“You have the biggest heart of all the food banks in the area!”
So said a client of our New Life Neighbourhood Centre recently. While we won’t make that claim for ourselves, we will say that it is exactly what we aim for: heart. Specifically, we want God’s heart to be visible in all we do. We have been blessed beyond our wildest dreams by God’s heart and the grace that pours out from it. We simply want to be a blessing in the lives of others as He has been a blessing in ours.
We know life is not always easy. Many of our volunteers have experienced going without a meal, or two, or three. We have felt the worry of not knowing how you will care for yourself or your family. We have carried the embarrassment that sometimes comes when you can’t quite make ends meet. We want to help ease your stress and help you keep your dignity as you ask for help. Because that’s what God does for all of us, and we want to be like Him.
Doing what we do at the Neighbourhood Centre requires us to be totally dependant on God. We pray a lot. For everything. And for everyone who comes through our doors. He consistently answers our prayers; miracle after miracle has taken place so we can continue to feed the hungry. God is still in the business of multiplying loaves and fishes, and changing lives. We just want to join Him as he does.
As a church, we are getting more involved in our community. Our Neighbourhood Centre is the way of getting involved with the most practical, day-to-day needs of those around us. We provide food to those in need through a monthly food bank. We serve a free pancake breakfast once a month. We provide hygiene products to those who need them and a bit of clothing here and there. Basically, we do what we can but we want to do even more.
If you know of a need within our community of downtown Oshawa, we would love to hear from you. If you’re near us and need a hand with a project you are doing, give us a call. In the meantime, would you do a couple of things for us? First, pray. Heaven moves when you pray. Two, get involved in serving others. Make a difference.
Bless someone else; show them God’s heart!
