Coldest Night of the Year

Have you heard about Coldest Night of the Year?

It is happening on Saturday, February 21st. Thousands of Canadians across the country in 80+ cities, will be walking to raise funds for select Canadian charities who serve the hungry, homeless and hurting. What I like most is the money raised in an city or region stays to help organizations in that local area.

I am walking this year to supporting Open Arms.

This is from last year's walk:

You Can Help:
1) You can sponsor me.
Visit my donation page to give online. My personal goal is $150 and my team's goal is $500.

2) You can walk.
You can sign up to walk on the Coldest Night of the Year's site. There are walks planned in cities and towns across Canada. You can be an individual walker, join a team, or create a team and ask others to join you.

Thanks for your support and remember 

it's cold out there!

About Open Arms:
In every community there are those who find themselves in dire situations, hungry, cold, and the hardest cases on the streets. Open Arms exists to serve people in these crises in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley. What I love about the organizers and volunteers is that they follow Jesus' teaching to help the least of these and give opportunities for anyone to join.

Open Arms mission is to be, "A Christian ministry offering help and hope by meeting the basic needs of our neighbors. Demonstrating grace and love, we provide physical, mental and spiritual supports together with others in our community." Theses are the ways they are currently working to meet their mandate (that I know of):

• Drop-In Centre -the two sites are open in the mornings providing shelter, toast coffee, and through out the week art and literacy programs, Bible studies, and volunteer training.
• Inn From the Cold -Open Arms' ordinates this emergency shelter in partnership with local churches. Each of the churches involved hosts the shelter on a different night, and I am very proud to say that my church is one of these locations. We provide the volunteers each week so that anyone who finds themselves on the street can have and a warm meal, toiletries, access to a hot shower, clean pj's if needed, and a safe place to sleep.
• Treasure House Soup Kitchen -open Tuesdays and Thursdays from September to June.
• S.A.F.E. Houses (Shelter Always For Everyone) - Developing safe and affordable housing for people in transition.
• Prison Ministry Outreach to youth and adults released from correctional facilities. 
• Savory Souls shared garden (with Edible Garden Society). 
• Rural Food Delivery Program To Families in Crisis. 
• Furniture Bank Partnership -that allows for the collection, storage and delivery of donated furniture and other essential household items in cooperation the existing furniture bank.