For 1996 and 1997, our church had another opportunity to partner with Mimi Ho, the program coordinator for the Toronto City Mission, to plan summer day camps for inner-city kids in the Don Mount community near Regent Park. Again, we reached out to kids with God’s love through the day camps.
In the summers of 1998 and 1999, I again led teams of volunteers to organize day camps for inner-city kids. The location for our camp was the Pelham Park community, near Old Weston & Davenport. Unlike the Regent Park and Don Mount day camps, which had served predominantly Asian children, the Pelham Park camp served children between ages 4 and 12 from a multi-ethnic community. Also, most of these kids had come from low-income families. Our camp was a part of a larger project designed and delivered by Dale Peters, a Tyndale College graduate who had served this community as a social worker for eight years. His excellent program offered activities to all age groups.
Our daily activities consisted of games, crafts, trips, singing, special workshops, and time for the gospel story. While we only had between noon and 4:30, it was very worthwhile to see the children getting excited about God and about what He could do in their lives and in their families. Dale and all the parent volunteers were always there to lend support and several parents even inquired about a church in their community that they could attend with their children. During those summers, our volunteers became friends with the children, built trust in kids’ lives, taught them respect for authority, and most importantly, planted seeds (God’s Word and His promises) in their heart. What a great privilege this was!
I was so glad to have Pastor Irene Cheung (RHCCC) come to support us. I am very grateful that she took time out of her own day camp to come and work amongst the inner-city kids.
I am thankful for the many competent, mature volunteers that God has raised up to help me operate successful outreach programs that will change the lives of children. I am thankful and indebted to ACEM for the financial and prayerful support for this ministry. I look forward to 1999 and await the Lord’s calling to open doors for me. I hope we can continue to bring the gospel message to the many children in our city.
( Children Pastor of Toronto Chinese Community Church)
