To date 319 large sleeping mats and 316 sit-upons have been shared with outreach organizations in the Ottawa area. Belong Ottawa, Shawna’s Outreach, JFS Streetsmarts, Highjinx, Ottawa Inner City Ministries, Somerset West Community Health Centre, are some of the organizations who hand them out where needed.

You might ask how a small but mighty congregation does this. The answer is simple. In June 2022, we asked the community to come, and the community came. They came from far and wide to weave and they are still coming. People from three years old to 95, with five new people dropping in just in January. Others prep the bags in their own homes.

On any Tuesday evening, you will find an average of 15 people in the hall, most of whom are from the community. We haven’t got an exact count, but we estimate our biggest turnouts have had at least 70 people.

Tuesday evenings are filled with camaraderie, non-stop chatter, sharing, laughter and often support for one another. When we held a winter warmth collection drive for outreach, someone dropping off items in the church thought there was a party happening in the back. Everyone is welcoming, non-judgemental and keen to reduce waste in the landfill and help others. Lifelong friendships have been made.

Last fall, we asked people why they come to weave. Wendy told us: “I love the people who attend. I really enjoy the great conversations and learn so much. I have made many new friends who are so kind and helpful and funny and cheerful. I like being able to contribute to a worthy cause and help other people.”

Penny said: “One Tuesday night I was really tired and didn’t think I’d attend. Then I thought about the homeless having so much less than my blessed life. I felt I could give up two hours of my time to perhaps make their lives a little more comfortable. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to serve others. We have a lot of fun, too.”

Lynn responded “I kept seeing Facebook messages and was interested, but I passed by a few posts before I decided to take the drive to Greely and see what it was all about. I was intrigued by the idea of making mats out of milk bags and wanted to learn how to do it…. I must say that I felt a little intimidated at first, seeing that everyone seemed to know each other and definitely knew what they were doing, but I was welcomed in from that first night, which I really appreciate. Amazing people in this group, who are all very welcoming and cheerful and make it a fun time!”

Laura said: “It is a great way to help out those in need and also a great way to reduce the amount of plastic that makes its way to the landfill. Meeting all of you and hearing your stories has also kept me coming back.”

How dedicated are the weavers? At Christmas this year, we switched to Mondays so that we wouldn’t miss weeks during the holidays. The push was on to finish the 300th sleeping mat by the end the year, and on Dec. 30th that was our unspoken goal, and we didn’t leave until it was done.

Do the mats actually make a difference?  Yes! Streetsmarts told us of giving a mat to someone who was so excited to go home, throw out his bed, and replace it with a milk bag mat as his building was ridden with bedbugs and the bugs do not like plastic. Someone who received a mat from Ottawa Inner City Ministries told them: “I love this. It’s so warm. I won’t freeze tonight.” A man shared with Shawna’s Outreach that it is the reason he’s still alive. He has carried it to Montreal and back and can’t imagine being without it. They have also been seen lining a tent to provide some insulation from the cold. A mat was also given to someone who was newly house but didn’t have a real bed yet.

Interested in learning or hearing more about this outreach ministry? Just ask, as we would be more than happy to come and share a presentation with you.

Do you have milk bags to donate?  Donations of clean dry milk bags are always welcome.  Flattened is helpful but not necessary. We just love milk bags. They can be dropped off at the church in the bin outside, any Tuesday evening between 7 and 9pm or, contact us to make other arrangements.

The need is great and with God’s help, your help, and the help of our amazing local community we will continue to make a difference one bag at a time.

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This fall, we stepped up our game by hosting a two-day e-waste, scrap metal, battery, and milk bag collection event with the assistance of local company Metro Scrap Metal (MSM). It also served as a fundraising event for us as well. MSM provided 3 large rolloff bins for Saturday, Sept. 16 and Sunday, Sept 17 in the parking lot of the Greely Community Centre. From 9 am to 5 pm both days, we invited and welcomed the public to drive in and drop off old electronics, large and small appliances, scrap metal, batteries of all sizes, as well as milk bags. Drop offs included items as small as a cell phone to freezers and fridges, fencing, to car hoods and doors. By the end of the weekend, we had one bin full to overflowing of e-waste, a second larger bin full to overflowing with scrap metal, and a third bin full of a combination of both, plus a large number of batteries of all sizes, and almost 700 milk bags. On Monday, MSM picked up the larger car and lawn tractor type batteries and the three bins and took care of the recycling. In return, they will provide All Saints Greely a cheque when the weight calculations have been determined. The smaller regular sized batteries were delivered to Home Hardware filling two shopping carts and used printer cartridges were returned to Staples. A weekend event which cost us nothing but time, manpower, and muscle was very much appreciated by the community. 

In the end it will help fund our outreach initiatives and operating expenses but more importantly will help protect our environment by keeping so many numerous items from going to the curb and into our landfills.

In the January 2023 Crosstalk, we told you about our “making a difference one bag at a time” milk bag weaving initiative on Tuesday evenings which started in conjunction with Earthub. To date, 129 sleeping mats, 152 sit-upons, and 2 mid-sized mats have been distributed to local outreach organizations and initiatives. This equates to approximately 66,500 milk bags kept out of the landfill. With about 1,000 milk bags a week being used and keeping up our supply becoming a challenge we do welcome donations. The outer 3 litre milk bags, clean, dry, and flat if possible but not necessary are greatly appreciated. 

