks about his ministry, which extends well beyond Christmas and is part of his yearlong efforts to bring solace to the community, two words keep coming out of his mouth: Christ and love. For a man who has devoted his life to serving Christ, it's clear that love of community is part of the package.
"It's what I call my covenant. I was called by God to love and serve Him supremely all my days; to win souls and make their salvation the purpose of my life and to care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unlovable and befriend those who have no friends," Kim said.
Two years ago, Kim and his wife Grace – also a pastor – moved with their three children to St. Albert from Winnipeg to work at the local church. They quickly found there are some people in this community who are hungry and, just as important in Kim's mind, there are those who are in need of a friend.
"That person may be a single parent who just lost a job. It might be someone in the midst of a divorce who needs financial support but also emotional support. There are immigrant families who don't come here with much and who live in St. Albert and need help. There are kids needing coats. There are men who maybe need work boots to start a new job. There are people who think they do not need help but whose resources are so stretched, they might not even have a Christmas this year," he said.
Nov. 14 marked the launch of this year's Christmas Kettle Campaign and the local church hopes to raise $285,000 because the need is so great. Though the church provides an abundance of help at Christmas, the need is constant all year long, Kim said.
He explained that all church funding, including his salary, is raised in-house through tithing.
"All the money raised in the kettles goes to the community and the people who need it. It doesn't go to the church. Our church is self-sustaining," he said.
This year the St. Albert Salvation Army Church is celebrating 26 years in this community and 130 years in Canada. The local church gives out aid as far north as Slave Lake and as far west as Hinton, Kim said.
"Because of its large population, there are three Salvation Army churches in Edmonton, but we cover northern Alberta. We have clients from Spruce Grove, Onoway, and as far away as Whitecourt and Barrhead. Many of our clients are from Fort Saskatchewan, Morinville and Gibbons," he said as he explained how that aid giving often works.
"Imagine someone who works on the rigs to provide for his family but he got laid off and has struggled without a paycheck. All of a sudden he gets called for a job and he drives to it through St. Albert – say from Edson – with no money, and runs out of gas. We've helped people like that," Kim said.
Financial help is given on a one-time only basis, Kim stressed, but often the help provided goes beyond a handout of cash.
"We give one-time emergency service to those who are desperate but we don't want them to feel desperate. With confidentiality we help them and we can give them referrals to where they can get assistance," he said.
The Salvation Army pastors' outreach activities include visiting four different St. Albert seniors' residences to give services as well as visiting patients and families at the Sturgeon Community Hospital. The church hosts monthly subsidized community kitchens and everyone attending goes home with a bag full of home-cooked meals. Youths may attend the weekly Friday-night gym night and there are summer camps for children and their families.
Every Tuesday seniors are invited to a free lunch at the church.
Some of the money raised in the Christmas Kettle Campaign will go towards buying "sunshine bags" for those seniors. Gift bags will also be given to inmates at the Edmonton Young Offenders Centre and the Edmonton Institution for Women.
"We try to bring a little sunshine to people's lives. It's a gift with no strings, just as Christ's love is a gift," Kim said.
Throughout the next six weeks volunteers will take some 1,000 shifts of two hours each to accept donations to the Salvation Army Christmas kettles located in various local malls. Donations to the Salvation Army may also be made online at www.stalbertsalvationarmy.ca.
Toy donations will be accepted until Dec. 22 at the local Superstore or Walmart.
For more information call 780-458-1937.
Note: The original version of this story incorrectly stated that toy donations could also be made at the St. Albert Superstore. The Gazette apologizes for the error.
