Open Arms 3.83

">Open Arms' office and main outreach centre have been in Kentville since 2003 with outreach in Berwick and Kingston as well. Open Arms is a community supported registered charity made up of a network of about 300 volunteers from Wolfville to Bridgetown who have come our way from many different churches, community groups, businesses, schools and more. Initially established as a Community Chaplaincy/Advocacy for people in need. We hoped to assist those who were struggling to access necessary community supports and to provide a hand up. We were immediately struck with the lack of supports within our communities for life's essentials around food, shelter and housing. In response to the needs we encountered, we began a shelter program to complement our front-line advocacy work. Inn From The Cold now operates from seven local churches in Eastern Kings County throughout the Winter months and from our Outreach Centre from May through October with the assistance of Police and many community volunteers. Emergency shelter has been provided for more than 1200 individuals over the past twelve years.

For many people including those facing a variety of hindrances to employment, seasonal workers, working poor, seniors, single parents, youth and more, Open Arms Drop-in Centres have become safe places for community, assistance and a hand up.
Aside from a full breakfast every morning and suppers most evenings, daily Drop-in activities include:
- Art and literacy projects
(developed in cooperation with the Valley Community Learning Association))
- Bible study and support groups
- Volunteer training

***Essential Skills Program
- Assessment is provided for individuals desiring increased education, quality of life or employability
- Programs and workshops focused on building work and life skills and teamwork.

***Emergency Shelter: Oversight of 'Inn From The Cold' and Summer Shelter programs - Seven churches in Eastern Kings County host 'Inn From The Cold'. Each church hosts a night of the week to as emergency shelters for the Valley region (Hantsport - Digby) from November through April and our 'Summer Program' operates from May through October.

***S.A.F.E. Houses (Shelter Always For Everyone) - Developing safe and affordable housing for people in transition. We have a number of apartments and a current capacity of 16 residents.

***Prison Ministry / Outreach to youth and adults released from correctional facilities

***Emergency Food Program for Families in Crisis

***Apartment Helps - Locating and retaining transitional & permanent housing

***Furniture Bank - Collection, storage and delivery of donated furniture and other essential household.

The churches currently operating 'Inn From The Cold' are:
* Centerville Baptist, Centerville
* Coldbrook Baptist, Coldbrook
* King’s Presbyterian Church, New Minas
* New Covenant Community Church, Cambridge
* New Hope Wesleyan, North Alton
* New Minas Baptist Church, New Minas
* St. James Anglican Church, Kentville
* St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Kentville

***S.A.F.E. Houses (Shelter Always For Everyone) - Developing safe and affordable housing for people in transition. We have a number of apartments and a current capacity of 16 residents.

***Prison Ministry / Outreach to youth and adults released from correctional facilities

***Rural Food Delivery Program To Families in Crisis

***Apartment locating / Transitional & permanent residence

***Collection, storage and delivery of donated furniture and other essential household items in cooperation the existing furniture bank.
- If you have furniture items in good condition that you would like to donate, please call Open Arms (365-3665 or e-mail john@openarms.ca)

***Saturday Suppers
The groups currently operating 'Saturday Suppers' at the Kentville drop-in are:
• 1st Saturday - St. Francis Roman Catholic Church, Wolfville
• 2nd Saturday - New Hope Wesleyan, North Alton
• 3rd Saturday - (A meal is already available at St. James Anglican Church - 'The Welcome Table')
• 4th Saturday - New Minas Baptist Church, New Minas
• 5th Saturday - Open Arms' Board of Directors
*Our Saturday suppers and Wednesday nights meals deliberately offset the Community Soup Kitchen which runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Other nights are hosted by a variety of community volunteers and include involvement from:
Kings Presbyterian Church
Lawrencetown Baptist Church
Middleton Baptist Church
New Covenant Community Church
Peopleworx
St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church
Valley Gate Vineyard

***Distribution of donated Christmas gifts

Board of Directors
Sheila Lawrence
David Morse
Steave Hingley
John Andrew
Jill Gerrits
Heather Nauss-Levy
Kathy Marshall

Our "Core Values" serve as reminders of what we strive for:

Building Community
We make continuous efforts to build and feed relationships between members, volunteers and organizations, as well as between each other. We encourage and strengthen ourselves and each other.

Compassion
We make every effort to provide a comfortable and caring environment that is safe and non-judgmental in which people can feel heard and begin to build solutions.

Respect
We value the inherent dignity in every person. We will treat people with respect and openness. We acknowledge the value, gifts and diversity of each person.

Community Partnerships
We foster and value collaborative and cooperative community partnerships to improve the quality of life for all its citizens.

Social Responsibility
We recognize a common bond in our humanity. We strive to take an active and visible role to assist people to meet their basic human needs.