A Change in Season

My backyard is a pile of dirt. It has been since I moved into my apartment back in October and now that the snow is all melted I can see it once again. I’m grateful to have a backyard space to use and that the tenant above us doesn’t want that space. My landlord mentioned in the winter that he wanted to turn that pile of dirt into a lawn, so I’ve been (sort of) patiently waiting for that day. 

This winter no doubt has been a difficult one, not just for me but for so many people. Being with Grant has been a huge blessing, but we both have felt like we’ve just been waiting for life to happen again. I am in awe that this is our 6th month of marriage, when not a lot has happened besides chilling at home in a lockdown and myself going to work. 

I don’t think I am alone when I say that looking forward to warmer weather feels hopeful. It seems as though that is when life can begin again. Already, as it warms up, I have been able to go on coffee dates outside with friends and go on longer walks with family without it being rushed by the cold. 

Because of this warmer weather, it has been more enjoyable to wait in a line and chat with people during our meals at The Dale. Things have felt less rushed and instead conversations have been longer. Outreach has felt lighter without being so bundled up- especially because it was hard for people to recognize us with masks on top of all the winter gear so that most of our faces were covered. 

This April is not too far off from last years- Ontario is now in another lockdown and the covid numbers are still going up. But I am holding on to the hope that Spring has to offer, to help me through it.

Recently, since the outdoor and church restrictions have changed in Toronto, at The Dale we have been trying to do something on Sundays. From individual prayer, to communion, and often hoping to have a full service, weather permitting. But recently the weather has not at all been permitting, from strong winds to pouring rain. We knew Easter Sunday was on its way and began praying hard for a sunny day. And, Praise the Lord, that is exactly what we saw this Easter Sunday. It wasn’t just sunny and clear, but warm enough to sit outside without shivering. Though just a handful of us were there, it was so special to hear a word on Jesus’ miraculous resurrection amid the miracle of being together.

There is currently a little leaf of a plant sticking out of the dirt pile in my backyard. I was so excited when I first saw it two weeks ago. Without any grass there, getting to watch something grow feels exciting! It gives me hope of life after this bitter cold winter. We survived it and there is new life because of it. It is written in Romans 6:4, 

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

The gift of new life from Christ is something that I seem to feel over and over again. I feel like this Spring season is bursting with new life and a hope that feels miraculous after a winter like this one. 

(ps. i really feel like it’s a tulip, but if anyone knows, please let me know)

Boot Day

Who doesn’t love a new fresh pair of boots? We all get that good feeling when we get some new shoes that fit just right. 

Last Sunday we had the opportunity to offer that to the Parkdale community all thanks to The Meeting House Toronto. The Meeting House Toronto is a church that works alongside The Dale in many ways such as outreach, grocery deliveries, Christmas gifts, etc. 

Last week on Sunday, together we were able to run a Winter Boot Clinic with brand new boots gifted by The Meeting House. Outside, in the courtyard of the church in Parkdale, there were three stations set up for three people to get fitted at a time. At each station stood two volunteers, a chair, and a foot measurement device. People stood in line on the sidewalk and whoever wasn’t boot fitting got to hang out with everyone in line. This included giving out socks to make sure everyone had a pair to wear with their new boots.

Before the event began, we had all the logistics, but had no idea how quick or smooth it would go. We didn’t know if a ton of people would show up or barely any. We didn’t know if we would have enough sizes for all who came or not. But at the end of the day we all admitted that there was something miraculous about the day. All but one person (who we will follow up with) got a pair of boots! And not only that but at the end of it all we only had one pair of boots, that actually ended up with someone the next day!

Not only did the boot ratio work out so well but the overall vibe felt in the area was good. People were excited, and communicated that getting to take a perfectly sized, fresh pair of boots, found individually for them felt dignifying. I really could see God’s hand in all parts of the day!

Tea with Kim

Kim is a friend from Parkdale who loves the community deeply and has lived here for many years. When meeting Kim it won’t take too long for you to realize her love for tea! Myself and many others in the community share in Kim’s love for tea and we are so happy to now have Kim help lead a “tea ministry” of sorts. 

This year, with our new van, we have been attempting different ways of doing street outreach. On Wednesdays Kim joins us for outreach with the van full of snacks, hot drinks, and winter gear. We have just begun planning but we are looking forward to meeting people over a hot cup of tea (or coffee or hot chocolate) and continue to build community.

