Outreach

The Pantry was conceptualized in February of 2021. Our hope was to make a difference in our community and to overcome some of the challenges associated with food security, so we collaborated with agencies in our area to see if we could fill some of the gaps.

This wasn’t easy in the height of the pandemic. Due to Covid-19 restrictions we were unable to gather as a church, but we longed for the day we could meet together. In 2021, Northview Community Church had been in its Mission Campus for 6 years and deeply desired to start looking outward, to those struggling in our community. We wanted to offer those who called Northview “home” the opportunity to serve, and what better way to do that than to address the physical need of food? We all eat, right?

With much prayer and support, we learned that essential services such as food distribution centres could run ‘adapted’ programs, and we opened our doors on March 28th, 2021.

It was a win-win! We could serve alongside our sisters and brothers in faith while making a difference in our community, who were experiencing increased levels of loneliness and isolation. We were together again making new friends and caring for those in need.

We aimed to assist 30 families a week, offering nutritious, homemade (to-go) meals and assorted groceries to choose from. It was a fine balance of relying on donated non-perishable food items from our congregation and the greater community, while also regularly purchasing dairy and produce to offer each week. Along with our huge inventory of canned goods we also offered butter, milk, eggs, cheese, cold cuts, carrots, broccoli, apples, oranges, and much more where available each week.

Our fridges began to fill, our freezer space seemed to shrink, and a rhythm was set: collect as much food as we can throughout the week to give away at The Pantry on Sunday. And, repeat.

Quickly growing, we found that people loved the format of The Pantry, and that our mission (to provide Food, Friends, and Purpose) to everyone was expanding at an unprecedented rate. Partnering organizations also caught the vision and began to support us!

We now have over 500 families who have received assistance from The Pantry. Although we sometimes wonder how we are keeping up with everyone, we miraculously always have enough, and then some. We thank God for His faithfulness and providence, and for the opportunity to be a beacon in our community, offering nutritious meals and groceries. We love, because He first loved us!

Our hope is that every day we open The Pantry, people see the love of God in our actions. Through our acts of service, we hope the Spirit of the Lord is experienced. We pray that every conversation we have leads our friends to Jesus, learning and trusting that He is the only way to God the Father. And celebrating that one day, when He returns to make all things new, none of us will be hungry again.

Today, we operate with a crew of volunteers well over 100 people strong. We’ve made the strategic move to operate every Sunday, excluding long weekends, so that our volunteers can have a much needed break. The weekends we are closed also offer a chance to catch up on cleanliness, order, and re-evaluate our systems in place.

If you’d like to learn more, come visit us in person, or reach out to Northview’s Mission Campus.

Our cooking and baking teams serve mid-week by getting meals ready for The Pantry and baking treats for our various ministries. If you enjoy spending time in the kitchen we would love to have you join the team!

Contact Pastor Frank at fsawatsky@northview.org

A place for moms to find community and children to play! Come join us weekly on Wednesdays from 9:30-11am to connect with other moms. We have coffee, tea, and pastries for moms as well as snacks for kids! Bring your kids (age 0-5) for a time of play, crafts, group games, and story. We hope it will be a time to grow our community, encourage each other and, hopefully, relax! Check out our Facebook group, “Motherhood Cafe – Northview Mission Campus.”

Those who live in houseless circumstances can fall victim to fire, flood, or loss of property without any notice. We’ve joined with Emergency Services (Fire Hall), Mission Community Services, and other local organizations, to help those most in need. We assemble and give out everything needed for temporary shelter to those who would otherwise go without. After we assemble these kits, they are picked up by our partner agencies, who regularly serve those on the ground.

In partnership with agencies in our community, we provide household necessities to individuals and families escaping difficult situations who are starting fresh in a new home. We shop for requested items and prepare them to be given to those in need. If you enjoy shopping for a good deal and presenting the purchases in a tasteful way, we would love your help.

This serve opportunity is not regularly scheduled as it depends on the hamper requests we receive from community agencies.