Church programs unite diverse community
St. Barnabas Anglican Church straddles the Fernwood neighbourhood — home to people living in apartments and modest houses — and the edge of downtown, where many of the region’s poorest live with addictions, crime and no homes at all.
Throughout the year but especially around Christmas, Rev. Travis O’Brian works to bring members of his diverse community a little closer together.
“We cross all socioeconomic lines, and we try to create community,” says O’Brian.
Aside from presiding over religious worship, he and wife Jasmin, along with others in the church, organize lunches and other gatherings to bring everyone in for everything from food to conversation and a helping hand.
Star Sunday is the marquee event at St. Barnabas. Scheduled for Dec. 7 from 3 to 5 p.m., it’s a craft fair, but there’s no selling, only creating.
At no cost, kids can build birdhouses, fresh Christmas wreaths, beeswax candles, fishing lures, soup mixes, cards and several other items as gifts for their families, without the pressures of money and shopping malls.
The church’s parking lot and hall at 1525 Begbie St. is packed with 22 craft stations where children can unleash their creativity using materials supplied by local sponsors.
St. Barnabas also provides families in need with Christmas hampers, using money it receives from the Times Colonist Christmas Fund. Hampers contain turkeys, clothing, gifts for young children and vouchers to buy food and other items at local grocers and retailers.
Some of the $7,900 grant from the Christmas Fund also goes toward vouchers and food for a weekly communion held every Friday throughout the year, where St. Barnabas welcomes people for a morning of fellowship.
O’Brian said they come from all walks of life. Some are living in tents on nearby boulevards and parks. A few come from halfway houses, others are refugees, immigrants or from First Nations. Some have a history of addictions, some have been in trouble with the law and some come just because they enjoy coming, he said.
The Friday communions are humble gatherings, where people forge relationships and community connections, O’Brian said.
O’Brian said while large social-service organizations such as Our Place, which operates in the 900 block of Pandora Avenue, can provide more support and services, smaller groups like the church offer support that fills in gaps.
“Some people don’t want to be around [Pandora Avenue] — they are fearful being around there — so we have those people who feel safer here,” he said.
Grocery vouchers are distributed immediately after the Friday communion gathering, and access is largely by word of mouth. The vouchers are open to anyone who identifies as unhoused, low-income or experiencing food insecurity.
As the cost of food and basic supplies continues to rise, O’Brian said the program remains an essential source of relief. Anticipating an increase in demand this year, the church will distribute up to 70 grocery vouchers ($15 each) per month, and 40 Christmas hampers (valued at $200 to $350) during the holiday season.
Hampers are available by request to anyone in the community and are most often received by single-parent families, isolated individuals and seniors.
The church’s “food ministry” supports community-based programs with nutritious snacks and meals, including a free weekly drop-in program for children and caregivers, a bi-weekly youth gathering that includes cooking, shared meals and discussion activities, and a Sunday community lunch.
O’Brian said some of those who attend Friday communions are so thankful for the help they receive, they pay it back by helping out at the Star Sunday craft fair. Inspired by traditional German Christmas markets, the community event features carolling around a bonfire, along with complimentary hot apple cider and waffles. Over the past decade, Star Sunday has become a holiday-season staple for families, attracting nearly 400 each year. Dozens of parish volunteers guide children in creating special gifts for their loved ones, “making this an enriching multigenerational experience,” said O’Brian.
The craft sponsors include Robinson’s Outdoor Store, Home Hardware, For Good Measure, Forbes Pharmacy, Knotty By Nature, Fairfield Thrifty Foods, Save-On-Foods, Country Grocer, Lazy Susan’s, Red Barn Market, Special Teas, Cafe Brio and London Drugs.
The Times Colonist Christmas Fund, which supports dozens of community agencies in Greater Victoria and elsewhere on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, raised $1.3 million last year, and hopes to match or exceed that this year, the 70th year helping people in need.
From this year’s campaign launch Nov. 12 until Nov. 27, the fund has raised $186,697.86 from 550 donors.