St. Andrew's
Anglican Church
.
4619 Lakeshore Road, Kelowna, BC
Our Mission
Anglican theologian Richard Hooker said that the church was the only human institution that exists solely to serve those outside of its membership. This page outlines some of the ways we attempt to serve the world around us.
Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF)
The members of the parish give substantially to the Primate’s Fund which sponsors development projects overseas and in the Canadian north. Relief is offered at times of disaster and donations to the Primate’s Fund have often been eligible for matching grants from the Federal Government. Relief support has been sent to China and Burma and in 2005, when Kelowna had a huge fire that threatened the city, the Primate’s Fund sent money here for relief for fire victims.
The Food Bank
Each month several baskets of food are brought forward to the Altar to be offered to God. Parish volunteers deliver the food to the Food Bank. Financial gifts are also sent to the Food Bank periodically. This past summer we made a special effort to fill the shelves at a time when donations are often at their lowest.
The Drop-in Centre
This agency serves the poorest of the poor in the heart of downtown. Each month (for 7 years now) we provide a relief for the kitchen staff by taking in a lunch of chilli and buns and serving it to the 60 to 80 people who use the services of the Drop-in Centre. At the beginning of December we prepare ‘comfort bags’, cloth shopping bags filled with items needed by those who have no permanent home. They include such items as toiletries, pen and paper, candy, socks, and more. These bags for men and women are distributed at the Centre Christmas party. In 2007 100 comfort bags were taken to the Drop-in Centre and the Women’s Shelter.
Inn From the Cold
This service provides overnight shelter in a church hall to the homeless during the winter. St. Andrew’s provides financial and administrative support to this ministry and parishioners volunteer for many of the tasks involved in the program.
Youth Group and Sunday School outreach
For many years the children and youth of the parish supported a foster child. Their last one has grown up now and they have decided to turn their attention to local needs. They are now raising money to provide Christmas to a family in need. Their goal is $500 to purchase gifts for every member of the family and to provide the resources for Christmas dinner and stocking the pantry.
Bursaries
Each year the parish gives two bursaries of $500 each to University of BC
Okanagan. One is in memory of Dorothy Dekin, a beloved parish member, the
other is from the parish. These bursaries are administered by the
university and awarded at their discretion.
Our Buildings have a mission too!
Our church and hall serve the community in a variety of ways. The church is a popular place for recitals and concerts. The hall serves as a meeting place for some community events. We do not rent our buildings to make a profit, only to serve the people in the community.
From time to time we provide financial or other support to a variety of other projects.