We look forward to when things ease up with Covid (praying that will be soon), so we can sit around together in larger groups of people and spend time chatting. We also recently purchased an awning for the van to provide some shelter and a more welcoming space around the van. For now, we walk the streets and invite people to take their drinks in to-go cups and keep the proper distance.

It’s been an interesting experience so far! It’s cool to see the look on people’s faces when we tell them we have hot drinks and all sorts of snacks right where they are, rather than inviting them to a drop-in/to-go meal that is located at a specific spot with a specific time.  Besides the obvious convenience of it all, it’s unique to be able to come to where someone is rather than ask them to come to an unfamiliar space which can feel more vulnerable.

It is so great to have Kim a part of the team with her awesome ideas! I’m looking forward to turning parking lots into living rooms and curbs into coffee tables, feeling at home together.

A Prayer

From many conversations at The Dale and in my own community, I can hear a weariness seeping through many, like these damp cold days. Maybe it’s the rising numbers and increasing covid restrictions. Maybe the quiet days and lack of plans to look forward to. Maybe the cold days that make porch visits short and staying in bed more appealing. 

These days have been hard and it seems as if no one is a stranger to it, we are truly in this together. 

In this season, The Dale has been experiencing a lot of loss in the community. We have been trying to plan out how to remember these friends in some sort of memorial, but while we do that sadly the list keeps growing and it feels heavy. Especially when we haven’t been able to consistently be with them because of covid separating us. 

Personally, I feel like God has been using these days to teach me to rest, especially after last year. Without plans in my calendar I’ve been trying to create a routine that I can carry into post-covid days. 

For a while now, I’ve been having trouble writing anything for my blog. I haven’t been able to find the right words for these unusual days. So I decided to commit them to God in a prayer and to share that with you today. 

God my father, 

Hear me in my weariness,

I pray you strengthen my heart and the hearts of others as we walk through these dreary days together.

I miss so many people and the joy that we share in each other’s presence.

I ask that while we cannot be together, that you wrap us in your presence. 

That we can lament with eyes that see the hope of your deliverance. 

Help me to seek out what you want me to learn.

Thank you for your many blessings amongst the difficulties.

Amen. 

A Whole Year

It has officially been a year since I started working at The Dale. 

As I sit and reflect over this year, it makes me sad. This year kind of sucked for a lot of reasons. But truly, being a part of The Dale played a huge part in helping me get through this year.

The Dale became a new community in my life after recently losing my community in Chicago, where I just graduated from college. While feeling low about that loss, The Dale slowly felt more and more like a place that I belong. Leaving school hit me harder than I thought, as I left some of my best friends in the states and settled back in Canada. At the start of my time at The Dale, I really felt shy walking into a Monday morning drop-in with a room full of strangers. But it didn’t take long till I heard my name called across the room from someone who I met the previous Monday, and then the next Monday another person or two, until I, myself, got excited to see my new friends come Monday. 

When the pandemic really hit Toronto in March, The Dale never closed. The Dale became the only place I went for many weeks and it was a blessing to have one thing that I could count on. I know many of our folks in the community felt the same, after many spaces they frequently visited were forced to shut down, except for The Dale. During this time I felt excited to tell people “We’re still here!” because I wanted to share that good news, because it was such good news to me. 

It felt really hard first settling back into Toronto. And sad when the border closed and I couldn’t visit my fiance and friends. And confusing trying to plan a wedding when so many parts of it were canceled. And I feel sad again now trying to celebrate Christmas in a lockdown. But, through it all I feel grateful for The Dale. I know that God has a plan for me being at The Dale, just as I have watched Him at work this past year putting The Dale in my life when I needed it. I was excited for what I could get done for The Dale, but I am always humbled by the countless things The Dale does for me.

Below are a few of the special memories made during my first year with The Dale:

I got to be a part of some fun Christmas festivities (2019)

Experienced my first February Feast

Had to start wearing a mask at work

I got work with some really awesome people

Shared some lovely visits

And now we’re celebrating new wheels!

Being at The Dale would not be possible without my faithful supporters. So THANK YOU for being on this journey with me!!

Hello from Quarantine Again

This year just keeps getting crazier, am I right?

On top of all things happening, I got married just a few days ago. Although it is one of the worst years for a wedding, this event has been in the works since before the chaos and my heart couldn’t handle the long distance anymore (16 months ah).

