HOLIDAY THANK YOU
A big thank you goes out to all St. Francis parishioners who participated in our holiday outreach activities.

Once again this year, we filled shoeboxes with toys, candy and supplies as a part of Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child. This is a terrific way of teaching children about the joy of helping others like themselves. Get the kids involved by letting them help decide on what items should be included in the box. A trip to the local dollar store can wield a trove of wonderful items which all children might enjoy. Samaritan’s Purse delivers these boxes each year to villages in developing countries around the world. Thanks again to all who contributed. For more information – see the Samaritan’s Purse website and click on links to Operation Christmas Child  www.samaritanspurse.org

As a parish, and with the help of the local Boy Scouts, we supplied Christmas Dinner, gifts and boxes of tinned goods to five local families. Our new method of ‘filling the cookie jar’ with cash and letting the Outreach Elves shop for fresh food was very well received and made the organizing and packing nights even smoother. Those who delivered the hampers can attest to the appreciation and gratitude the receiving families felt. This is a way we continue to God’s work in our own community.

SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY
The Eden Food Bank has asked us to participate in their Souper Bowl Sunday campaign. On Sunday February 4, please come to church with a can (or two) of soup with a loonie or townie taped on top for crackers. The food bank has specifically asked that people NOT donate tomato soup. Let’s show our community just how “Souper” we are – help score a touchdown against hunger in our community.

DEACON’S CUPBOARD
Don’t forget to contribute non perishable food and toiletries to our food basket (located beside the altar). Items collected here are used to fill our Deacon’s Cupboard. This is a small store of items that Ann can offer to those who seek us in immediate need (some homeless, some not – all in dire circumstances). Ann also accepts cash donations and Mississauga Transit tickets as gifts to use for this ministry.