2018 expected to be a big year for Hope Street
Hope Street Compassionate Ministry Centre has big plans for the future, says executive director Rev. Murray Kumm, and 2018 is shaping up to be an important year for the mission.
“We are looking to expand for the future,” explains Kumm. “We are looking at maybe getting our own building so we can expand what we offer. I think we are coming to a point where we might outgrow a place where we can only have a building on Sunday afternoons.”
For the past 10 years Hope Street CMC has been run by Glenview Nazarene Church out of St. Barnabas Anglican in the city’s downtown core. St. Barnabas has been a key partner in the ministry’s efforts to help those in need get a hot meal every Sunday, says Kumm, and he is grateful for its parishioners’ generosity.
However, Kumm says Hope Street CMC would eventually like to emulate it’s sister Nazarene Church ministry in Winnipeg, and provide a greater range of services to those in need in the city.
“We are not here to replace everybody else doing this kind of work in the city,” he says, “but we just want to expand and fill needs where we find them.”
In 2017 Hope Street prepared 4,465 meals, and volunteers put in 2,555 hours of work to ensure the weekly meal got cooked and served. Kumm says he could use a few more volunteers for 2018 to help fill some spots here and there. He also reminds Hatters the ministry’s major, annual fundraiser, the “Coldest Night of Year” walk, is coming up on Feb. 24. The launch party for the event is taking place on Jan. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Family Leisure Centre.
“The future is looking very bright for Hope Street, but it is sad to see we are still needed in our city,” says Kumm. “We work in an industry where an increase in people coming through our door is not a positive statistic.”
For more information on Hope Street CMC visit its website at www.hopestreetcmc.ca.