Port Nelson United Church

Port Nelson is an Affirming Ministry of The United Church of Canada. We affirm, include,
and celebrate people of every age, race, belief, culture, ability, income level, family
configuration, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation in our life and ministry.

Since its beginning, Port Nelson has reached out, providing resources, time, money, and skills to support those in need.

Burlington Food Bank
Once a month, during Sunday services, we receive an offering of food items and donations to help support the Burlington Food Bank.

Helping Hands
Helping Hands prepares and delivers simple meals to those experiencing crisis or in times of need.

Help to Families at Christmas
There are always families in our Community who need extra assistance at Christmastime. Likewise, there are always people in the church family who want to help. We can match the needs with the gifts in December.

Meals of Hope
Meals of Hope began in October 2020 during the pandemic. At that time, we supported the Meal Bag Program at Wellington Square, which cooked meals four times a week.

We soon added another partner, Gore Park Community Outreach. This added a fifth shift.
Once the world opened again, we didn’t know if there would be a Meals of Hope. We were very wrong. Many societal issues facing our Community today make MOH a very active outreach program.

We continue to partner with Gore Park Community Outreach. Our Thursday night shift is dedicated to making hot meals for Gore Park.

On Saturday, sandwiches, scrambled eggs and sausages are delivered (along with the hot meals) by our excellent volunteer drivers.

The Gore Park Community has numbers between 300 and 400 people weekly. A majority of these people are seniors.

One of our new partners is the Wesley Shelter Food Program. It is a newly opened shelter for women and families. Food is provided around the clock. Our dedicated day is Wednesday. We are in touch with the program coordinator and ready to provide more food on other days if necessary.
The shelter is located in Burlington.

The Bonnie Place Residence is a seniors’ residence. We provide meals twice a week. A caseworker refers the residents who would otherwise not be able to manage.

Finally, the Burlington Baptist Church holds a seniors lunch (Circle of Friends) on Wednesday. The seniors are picked up from home and brought to the church. Nelson High School students help with the lunch made and delivered by Meals of Hope.

A combination of financial donations and food donations supports us. The donations are shared equally across all the partners.

A fantastic volunteer base also supports us! Without our teams, we could not have done what we did. We feel so grateful every day for the MOH teams❤️

New volunteers are joining every week. If you are interested, please call or email.

Refugee Sponsorship
Port Nelson sponsored its first refugee family in 1975 due to concern for the people fleeing Vietnam. In 1996, Port Nelson was concerned for refugees fleeing the war in the former Yugoslavia and sponsored a family of three. In 1999, Port Nelson sponsored a family of political refugees. The father had been jailed and, after release, fled after an assassination attempt by the government of Colombia.

The refugee group was reinvigorated in 2015 in light of the Syrian refugee crisis and sponsored a Special Needs family of three women and a 19-year-old single male, Hamza. The refugee group has helped Hamza successfully sponsor his mother and two younger sisters to Canada and will help support the family when they arrive.

Seeds of Life: Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Seeds of Life is a local growing project of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank – “A Christian response to hunger.” This 72-acre farm at Alberton, Ontario, is a community project supported by several churches and individuals, including Port Nelson. You can sponsor all or part of the input costs of an acre of corn, soybeans or winter wheat (depending on the year), and when harvested, the proceeds from the crop are matched with funds from the Government of Canada for World Food Assistance.

Special Appeals
Following natural disasters and world events such as floods, hurricanes, and famine, The United Church of Canada frequently launches special appeals for people to lend assistance. These are usually announced during services as needed.

United Church Mission & Service
Mission & Service connects our local church to the broader work of the United Church of Canada at home and around the world. Special appeals throughout the year offer opportunities for people to give. Contributions help support programs such as global and Canadian justice initiatives, Aboriginal ministries and rights relations, community ministries, theological education, youth and camping, intercultural engagement, support for remote ministries, and innovation in communities of faith.