Day 3: Jubilee Church of God

Full Disclosure: I have not been taking part in meals at any of the programs we have attended this weekend.  Some people have been asking me about this.  The Challenge rules do not require you to access these programs, instead, "participants are encouraged to attend the meal programs offered through non-profit agencies".  As a personal choice I have decided not to actually make use of these resources, I am just attending to find out more about what is available and report back.

Today the remaining four of us went to Jubilee Church of God just as Sunday mass was finishing up and their hot lunch program was about to begin.

The fifth member of our original group has decided to discontinue participation in the Poverty Challenge, citing concerns that the setup of the program may be seen as turning the serious issue of poverty into a game for otherwise well-fed people to blog about their struggles.

This was the exact issue I grappled with when we first set foot in the Church this afternoon. Honestly, I felt ridiculous and ashamed about having gone there "just to see what it was like" when I had plenty of food back at my warm house.  I looked around the room and saw mothers with their young children, a few familiar faces from yesterday at the Fellowship Centre, and, most difficult of all, I recognized a number of people I've come across in the course of my work in the legal system.

Seeing those familiar faces at the Church today was a lot tougher than I expected.  It felt like witnessing first-hand the personal lives of some of the most vulnerable people I have encountered; personal lives which I preferred not to think about (and had the luxury not to think about) up until this point.

It was upsetting to say the least. I am so fortunate that living the Poverty Challenge is not my everyday reality like it is for too many people in Kenora and across the country.

I began to feel a little better about the situation when we were given the opportunity to pitch in and help with setting up for the meal service.  At least it felt like I was there doing something a bit more tangible than observing and raising awareness.

Things continued to improve when we were introduced to Pastor Frank and his wife, who are some of the most friendly, welcoming and charitable people I've ever met.  They genuinely take action against poverty every day and are doing great things for the community.

Today was easily the most uncomfortable and emotional day of the Poverty Challenge for me. However, it was uplifting to see the work that the people at Jubilee Church of God are doing and the way they help so many people on a no-questions-asked basis (even though we were pretty clearly out of place today, we received nothing but warmth and the offer of a free, hot lunch and a place out of the cold).

Pastor Frank Kowal and his team are raising money for Coldest Night of the Year from now until February 25, 2017.  I will definitely be making a donation to support them and I encourage everyone reading to do the same or to contact Jubilee Church directly to find out more ways to help.