The generosity of people during this pandemic has been astonishing across the country. As Coronavirus has affected so many people across our community, it is very likely that you know of someone or a family who have suffered. Keeping ourselves safe and following Government guidelines is important, and yet people come forward offering their time to help the most vulnerable.
As a parish one of our core values is to reach out and welcome in. In Luke 10, Jesus told a parable about the Good Samaritan to explain who our neighbours were. The Samaritan reached out well beyond his comfort zone, pushing issues of ethnicity or religious difference to one side in order to help the man at the side of the road. Similarly today, many volunteers have rightly pushed any differences aside to support the needs of those isolated and shielding as a result of the virus.
People have been asking about giving to the Foodbank at this time. In order to facilitate this we have set up a foodbank box at the entrance to our Church Halls at St John’s. The box is tucked into the right hand corner and is emptied every day. When shopping please remember to include items for the foodbank – they are so essential in these difficult times.
In recent weeks we have worked alongside other volunteer groups, churches and Community representatives to establish the ‘Together’ Campaign. This includes Together Ballyclare, Together Ballyrobert, Together Doagh, Together Straid, and Together Burnside. Through it we have gathered together 200 volunteers across the community to support the most vulnerable in the following ways
All volunteers are provided training, and have access to gloves and face masks for their own protection. If you would like to volunteer your time to this, then please get in touch with Revd Jonny on 07808 479649