Associated Charity Organizations
A charity that the Dexter Mobile Team has chosen to work with is the Street Outreach Initiative Program, lead by St. James Anglican Church.
Our donation helps place an Anglican Priest on the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown East Side, to care for the pastoral and practical needs of people who have been moved to the margins of our society.
During walks through the Downtown East Side, pastoral care is offered in a number of different ways:
- Listening and basic counseling
- Impromptu prayer
- An invitation to a hot lunch or coffee, where the person can talk about what they are up against; and where both of the priest and the person can discuss where God is, in the here and now of our ongoing journeys
- Individual strategy meetings, for identifying steps toward greater life stabilization, and even, in some cases, toward a life beyond the street
- Fifth Step Sessions and the Sacrament of Reconciliation for those overcoming drug and alcohol dependency
- Information on and direct connections to: Emergency Services, including drug and alcohol detox, medical care, meal providers and temporary shelters
- Basic services, including income assistance, housing, and employment programs.
- Printed lists of locations and times for free food and shelter
- Emergency hot meal vouchers
- Pocket edition New Testaments
- An invitation to worship and a card indicating the location or St. James Anglican Church and all Mass and office hours.
- Sustained intercessory prayer support, through inclusion of names on Mass prayer list, on the parish Prayer Link list, and in the Cornerstone prayer column.
Another charity that the Dexter Mobile Team has chosen to work with is the Homeless Shelter Program, lead by First Baptist Church.
Our donation helps the shelter at the First Baptist Church to serve, with respect, individuals who are often overlooked, or given little value in our society. The mandate for the program is to meet some of the physical and spiritual needs of these marginalized people in Vancouver’s downtown in many tangible ways in an attempt to help them search for a place to belong, to be a positive guide for healthy choices at this crossroad in their lives.
Shelter at First Baptist Church offers help such as:
- Giving nutritious food and safe shelter to people in need, especially those under 18 years old;
- Connecting people with other services and agencies which are best able to meet their needs in times of crisis;
- Offer friendship and opportunities for guests to share their lives with people who care;
- Creating volunteer opportunities for those wanting to give back to their neighbourhood and/or become part of community caring for others;
- Building bridges with the Network of Urban Workers in order to strengthen the services available for people at risk;
- Sharing the witness of our own lives as we walk with Christ;
First Baptist Church is a place where the lonely, the hungry, and the transient are welcomed and can meet others. Shelter workers come from First Baptist Church, other churches, high schools, universities, the local communities and the street. The shelter has been operating weekly since March 1999 and on average, 120 people are fed a balanced, nutritious meal, 60 people are served a full breakfast and at least 40 people are given overnight shelter. Before the dinner is served, those who come to help, including many who had needed to use the Shelter services in the past, gather for a time of sharing life stories, getting to know each other and hearing scriptural teaching.
The Dexter Mobile Team feels very privileged to be able to participate in such meaningful programs. By purchasing or selling your home with our professional services, you are also helping these people in need.