Though it was not the wedding we originally planned, it was the most beautiful day. Due to Covid we had to shrink the number of people at our wedding, therefore I only had a handful of family and friends from my side. It was amazing to see this small group pull together this wedding, as well as Grant’s community, which really helped me get to know them more. Everything that happened on October 12th was a miracle- especially that my parents flew in from Canada and got home safe and healthy. I can’t even express how thankful I am for the people in my life. Many people here in Canada or overseas who couldn’t come to the wedding because of Covid supported me by sending encouraging messages, giving gifts for our new little home, checking in, praying, etc. Even though they could not come to the wedding, I felt surrounded by their love.

Being a part of The Dale has never ceased to remind me of the importance of community, and since then I’ve recognized it more clearly. Back when Covid first began, The Dale started to make phone calls frequently to check in with the community and to have a chat since we couldn’t see each other face to face. Since starting my quarantine this week, because of the travel for my wedding (on day 4), now I’ve been receiving phone calls from The Dale community checking in on me. It’s really cool to be a part of a community that looks out for each other so much. One friend said, “I’ll call you again soon so you don’t get lonely.” 

This month I saw the power of prayer at work. I felt surrounded by community deeper than I have ever felt in my entire life. The Bible passage that we had in our wedding ceremony, which was recommended to me by a friend at The Dale, was 1 John 4:7-16. This passage talks about how God is love, and how the two are one in the same. In this situation, when I felt the overwhelming love from my community, I saw that passage to be true- I felt God in and around all of the things that were going on through the love that was shown.

Feeling like a Sponge

I’ve been at the Dale for almost 10 months now. It seems like time is flying, but when I look back at where I started, a lot has happened since then. I have found that throughout these months I’ve been like a sponge soaking up everything around me.

I have been taking in the neighbourhood of Parkdale, learning about its history, all of the businesses here (and those that used to be here), and the dynamic of its streets. Everytime we go on a walk, I try to take it all in. Exploring the neighbourhood and visiting people has helped me get to know the street names and feel out the vibe of each corner and pocket. I’ve learned that Coffee Time was the place to sit and chat, before it got transformed into a Popeyes; that the “Milky Way” is a great alley to take a short cut; that one of the parkettes is a beautiful spot to sit and have a chat; and that church steps are always available for hanging out with friends. 

I have also been soaking up the experience and wisdom of my lovely co-workers. The way they understand ministry, their outlook on global injustice, and how they love others. Often I feel like I’m taking it all in, figuring out what it means to be a part of a church without walls, and am amazed at the decisions they make based on their many years of experience. 

I have been getting to know the community, so many names and faces were intimidating to me at first. When I first joined The Dale, on my bus ride home at the end of the day, I would go over names in my head trying to memorize them. Now I feel like I have gotten to meet and know so many faces, and I feel blessed getting to call several people my friends. I’ve also been learning so much from those friends as I get to hear all sorts of stories. From endless lessons on music, to tips on the best shops in the neighbourhood, and very often I receive life advice from friends looking out for me since I am a young adult. 

It’s been such a growing experience to be a part of The Dale, and I feel blessed for the opportunity. Each part and each day is a gift from God. Although the majority of my time with The Dale has been during a dramatic change because of Covid, there is still so much to take in. I am a slow learner, but I am constantly trying to see the world with new eyes as I approach what it means to be a part of this community, soaking it all up like a sponge. 

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I am still pretty far from my fundraising goal! If you would like to financially partner with me in this ministry, you can donate with the button below and specify in the comment box that you would like to support me. Feel free to reach out if you would like more information or would just like to chat.

Support Olivia

A Glimpse Into our Kitchen

I never knew that I should have gone to cooking school before working at The Dale, but I’ve been learning a lot! I thought I would share a glimpse into what our kitchen looks like before a meal begins on Monday or Thursday.

Feeding a lot of people, means cooking in large portions. Very large!

Sometimes that looks like breakfast bowls that cover every table space in the kitchen.

Sometimes that looks like turning thirty roast chickens into a big bowl of chicken salad.

And lots of beautiful fresh bread that was donated from a bakery to put all the chicken salad on. (plus the chicken salad had bacon bits, celery, and lime- it was so tasty!)

Sometimes it looks like chopping up hundreds of eggs for eggs salad sandwiches.

It shocked me how much mayo that took (I’ve been learning a lot).

