Fall '13 Newsletter If I Can Dream There must be lights burning brighter somewhere Got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue If I can dream of a better land Where all my brothers walk hand in hand Tell me why, oh why, oh why can't my dream come true Oh why There must be peace and understanding sometime Strong winds of promise that will blow away All the doubt and fear If I can dream of a warmer sun Where hope keeps shining on everyone Tell me why, oh why, oh why won't that sun appear
We're lost in a cloud With too much rain Were trapped in a world That's troubled with pain But as long as a man Has the strength to dream He can redeem his soul and fly
Deep in my heart there's a tremblin' question Still I am sure that the answer's gonna come somehow Out there in the dark, there's a beckoning candle, yeah And while I can think, while I can talk While I can stand, while I can walk While I can dream, please let my dream Come true, ohhhhh, right now Let it come true right now Oh yeah
These word were written by Walter Earl Brown, using thoughts and words of Martin Luther King. They were recorded by Elvis Presley in 1968, two months after King's death. If we can imagine a better world, why don't we have it? We've made some progress since King's passing. An African-American lives in the White House. There is no Iron Curtain. Polio is history. The world's population has doubled and food production has kept pace. Rising middle class incomes meant people like me could receive an education far exceeding that of any of my forbears. But we seem to be slipping back. Global poverty is starting to rise again. Good jobs that supported families are gone, replaced by part-time, minimum wage work. Middle class families are increasingly accessing foodbanks. Budget cuts to key government services are impacting our most vulnerable citizens – children, the elderly, those with mental heath issues, the sick. Virtually any day now you can pick up a newspaper and read how charities and social agencies are increasingly needed to fill gaps in service. The Ark is certainly experiencing that. When I came here 4 years ago, the average number of people coming in for a meal was high 50s – low 60s. In July it was 94 and in August 98. Some of that is due to other meal programs taking a summer break. But there simply are more people coming. Other agencies report similar experiences. Two thoughts come to mind. Why are we letting this happen? Where is the leadership addressing these pressing human problems? Who stands up for those who can't stand for themselves? But then I think of some 700 volunteers who come in each month and those who faithfully send funds. Tommy Douglas, judged by some to be the 'Greatest Canadian' said, “Some men see things as they are and ask 'why' but I see things as they could be and ask 'why not?'” The Ark has a lot of people who dream of a better world and then do something about it. The Ark Aid Street Mission, Inc
696 Dundas Street E., London, Ontario N5W 2Z4 Tel. 519-667-0322 Fax: 226-289-3045 E-mail: info@arkaidmission.com Web: www.arkaidmission.com
Saturday, October 5 is this year's Ride – 10, 25 or 50 km. Over the past 3 years, the Ark riders have raised $11,000 to help with operational expenses. We need riders and sponsors. You can register to ride or even form your own team and you can sponsor a rider all at rideforrefuge.org/partner/arkaid. All the information and forms are available there. Love, Sweat, Gears!
Summer News One night in July, we hosted a YMCA summer exchange with students from Quebec who came to serve the evening meal. That evening we were joined by Ed Holder, MP London West, who came to meet the students and stayed to pour coffee. It was a great opportunity to be involved with motivated young people, showing them the importance and joy of serving. We also appreciated that one of our civic leaders came to spend time with us, to meet and serve the people. As usual, the Ark participated in the Old East Village Sidewalk Sale. Arkware was open and introduced a number of new people to that aspect of our work. Paintings from the art program were available for sale. There was a public engagement activity, prompting questions for the wider community, live music, free coffee and tours of the Ark. We always want to add value to our neighbourhood. On the back of the building there was a block structure that had seen better days. It was leaning away from the building, the walls were not straight, the floor was in poor shape and it was uninsulated. The good folks at Elim Bible Chapel, Arkona offered to rebuild it. So we had an unexpected building project this summer. Thanks to Elim, Matt and his team from Tricar who tore down the old structure, Imperial Roofing and Rona for supplying material for the deck and stairs (not pictured). It will be used for food storage as it is adjacent to the kitchen. We announced the new walk-in freezer in the last newsletter and it has been running beautifully for a couple of months. In August, our farmer friend who donated a butchered cow earlier in the year did it again. Here it is in the freezer! Also, in late August, 17 boxes of tomatoes were donated, so we got them in there, too for sauce as we need it. It is such a blessing to have such space and evidently, we're supposed to fill it up! Thanks to Tricar for making it possible. By the way, we've served corn on the cob several nights. That hasn't happened before! Dorchester Community Church donated a new paper folding machine. This is a great help in folding receipts and newsletters. It's quick and makes a nice, crisp fold. It is so encouraging when partners see ways to bless not only the Ark but the people it serves. Pictured at right is an example of a treat we served one afternoon. Because the Ark has been blessed with great food donations, we served ice cream, watermelon, ice tea, lemonade, fruit cups as well as the usual muffins and donuts. There is also a donor who brings a box of fruit every day, so we're serving healthier meals. Definitely not your usual soup kitchen fare.
Fall Needs As this newsletter shows, the Ark depends upon a great host of supporters. With your support, we've improved the building, paid the mortgage and served more meals than ever. This time of the year is the hardest for any charity because funds run low prior to the Christmas giving season. We are very grateful for your help. Doug Whitelaw Executive Director Twitter: @ArkAidMission
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