Urban Abbey
308 Red River Rd P7B 1B1 Thunder Bay, ON, Canada

| Some good news for the Abbey Community; We’ll be resuming our Sunday morning worship services this Sunday the 13th at 10.30 AM. We are taking every precaution to protect our community through these strange times. As with every public space, folks will be required to wear a mask and all will be screened before entering.... We’re excited to welcome you back through our doors, and we thank you for your co-operation in helping to keep our community safe. | ‘May the Peace of Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm; May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing, once again into our doors’

Hi there, friends and neighbours, Happy Tuesday - or whatever day it happens to be as you read this. It's been some time since the last update, and so, just a note as we continue on in our new and ever-shifting rhythms. ... Our daily meals continue on in take-out fashion; simple ready-made meals with fresh-baked bread, something sweet, and coffee or tea beside. Our focus with these mealtimes is to provide care for each individual as we're able, and find connections where we're not. While coming through, guests are offered the opportunity to make use of the washroom, use the phone, connect with someone for prayer, or take a hand-made mask, should they like. We've laid out a mini-library where folks can take a book or two, and have also set up a Clothing Request system - where guests put in orders for things they're in need of. We do our best to find, match, and hand the packages off the next day. While we're not certain how long this mode of operation will last, there are a few oft-requested things that we keep running out of. And so, here we are on the Facebook, putting out a call for the following: CLOTHING: - Socks! - Underwear - M/F sizes M-XL - Shoes - M/F - Men's t-shirts - sizes L-XL - Men's joggers & shorts - sizes M-XL - Rain jackets/ponchos/umbrellas OTHER THINGS: - Books (most requested are short stories, mystery, biographical) If you're looking to give any of the above, they can be dropped off anytime Monday-Saturday between 9:30 - 7. As always, much love to you, thanks for reading these lengthy things, and a benediction as you go: --- May you feel the light of the Sun behind all suns. May you live in the grace of the dawn’s glory. May you be strengthened in the rays of the afternoon sun and healed by the light of the stars and moon. May it be well with you, and may you be a part of the world’s healing this day. And may the blessing of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be with you this day. [Jessica Goodman adapted from The Wednesday Morning Prayers from Celtic Benediction by J Philip Newell] ---

Christ have mercy.

Good morning from the newly assembled Abbey Seagull Choir [and from all of us other Abbey folk]. - We're beginning to miss our Sunday morning gatherings; the weekly punctuation of coming together,... of cultivating corporate reflection and stillness before God; of sharing the Peace, the Bread, and the Cup; of joining music and voices for the Divine Audience and Imminent Participator. Strange times, we're in [no doubt, full of many sufferings] but may you find a sweetness as we heed this present slowing - a re-discovering of Sabbath [may we call it a delight!] and set aside our toil for a re-creative stride. - Happy Sunday, all; and may the peace of Christ be with you.

the neighbourhood clothing company swung by last week - thanks Ungalli Clothing Co. for the gift of masks, and to @Janika Polkki for nominating us as recipients:)

Hi there friends and neighbours, Hope you are getting on well. Just a note to update on what items would be helpful for our operations at this time - to support hosting the guests of our Designated Specialized Shelter, and our daily take-out meals:... CLOTHING: **We're no longer taking donations of clothing at this time - thanks** - Clothes hangers are still helpful! KITCHEN - Takeout containers, yogurt/margarine containers with lids - Cereal, instant oatmeal, granola bars - Fresh vegetables & fruit - Canned tomatoes - Rice, lentils, beans, buckwheat, or pastas SPECIAL REQUESTS - Puzzles or activity books for quarantined guests - Reading glasses (of any strength) Of course, we are ever grateful for financial donations, which can be done online at: www.urbanabbey.ca/give-1 Much Love to those giving and inquiring; all those checking in and sending encouragement; all those staying put or all those working, both with diligence and care. --- Peace of Christ be with you.

"Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one. We worship your Cross, O Christ, and we hymn and glorify your holy Resurrection. For you are our God, we know no other but you, we name you by name. Come all the faithful, let us worship the holy Resurrection of Christ; for behold through the Cross, joy has come in all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, we hymn his Resurrection. For having endured the Cross for us, he has destroyed death by death." Anonymous, 5th-6th Century

OUR GRATITUDE to all the wonderfully generous individuals, organizations, and businesses supporting our work over the past few weeks, as we switch proverbial gears and truck along our journey through Covid-town together. The list is certainly long, and our hearts, certainly filled. --- To all who have contributed to our kitchen operation, as we continue serving up lunch and dinner (takeout style): To The Bean Fiend Cafe and Sandwich Bar, Applebee's Grill & Bar, Sweet G's Fami...ly Restaurant, and Shelter House for loads of fresh vegetables! To St. Paul's United Church - Thunder Bay and Redwood Park Church for a bounty of packaged snacks, takeout containers, and pantry essentials! To The Whole Nine Yards and the many dedicated crafters who've whipped up (impressively fashionable, may i say) face masks! To our many friends, known and unknown, near and far, who've brought by containers, groceries, gift certificates, and financial donations; THANK YOU. --- To all who have helped get us set up as a Designated Specialized Shelter for Isolation, and continue to support this project: To Adult & Teen Challenge Super Thrift Thunder Bay, The Clothing Lady- New To You Free Clothing Exchange, Umbrella Clinic, and a myriad of kind folk for a swath of clothes, scrubs, hygiene products, and more! To Thunder Bay Public Library for books and books and books! To Lappe Fire Department, NorWest Community Health Centres, Dr. Stevens, and Superior North EMS HQ for fitting us with the proper sanitation supplies and precious protective gear! To Thunder Bay District Health Unit and the lovely GAPPS team from St. Joseph's Care Group, CMHA Thunder Bay, and NorWest Community Health Centres for your personal care and professional help for our guests! To Elaine Wiersma and Talita Jolene for bringing the structure, procedure, and policy necessary to do such a thing; THANK YOU. --- And, certainly not the least, much gratitude To the many not named, to the anonymous; To those faithfully giving of their time; All those pouring themselves out for the hungry and satisfying the needs of the afflicted; Those offering distant-yet-genuine smiles, and prayerful thoughts; May your light rise in the darkness, and your gloom be as the noonday. --- Peace, all us here at Urban Abbey. See more

