The sun is shining this morning and it appears we weathered the worst of the potential wind storm last night. The wind changes with the seasons, but today to me is a fall gift. Warm sun is a blessing.

I am grateful to all that participated and listened with open hearts in our service meeting last week. We continue to work at discernment. We are changing and change is difficult but necessary.  My personal hardest task is to let go of what I think is right and to listen to where the spirit is leading us. Who will we be in a year, five years and beyond?

I am grateful to Walter and John who have taken on leadership in our stewardship campaign. I grew up in a culture of stewardship which first and foremost is about sharing our gifts (time, talent and resources) within and outside our community. Please mark November 10th as Stewardship Sunday and plan to attend as we explore the concept of Stewardship and how it can lead us to hear where we need to be.

I am grateful to the Diocese who continue to support us as we face our financial challenges and decision making efforts. More on this in future newsletters. 
I am grateful to the team who put together our Parish Profile. With some tweaks our Parish Profile is ready to be posted. There are many balls in the air as we move forward, but move forward we must. Do we renovate the rectory for occupancy? Do we seek full or part time incumbents? Do we continue our relationship with agencies that are working within and outside of our community.

I am grateful to the building and maintenance committee who are currently stick-handling the kitchen renovation project and important remediation work at St Mary’s. Updates on this work will be highlighted in future newsletters. 

I am grateful to those who have asked questions about Gabriel’s Kitchen. Included below are some answers provided by Kajin who oversees this important work. Inviting in a different community has challenged many but has also been a benefit to many on Saltspring. Both Gloria and Sally attend meals regularly. I would encourage anyone with concerns to speak to them. Better yet, join them for dinner any Thursday at 5:30 (ish). I can attest that the food is always excellent. 

Who are we as a community? What are we being called to?

As always please feel free to send thoughts and concerns to any of the Wardens. 

Until next week…….

Ruth Pickett Seltner, Bishop's Warden

1. On average how many guests did you serve weekly?

We served an average of 40 at every lunch, and expect dinner to be around 60 based on last year's attendance 

2. How many community sponsors? 

Matt Rissling at Rock Salt, Howard Busgang at Buzzy's Luncheonette, Duck Creek Farms, Farmland Trust, We Are What We Eat (WAWWE), Swirly's Ice Cream, Thrifty's, Country Grocer, have all supplied food, in addition to individual contributions of produce and ingredients.

3. Major successes?

Bringing the community together! And a wonderful cross-section of Islanders who have become friends through working and eating together. And the amount of community support after one year of running the program, our success in fundraising, and word getting out to the community. Not to mention wonderful, nutritious food coming out of our kitchen every week. The heart of it is a really wonderful team of committed volunteers.

4. Major challenges?

Negotiating space, schedules, storage and making sure other users of the space are comfortable. We try our best, and our program is all about breaking down stigma around poverty, homelessness and other challenges that many community members face.

5. Outlook for the future?

We've applied for funding to potentially cover two years of the program. We are also exploring alternatives while the Parish kitchen is being renovated. Our full vision for Gabriel's Kitchen is to operate in a dedicated space as a community-run, daily resource connected to a community pantry and fridge, food gardens, and offering public workshops and mentoring.

6. Community impressions…… what do your guests say?

The best comments are on our Facebook page - click here.

Some of our guests say that we're the best restaurant in town! I think there's a lot of gratitude for really high quality, nourishing food being prepared for our friends. And also an appreciation for the social connection, sharing tables and breaking bread with others.

7. Who cooks and how does it help?

Our kitchen is open to anyone who wants to cook or help prep. We have a pretty strong core of volunteer cooks from all walks of life, including cooks who stay at the shelter, liveaboards, homeowners, retirees, counselors, and quite a few Parishioners. It's created some solid and deepening friendships. It's also been a boost to many members' mental wellness to be of service and to make wonderful food. 

The cooks are part of a larger ecosystem which includes volunteers who set up, serve, and clean. Each of them is integral to the Gabriel's Kitchen team.