We regret that at the present time of the COVID-19 we are unable to serve breakfasts as our volunteer-base is not coming into the city as they have been instructed by their companies to work from home.
Watch this space for our next arrangements re how we will re-open.
St Stephen’s Uniting Church Early Bird Café.
Free BREAKFAST (cereal, fruit, cooked breakfast, tea, coffee) is served MONDAY to FRIDAY 7am to 8am. Anyone can come.
JOIN THE TEAM: The aim is to have enough people on the team to serve once a month (more if you would like). Expressions of interest or enquires can be emailed to office@ssms.org.au or phone (02) 9221 1688
THE HISTORY:
The Elders and Church Council of St Stephen’s Uniting Church, with support from City Community Care incorporated, a registered charity in Sydney, will house the Early Bird Café in the Ferguson Hall Monday to Friday from 6am to 8.30am. We commenced in September 2019. The Early Bird Café offers meals to people who are homeless and those in restricted circumstances.
After conversations over the past month with people from the cafés’ previous Board of Management, speaking to people within the congregation who have experience of this form of ministry, and with Uniting, the Elders and Church Council have reached consensus on entering into this arrangement to conduct the Early Bird Café.
We have taken care to have conversations about security and care of the heritage building.
The café has a volunteer staff supported by teams from companies in the city who volunteer their time. Such companies are Mirvac, Woolworths, Woolmart, and Brookfield, as well as organisations like Sydney Cove Rotary, and Food Bank. St Stephen's Uniting is providing a team too.
We believe that God has provided a way for St Stephen’s Uniting to explore the goal we agreed to in the Five Marks Of Mission:
“Risk taking mission and service
Extravagant generosity
2. desire to learn more about homelessness and to be a place of refuge and practical support through recycling and distributing food to individuals and agencies dealing with disadvantage”
EARLY BIRD CAFÉ
~ MINISTRIES ARE NOW OPEN FOR VOLUNTEERING
1. St Stephen’s EBC oversight team:
Gifts needed: compassion, able to work on a team, a good listener, a good communicator when talking to other committees,
administration skills including internet access, available to meet at St Stephen’s Uniting. This small team will liaise with the St Stephen's Uniting EBC Committee of Management.
2. Volunteering on a morning team serving breakfast:
Gifts needed: compassion, able to work on a team, a good listener, able to take instructions, early riser, a desire to serve on tables / in the kitchen.
3. Financial contributor toward extra cleaning:
Gifts needed: generosity, trust, and humility. This might be able to be a tax-deductible gift. Still to be confirmed.