Fri Feb 12 2021
1. I haven’t mentioned Caremongerers for some time in these notes. #CareMongering is hosting a winter clothing and supply drive to be distributed to unhoused community members across the city. They are looking for donations of winter jackets, clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, tents, and similar items. Items can be dropped off at New Vision United Church (24 Main St W – East entrance) on: Wed Feb 10, 4-6 PM, Fri Feb 12, 12-2 PM, Sun Feb 14, 11 AM-1 PM, and alternate drop off times can be arranged by emailing abadershamai@gmail.com.
2. Caremongerers continue to operate their delivery food and personal hygiene supply depot out of New Vision’s Lower Hall. You can offer mutual support and ask for it a care@djno.ca, and on the Caremongering Hamilton Facebook group.
3. In other local neighbourhood news, the Hamilton Spectator published a report on neighbourhood interest in the redevelopment of our Holton Ave. S. property Wednesday evening.
4. The report was timely, since we and our development partner the United Property Resource Corporation (UPRC) were invited yesterday evening (Feb 11) by Ward 3 Councilor Nrinder Nann to share with the neighbourhood our redevelopment plans. Dan Peace and I attended on New Vision’s behalf and took part in the presentation by UPRC.
5. Follow this link to see the digital file the presenters used for the meeting.
6. The Zoom meeting was attended by about 50 neighbours. It was a lively and engaged dialogue between UPRC and them, facilitated by Councilor Nann’s office. More consultation with the neighbours will take place as the proposal moves along toward submission to the City.
7. I am grateful we have arrived finally at this point where all the discontinuous change by which the former St. Giles congregation ceased being central to the well being of the neighbourhood is concluding and new ways of connecting and deepening understanding and improving well-being is commencing.
8. Join the United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine-Israel for A Taste of Palestine: A three-part event February 16, February 23, March 9 Live Zoom with Fatma and Claire from Palestine Cooking Demo (follow along & enjoy the flavours). TASTE FOOD – HEAR STORIES – MAKE CHANGE For more information and to register follow this link.
9. New Vision Threshold Partners Annual Meeting will take place next Sunday, Feb 21 after our virtual worship gathering. All Threshold Partners and New Vision friends for whom New Vision has an email address will have received a link to the electronic version of the 2020 Annual Reportearlier this week. If you don’t receive an email message with the link, or you encounter difficulty accessing the link, please advise us at officeadmin@newvisionunited.org.
10. How shall we create the atmosphere that comes with sitting down to a potluck meal before the annual meeting? Suggestions most welcome. I look forward to seeing you there!
11. With the continuing lock-down New Vision folks without access to Zoom have not been able to participate in person at 24 Main W in our Zoom worship gathering on Sundays. We connect with many who do not have the ability to connect to our Zoom gatherings by phone. I am looking forward to the day we can meet again in person.
12. New Vision Virtual Worship is experiential, participatory, image-rich and collective, just like worship in person at New Vision! Join us on Sunday mornings 10:30 am week to week during the Covid-19 emergency by clicking here. If you want to put the link someplace easy to find each week, here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/782292511. Please share it with others and invite them to a “different” kind of time on Zoom from the usual.
13. You can also call in to the gathering on the telephone toll free. Call 1 855 703 8985, then, when prompted, input the Meeting ID 782 292 511 followed by the # sign. Ignore the prompts for Participant ID and Password. You are in when the recorded voice says, “You are in the meeting.” If you can only connect by video on your computer with no audio, you can use the phone connection for audio and the computer connection for visual.
14. For updates on New Vision plans in the post Covid-19 emergency recovery, please visit http://newvisionunited.org/new-vision-covid-19-updates/.
Hope to see you Sunday – again, or for the first time ~
Rev Ian