Around the Diocese
Anglican Food Relief
Finds Support Across Perth
The Revd Peregrin Campbell-Osgood
Ascension Connection is a Community Hub and Food Relief Program operating out of the Ascension Church in Midland. Volunteers and community members gather on Friday mornings to share life, coffee and cake, a sausage sizzle and food parcels.
The past year has seen a huge growth in our community. This growth has been across the board: the number of people attending; the number of food parcels shared; the number of volunteers; and an increase in the incredible range of support throughout the Diocese and across Perth.
The number of people has almost doubled in the last year. This correlates to the dramatic increase in homelessness in the Swan area – an increase of 175% in the period of 2016-2022, compared with an average increase of 8% across the State. Swan is the Local Government Area with the highest number of homeless people aside from the Central Business District in Perth.
Fortunately, this increase in demand has also been accompanied by an increase in support, both locally and far and wide. We continue to receive a generous grant from the Diocese to purchase the food we need. Recently, we have also had significant direct financial donations. We were blessed with $4,800 from the estate of the late Judith Blair-Hall, arranged through the love and work of Carmel and Barbara from St Nicholas’, Floreat. A kind, and anonymous, benefactor from St Andrew's, Subiaco, also donated $1,000.
Pictured: Carmel and Barbara handing on the cheque from the estate of the late Judith Blair-Hall
Aside from these two parishes, we also receive support from several others, particularly the Parishes of Swan, Guilford, Darlington-Bellevue, and St Christopher’s in City Beach which will be donating Christmas Hampers for us this year. And we continue to be supported by a range of non-church individuals and groups, such as the Hills Symphony Orchestra. The Sexual Health Quarters donated a large supply of feminine hygiene products, and a private person is collecting feminine hygiene products and food from her yoga clients in Hamilton Hill. If you would like to collect goods for our community, please download a flyer. bit.ly/AC23flyer
Even with all these wonderful people, our greatest strength is always the Body of Christ, which is constituted each Friday morning when we all come together as one. Ascension Connection is church, and we are all, volunteers and community, one Body on the day. Throughout the morning we all receive ‘something’, some enrichment we will take home with us. For some this will be service, for others conversation, companionship and care. We are all touched, and we are all changed each Friday; we all leave with a precious gift, and some of us will leave with food, because that is what we need.
Related links
Church of Ascension, Midland
A welcoming church who wants the newcomer and stranger to be always in our midst, for they bring the presence of Christ’s love with them.
