One of the local organizations that our Outreach Committee supports is Green Haven Shelter for Women. Earlier this year, the time lapse between admission to the shelter and moving to an apartment was about 4-6 weeks. Due to the acute shortage of low rental housing in Orillia, the average stay is now 3-6 months. Thus the shelter has neither current need of, nor storage space for, household items. However, due to their clients’ longer stays, they have an increased need for cleaning and household supplies at the shelter. During the months of December, 2022 and January 2023, members of the St. David's community donated some of the needed items.
During the worship service on January 29, the items were blessed and afterwards, they were loaded into two vehicles. Pictured from left to right are Shari Earl, Operations Assistant and Natalie Harris, Community Development Manager from Green Haven; and Rev. Lori Pilatke, Pastor, and Anne Ewaschuk, Outreach Committee Chair from St. David.