RIVERSYDE 83
Riversyde 83 is Norfolk’s exciting new foodhub extraordinaire, complete with a community teaching kitchen to explore, a cafe eatery to experience, a foods marketplace to frequent, rental rooms to celebrate or “do business,” and a chef’s kitchen behind it all.
Located in downtown Simcoe at 83 Sydenham Street just besyde the Lynn River, this purposely themed space celebrates our county’s rural roots with unexpected flair.
Riversyde 83’s mission is to build community, to share the joy and wonder of delectable eating, to appreciate the bounty of our county, and to promote health and wellness.
Riversyde 83 – a gathering place where food, friends, and well-being converge.
www.riversyde83.ca (website in progress)
HOME FOR THE NIGHT
Home For The Night offers our most vulnerable neighbours a safe place to sleep. This seasonal shelter is located downtown at the corner of Young and Talbot Streets in a spacious space within First Baptist Church, and is open every night from December to April. Guests may arrive between 8-11pm and are welcomed by staff, volunteers and security. 20 quality cots with medical grade mattresses ensure guests that guests enjoy a warm bed. Hearty meals are available upon arrival, and continental breakfast items are offered in the morning to guests when they leave at 7:30am. This project has been made possible with the help of our caring community, specifically for our citizens who find themselves homeless during the cold winter months.
DONATION STATION
Donation Station receives gently-used furniture, appliances, kitchen basics and children/baby items to share with those who cannot afford to purchase these living necessities. Items we collect include fridges, stoves, washers, dryers, microwaves, televisions, couches, lamps, tables, chairs, beds, bedding, dishes, cutlery, pots and pans, toasters, kettles, blenders, kids clothing.
If you have an item to donate, email or call to let us know. All donations must be gently-used, clean, from smoke-free homes, and in good working condition. (Please note that items not repurposed after a reasonable time may be sold/used to support COS projects in other ways.)
Care workers are able to place an order for a client via a “Wish List” for these household items. For children’s clothing and other kids’ items including shoes, winter wear or sporting goods, please use our “Children’s Wish List” form. All requests must be made through a referring agency.
FIRST SERVING DINNERS
First Serving Dinners is a community meal that is served at lunchtime, on Mondays and Fridays between 11am and 12noon. Eat-in or take-out service is available. Come to First Baptist Church, corner of Talbot and Young Streets, across from Talbot Gardens in Simcoe. We would love to serve you! All meals are free of charge.
THE GATHERING FOOD GARDENS
The Gathering Food Gardens is a community-building food-security initiative. We gather together to grow produce for our neighbours who have limited access to fresh, healthy food. The harvests supply local meal programs, teaching kitchens, and food banks.
27 garden beds are located at 6 sites currently: Indwell-Hambleton Hall, Unilever-Simcoe, Evergreen Church, Colborne Village Church, Calvary Church and at Riversyde 83. The 16 varieties of vegetables are grown pesticide-free and watered by drip irrigation. Last season’s harvest yielded a whopping 21,862 vegetable servings!! Thanks to Scotts Canada, RONA Simcoe and Gintec Shade Technologies for their community spirit and generous support of our gardens.
THE ICE BOX
The Ice Box shares hearty frozen dinners to people who are unable to cook for themselves and their families, due to homelessness or other life crisis. Meals can be delivered to clients’ homes, if required. Requests must be made through a referring agency.
Additionally, for neighbours who are living with food insecurity, the “Food in Norfolk – Emergency and Low Cost Support” brochure lists emergency food services, meal programs, community gardens, community kitchens, and nutrition programs. Church Out Serving works with the Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit in updating and printing this brochure annually.
UPLIFTED
Uplifted is the name of our prayer project. Prayer is a foundational component of all that we do at Church Out Serving, and we consider it a privilege to pray about concerns in our community and in our world. There are currently two opportunities for involvement: an Email Prayer Chain is sent out 1x a month with current prayer concerns, and a Prayer Response to Covid-19 which is a daily email activity.
If you are interested in participating in either of these opportunities, please send an email to cosprayerteam@gmail.com.
WHEN IS THAT AGAIN?
When is that again? Click here to find out!! On our Events Calendar, you will see a variety of events that we believe are of general interest to all.
Find out WHAT is happening WHEN, and WHERE … events like meetings, concerts, programs, seminars, dinners and more … offered by churches and faith groups in the Simcoe ON area … This website also highlights some of our community goings-on too. Love promoting our community, and where we live. There’s lots of things to do.
If you would like us to share your event, please send an email churchoutserving@gmail.com.
