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by Thursday at 11:00 AM

School Lunches during COVID 

The Acadia School Lunch Program is in its 6^th year of operation with significant funding by an initial United Church start-up grant and a more recent operating grant through Chinook Winds as well as other funders. The program provided nutritious lunches for school children who arrived at school with little or no food for the day. Last year the program was initially placed on hold in March when schools closed and our lives changed. In the fall when schools reopened, we worked very creatively to find a method to continue to provide healthy food to the children while protecting our “high risk” volunteers and following school and church pandemic rules. In October, we began providing bagged lunches of individually prepackaged healthy food items to families with school aged children. This cooperative program of McDougall United and The Lutheran Church of Our Saviour now operates with 2 volunteers from each church to enable strict sanitation and distancing protocols during the assembly of 250 lunches. The Acadia Food Pantry, a previously established community program operating out of McDougall United, now distributes the school lunches along with other food items for families in need.

Folks from Ralph Connor, Rundle and the wider community are invited to join a Lenten Study based on the book, Queer Virtue by the Rev. Elizabeth Edman. This study series is hosted by a joint Affirming Taskforce of the Pacific Mountain (BC) and Chinook Winds (South/Central AB) Regions of the United Church and it will take place via Zoom. The study begins on February 22, and continues on five Monday nights 7:30pm-9pm MST. A “Bow Valley” sub group will meet, also by zoom following the Monday evening sessions to share together from a local perspective.  See Shannon’s promo at https://youtu.be/iJQbcjArweE?t=2121

To register: click here~.

With registration you can request a study guide or you can purchase a copy of the book Queer Virtue at Café Books at a discount. Please let Shannon Mang know that you will be joining the study and she will include you in the local Bow Valley sub-group email here~.

Impacts of Intergenerational Trauma is a workshop facilitated by Calgary Foundation's VP of Indigenous Relations and Equity, Tim Fox. This workshop will explore how the legacy of historical processes and policies continue to have an impact on Indigenous peoples and provide suggested ways that participants can heal together from these impacts.

Tue Feb 23 or Thu Feb 25, 10 AM to 1 PM. 

Register here~ by Feb 15.

Each year since 1996, February is designated as Black History/African Heritage Month. An excellent place to access stories and other blog posts on steps we can take to be an anti-racist Church, is https://united-church.ca/blog-theme/anti-racism, and a document guiding our way has been posted to http://ralphconnor.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Working-Towards-Becoming-An-Anti-Racist-Denomination.pdf

Unlearning the myths: Black History Month at University of Calgary is being celebrated virtually this year with music, culture and teaching events, and an online gallery: https://arts.ucalgary.ca/about/about-faculty/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/black-history-month-2021

As many of you know I’m a techno-moron living in bandwidth hell. Altho Trish is a great mind-reader even she can’t untangle all my mental mumblings sometimes. Please excuse us for the incorrect link last week. I hadn’t meant to include music but rather another beautiful example of “different love” for Valentine’s Day. Click here for link~.

A select list of works that focuses on Black creators, stories, and perspectives curated by MRU Library to celebrate Black History Month: Click here for link~.

A reflection on language: From The United Church of Canada Anti-Racism and Equity Officer, Adele Halliday, Rethinking darkness and light, “There’s a particularly detrimental effect on people who are Black, or racialized in other ways, when you constantly hear ‘black is bad, black is bad,’” click here~.

Another way to communicate: The Calgary Public Library is hosting an online Cree Language and Culture Class with Elder Ernest Poundmaker. Registration begins on February 22. Click here~.

An introduction to Indigenous Lands and Issues in Canada: From February 20 to June 19, host Adrian Jacobs, Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre’s Keeper of the Circle, invites you to join Indigenous elders from across Canada to explore the cultural and historic foundations of today’s headlines. Join in for this series of online conversations in response to the Indigenous education mandates from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Final Report. For a schedule and further information, or to register, please click here~.

A show of support: Everyone is invited to take part in Pink Shirt Day – An Indigenous Anti-Bullying Day Session on Feb 24 at 7:30 PM MST. Pink Shirt Day is a day when people wear pink to symbolize a stand against bullying. Pink Shirt Day is being hosted as part of the Indigenous Lenten Series to look at the plight of At Risk Youth during this pandemic and the challenges of intergenerational trauma and lateral violence in Indigenous communities.  For more information click here~.     Zoom Link: click here~.

An international, interfaith declaration that calls for an end to violence against and criminalization of LGBTTQ+ people and a global ban on conversion therapy is being signed across Canada. Launched in December, so far the declaration has been signed by over 400 religious leaders from more than 35 countries.  Click here~.

A step towards reconciliation!  Episcopal congregations in Maryland are contributing to a “seed fund for reparations.” Recognizing the ways that prejudice has permeated and influenced many Churches, parishioners are being encouraged to direct their endowments towards racial justice organizations.  Click here~.