Every act of kindness and little bit each of us can do to help protect our environment benefits everyone. 

Please share stories of actions in your own family, parish or community, so we can inspire, learn from and encourage one another.

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It began as a simple question in the spring of 2022. Did I know anyone who made milk bag mats? It has evolved into a multifaceted outreach initiative with three arms of goodness: providing sleeping mats and sit-upons for the homeless and less fortunate, keeping milk bags out of the landfill, and receiving offers of help and wonderful community support from so many people, of all ages, who want to help make a difference.

The situation that was brought to our attention was that Earthub, an organization whose mission is to keep certain items out of the landfill, had stopped collecting milk bags as they did not have an end user to pass them on to.  After just a little research and the building of a large loom, one sleeping mat was woven on a kitchen table and it was a go.  But, this then raised more questions.  Wanting them to stay local, what would we do with them?  Where would they go?  Was there a need?   Connecting with Kim of our diocesan Community Ministries Day Programs, we were quickly introduced to Shawna Thibodeau of Shawna’s Outreach, and soon after connected  with JFS Streetsmarts, Inner City Ministries, Ability First Ottawa, and House of Lazarus.  They quickly confirmed that the need for these mats was very real, great, and unfortunately growing all the time.  All Saints Greely now had another outreach ministry which very soon became a weekly Tuesday evening event.

The mats provide a waterproof spot to sit or sleep on. They add a little bit of cushioning and do not require cleaning or drying like regular beds, sleeping bags and blankets, so they can be used more than once.  They are even used as pillows or canopies from rain and sun.  One has also been taken to replace someone’s bed as it provides protection from bedbugs. We have begun to include handles on them making them easier to carry when they are rolled up.

To date 47 large sleeping mats and 57 sit-upons have been distributed to those in need. About 30 people have been involved in the weaving and preparation of the bags.  We continue to receive many milk bags from the community and Earthub with approximately 23,250 milk bags used so far and kept out of the landfill. Add to that the many words of encouragement and thanks for what we are doing, and there is no question that we belong to a caring and loving community of people who understand and are acting to make a difference for people in need.

Everyone is welcome to help. Together we are sharing our time and talents, (not that it requires much talent), and putting our love for our less fortunate and struggling fellow brothers and sisters into action.  The stories I have heard, and all I have learned about life on the streets, is overwhelming at times.  And at the same time the amazing community we live in, so many people who have supported and assisted in so many ways by donating milk bags, their time cutting, looping, and weaving, has also been overwhelming in its own way.

We hope that someday there won’t be a need, or as much need, but in the meantime, we have heard the call to make a difference and will do what we can, weaving one bag at a time.  –

Grace Jones is Peoples‘ Warden at All Saints Greely.

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Worship, in one form or another, didn’t miss a beat thanks to the Rev. Joan Riding, our Priest-in-Charge, who also leads St. James Leitrim.  When COVID-19 began to take hold and our doors were closed to in-person worship, Rev Joan immediately provided a printed service which was distributed for personal worship.  Within just a few weeks, with the expertise of a parishioner at St. James, we were able to offer worship services on Zoom and Webex together with St. James.  A complete service bulletin was provided to all for use when joining virtually or for personal use with printed copies being delivered to those who requested them. This is continuing for people not yet comfortable coming to church in-person

We are home to a very well visited cemetery. Each year in June, we hold a cemetery service that often overflows the church with people from near and far. This service provides a time to reflect and remember, as well as update those attending on maintenance and upkeep being completed or planned for the cemetery. The offering collected that day is the main source of funds for maintenance. In order to address isolation and promote community, we sent letters to known family visitors in lieu of a physical gathering for the service. The mailing was very well received, and led to an increase of 42% of the usual cemetery maintenance givings.

Outreach, one of our primary focuses, continued with only a few interruptions due to COVID restrictions.  Our outreach has two parts, one which touches people’s lives directly and the other providing financial assistance. The parish gardens provided fresh produce for the Osgoode emergency food cupboard and Harvest House.  Donations to the food cupboard, cupcakes to St. Luke’s Table, financial donations to Naomi House in lieu of purchased gifts at Christmas all carried on when allowed.  To assist financially, one of our major fundraisers, an annual yard sale, was moved to postings on local buy/sell Facebook groups and received amazing community support.  And, our annual end of year financial donations to various diocesan and community ministries and projects were not hindered by the pandemic with $3,600 being distributed in 2020 and $3,800 in 2021.

“Hook, Knit & Stitch,” a crafting group that is open to everyone and provides a time to be creative and socialize with friends and neighbours, did go by the wayside for a while.  When it was restarted in March 2021 on Zoom, it attracted new people, some local and some from outside our physical area.  It has become apparent that there is a desire and need to offer both in-person and virtual gatherings going forward.

So, how does a small parish continue through a pandemic?  By continuing to care for others, holding tight onto God’s hand and never letting go.

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