All the food seen in these photos has been a blessing. It is truly amazing to see the donations that come from such a vast variety of people; from individuals who buy supplies or collect from their community to shops and local restaurants to other churches and organizations. It goes to show that despite the challenges of Covid-19, the generosity is even greater. 

Our Friend John

Last week, we lost our good friend John.

The Dale is no stranger to loss. I’ve been at three memorials already and have heard many stories of beloved friends who passed away years ago. 

This was the first goodbye in Parkdale that I’ve said to someone I knew well, someone whom I considered a friend. I didn’t know John for very long but, as anyone who’s met him would say, he was a kind hearted soul.

These are some things that I learned about John, in my short time of knowing him:

John always wore a smile. I almost cannot picture him without a smile. He was always so positive and always had something good to say. His smile was contagious and so was his joy.

John made people feel special. Even when I was just new to The Dale in December, he knew my name. He would greet me every time by name and look at me with eyes that were listening, like a good friend would.

John was very selfless. John always checked on how others were doing, including myself. I never heard him complain, nor saw him get angry, but instead he would bring a presence of peace and calm. 

John was known for his amazingly long dreadlocks, which had to be tied because they were longer than he was. He loved to talk about his dogs and cared for them. He was constantly cooking food for other people, and one time during a night outreach I got to sample some bacon he had just cooked for dinner at another drop-in. 

Though I did not know John for very long, I am grateful for the chance to have met him and call him friend. The parkette by the Health Center won’t be the same without him, as he would often be seen hanging out there. 

I will miss you, John.

In Better Hands

During this pandemic I’m learning that I have very little control over my life, and maybe you are experiencing this too.

Many would say we live in a generation of instant gratification. With our phones always at our fingertips, the list of things we can get instantly is massive compared to the generations before us; from looking up information on google, ordering food to our door, booking a flight, checking what the weather is across the world, streaming our favourite movie, etc. 

Now that this pandemic has swept over the world, we’ve gone into shock over the loss of control that we used to have. Our freedom is shrinking without being able to enjoy going out to eat, summer plans being canceled, and no more birthday celebrations. For some, hard things have been canceled or pushed such as funerals, doctors appointments, and visiting family/friends in nursing homes and hospitals. I have been experiencing some of these hard things these past two months.

At the Dale, within the past few weeks, we’ve said goodbye to two people who have passed away in Parkdale. It’s difficult not being able to have a memorial service for the community to gather and remember those lives.

My grandmas are both live in a nursing home and are currently not allowed to leave and not allowed any guests. It’s been a long time and I worry about them.

A friend of ours from the community has recently gone into hospital and we are not allowed to see him. And, I’m sure he is missing being able to have visitors.

My wedding is booked for this October but we have no idea where the world will be with this pandemic in the fall. So the stress of the possibility of canceling is on my mind. Also, my fiance, Grant, is currently in the states and there is no definite date of when the border will open and I will see him again.

So much is out of my hands and heavy on my mind, but what comforts me is that the Lord knows. It is in His hands. Throughout all of this, there have been many blessings popping up that surprise me; joys big and small that all remind me that God is moving.

Here are just some of these blessings from the Lord that I am excited to share with you:

We just discovered some folks that we met, who were living in tents, got housed! We got worried when we saw a bunch of workers and trucks in the area but got the good news that they have been given a home.

The Dale runs on donations- and during this pandemic I have been amazed by the generosity of people. Every Monday we have been able to serve prepared meals from a restaurant and distribute bags of fresh groceries. Baked goods come every week from thoughtful bakers for some dessert to go with our meals. Fun and fashionable hand sewn face masks keep being delivered from amazing sewers. A variety of toiletries, socks, and clothing comes from a combination of donors including a shop that dropped off boxes of t-shirts by surprise.

The Dale is still able to keep running and none of the staff have gotten sick which is a huge blessing!

Since we cannot have long chats with people at the drop-ins like we used to, we have turned to calling our friends on the phone. These chats have been really special and I feel like they are connecting people in new ways!

Even though I am losing control over the future and feeling overwhelmed by the unknown, these blessings remind me that God is in control. Amidst the loss, He is providing, and PRAISE God for that! 

I am still pretty far from my fundraising goal! If you would like to financially partner with me in this ministry, you can donate on https://www.thedale.org/donate/ and specify in the comment box that you would like to support me. Feel free to reach out if you would like more information or would just like to chat.