Churches help build community (column)

London Community News

The Argyle area is lucky to have a wide range of churches for a varied spectrum of believers and non-believers. There are approximately 25 churches located within the Ward 2 boundaries at this time. Churches fulfilling their most basic of purposes offer individuals and families the opportunity to join a community in worship of a higher power. Enlightening the soul while developing a strong spiritual bond with parishioners are all outcomes of regular attendance. They are not just places of worship, but through a social phenomenon, they are also active in Argyle through community events, outreach programs and many other contributions to make a positive impact. To illustrate a few examples, Trinity Church. located at 76 Doulton St., is also a community centre that aims to bring a positive change to the community at large. Rev. Paul Browning and the parishioners are committed to the community’s development through donation of their space for fundraising events with proceeds going to the homeless. They also offer monthly free hospitality meals and hold trivia nights. What started as a youth program has turned into a multi-generation program called Green Team which is comprised of 65 youths and parents which help with green and environmental initiatives. The Church of the Ascension, located at 2060 Dundas St., started its free hearty breakfast program in March of 2007 with around eight to 30 people taking advantage of the service. The word has gone out and they now average 80 guests each month ranging up to 125. The parish generously donates towards the breakfast supplies and so far it has not needed funds from the church coffers. There are 10-12 volunteers each month and students who help get their community hours. Karen Robinson, one of the main organizers for the breakfast program, adds, “I would say that our volunteers work very hard to prepare what we have been told is the best breakfast in town and to provide a very warm and welcoming place for our guests to get a good meal and have some social time. I’m proud to be a part of this group of volunteers. Our guests are very appreciative of our efforts and we get lots of compliments.” Royal View, located on 218 Clark Rd., has a tremendous youth program which has been running for years, as well as other great programs in the community. These are just a few examples as there is a multitude of great services all the churches do in Argyle. I applaud and thank the wonderful churches and parishes we have here in Argyle and all the astonishing things they have been doing. I would also like to thank all the volunteers that continue to grow our community and make a positive impact in our neighbourhoods. For those of you thinking about volunteering, I highly encourage it as volunteers are the heartbeat of our great city and country. I will leave my dear readers this month with a simple but famous quote by Dalai Lama: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” If you have a question, comment or issue you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to email or call me. Ward 2 Councillor Bill Armstrong can be contacted at armstrongward2@gmail.com, by phone at 519-601-8006 or at his constituency office at 1815 Dundas St. E.