Hello friends and neighbours, once again! As we are getting settled into this strange season, and new modes of functioning, we're getting a better idea of what we need, and what the community may be able to support us with. The following is a list of general practical needs to help us continue our daily meal services and supply our Designated Specialized Shelter Program's current needs. ... I will be sending out updated lists as needs change, for those eager to contribute (which are many! Thank you!) The items we need most at the moment are: CLOTHING: **We've got quite enough clothing-wise for now!** - Clothes hangers KITCHEN - Takeout containers - yogurt/margarine containers with lids - Cereal, instant oatmeal, granola bars, sandwich bread - Fresh vegetables & fruit - Canned tomatoes - Rice, lentils, beans, buckwheat - Pastas SPECIAL REQUESTS - DVD player & television for quarantined guests - Pillows, mattress cover (queen), comforters (machine washable!) - Lamps - Cough drops, Vick's, Kleenex, gingerale! Of course, the Abbey is ever grateful for financial donations, which can be done online at: www.urbanabbey.ca/give-1 For more information, contact the office at 768-8923, or send a message to the Urban Abbey via Facebook. --- Grace to you, and Peace.

DONATIONS NEEDED! COVID-19 RESPONSE The Urban Abbey has been working with agencies to receive overnight guests who are experiencing illness and, due to precautionary measures, cannot stay at other emergency shelters in the city at this time. Currently, we are providing these folks with fresh clothes, a shower, a place to sleep, and meals as they spend the next little while in isolationary care. The Abbey has no funding for this work. The Habit was an important source of reven...ue but has been closed. We need funds for health care, food and accommodation expenses. PLEASE CONSIDER GIVING TO THIS WORK! http://www.urbanabbey.ca/give-1 For more information, contact the office at 768-8923, or send a message to the Urban Abbey via Facebook. --- Deep peace to you all:)

**EDIT** Much love to all who have stepped up and stopped by these past days! We've been supplied with quite a bit in terms of clothing, and have changed the list in this post to reflect what we could still use. **THANK YOU!**... Dear friends and neighbours, The Urban Abbey has been working with the Health Unit to receive overnight guests who are experiencing illness and, due to precautionary measures, cannot stay at other emergency shelters in the city at this time. Currently, we are providing these folks with fresh clothes, a shower, a place to sleep, and meals as they spend the next little while in isolationary care. We could use some community support for the following items: 1. --- 2. M/F undergarments & socks 3. Towels & facecloths 4. Sanitary products And, of course, the Abbey is ever grateful for financial donations. For more information, contact the office at 768-8923, or send a message to the Urban Abbey via Facebook. --- Deep peace to you all:)

Hello friends and neighbours Director of Hospitality here; to offer some information regarding our mealtimes at the Abbey for the next little while. --- Over the past 4+ years, the Abbey has opened its doors to all manner of folk, inviting to our table those who should like to join us in sharing simple, yet hearty, fare. We’ve had the privilege of getting to know our neighbours over bowls of soup and daily bread, taking time together in response to the very real issue of s...ocial isolation that many in this city experience. While we had been implementing some rather scrupulous safety measures surrounding our daily lunch and dinner meals over the past week in an attempt to keep our dining room open, it has become clear that this will just not do for now! And so, in light of the recent calls to action by the province, and to do our part to keep with Social Distancing practices, we have moved to a takeout model of foodservice to our usual guests; available at our usual times of 12:30 and 5:30 pm. Going forward, we are also gauging and evaluating how else to best serve our neighbours as the Covid-19 situation progresses in this region. --- As a reminder, we’ve also closed The Habit Coffee & Bakeshop for the time being. --- If you’d be interested in contributing for meals over this next while, we’d appreciate donations of both perishable and non-perishable foods; or donations to cover the cost of additional takeout materials and supplies as we are, for the time being, not generating an income stream from The Habit. If you’d be interested in contributing your time to the cause, we’d love to have folks join us, preferably those able to volunteer at consistent times over the next little while, and who are without pre-existing health concerns. For more information on the above, contact our office at 768-8923, or send us a message via Facebook. --- Thunder Bay, It’s been absolutely delightful to see the response of so many in this community who are putting precautionary measures in place, and are striving to show practical love and care to those around them in whatever ways they’re able. Bless the lot of you.