Busy as bees
Shelburne’s Honey Bees bring community together with food
SHELBURNE, N.S. — Michele Whynot couldn’t have known it at the time, but a wrong turn in life turned out to be just the thing she needed to turn her life around.
The Honey Bees ministry, part of the Parish of Christ Church Shelburne, was her saving grace.
“I had gotten in a little bit of trouble and had some (community service) hours to do,” she recalls. “So, I approached Pastor Ed Trevors, and he got me doing my hours through the church. Through that, we ended up doing a cooking class, and we got crockpots for doing it. And through that, we started Honey Bees.”
Besides Whynot, the group includes Colleen Mccann, Lisa Harris and Liz Ringer, along with other volunteers. Trevors asked the group if they’d be willing to prepare and serve free meals, so last July they started with coldcuts and salad plates.
“We had probably 20, 30 people at that first lunch,” Whynot says. “The next month, we advertised again that we were doing it, and we got more people, to the point that some months we’ve had up to 80 people. We’ve had people from Liverpool, Lockeport. We get
SPECIAL TO THE SOUTH SHORE BREAKER
HONEY BEES
people coming from all over now. All you’ve got to do is tell people Honey Bees are cooking a meal, and they’ll be here. We welcome anybody and everybody.”
On the third Wednesday of every month, from noon to 1 p.m., the Honey Bees prepare and serve a hot meal, free of charge, for anyone in the community. Donations are accepted, with half of the donations going toward the church’s youth group.
The meals overlap with the Shelburne Loyalist Food Bank, which is open Wednesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Food bank clients can sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea before shopping, and then sit down to a hot, home-cooked meal after they’re done.
Menus vary throughout the year. The Dec. 18 meal included generous portions of scalloped potatoes, vegetables and a heaping pile of ham, with lemon dessert squares and rolls. Much to the delight of the children there, Santa Claus even made a special appearance.
While the food is delicious, what makes these meals even better is the fellowship enjoyed by all who gather.
The Honey Bees have a banner in the Anglican Church hall reflecting their motto and purpose: “Supporting our community as we support one another. ‘They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.’ Acts 2:42”
Robert Mackay praised the Honey Bees for creating “one of the best ministries ever” at Christ Church Shelburne. “It brings us all together,” he said as he enjoyed his meal at the recent luncheon.
The Honey Bees’ work isn’t limited to their monthly luncheons. When post-tropical storm Dorian caused extensive power outages in the area, the Honey Bees mobilized and served several days’ worth of meals to anyone who could get to the Anglican Church hall. The local Sobeys donated ribs and sausages, so the Honey
Bees cooked ribs and prepared bangers and mash (a traditional British dish) and turkey/chicken soup.
The Honey Bees have also made homemade potato chocolates, available for $7 per dozen. This is the second year for that project, which serves as a fundraiser for a cause chosen by the Honey Bees.
When Mccann needed a new wheelchair last year, she was able to get one with the help of funds raised. “Last year we sold 120 dozen, so this year we said we’d do the same thing again,” Whynot explains. “Right now, we’re looking for something else to donate to.”
Messy Church – another community event featuring supper, prayer time and conversation – happens on the second Sunday of each month at 5 p.m. The Honey Bees prepare meals for that service.
Senior Game Day is also on the second Sunday of each month starting at 3 p.m., and the Honey Bees help out with that. Plus, they cook supper and prepare snacks for the church’s
Friday night youth group.
All these events are part of Shelburne’s Christ Church ministry and are held at the Anglican Church Hall, located at 29 Ann St.
As if Whynot isn’t busy enough with her Honey Bees work, she started attending classes at Nova Scotia Community College’s Shelburne campus in September to earn her high school diploma and become a bookkeeper.
Whynot is grateful for all the support the Christ Church community has given her and the Honey Bees. “We absolutely love doing what we do, and the church has shown us such support. Somebody in the congregation has been giving me gas cards so that I can get back and forth. Some Sundays, I’ll ask for donations for the Honey Bees’ dinner, and they go above and beyond. Anything I need, they’ll donate.”