The Barrhaven United congregation supports a number of neighbourhood, city-wide and global organizations in various ways. We volunteer. Each Advent, we celebrate the traditions of White Gift Sunday and Come Sing Noel. We designate our special offerings received at our Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve worship services to the support of our partners.

Barrhaven Food Cupboard

Barrhaven United Church is the birthplace of the Barrhaven Food Cupboard! Started by the church as an ‘offshoot’ of Nepean FAMSAC’s food cupboard, the Barrhaven Food Cupboard operated out of the church for more than 35 years. Since 2012 it has evolved into a caring community-run charitable organization, with an elected Board of Directors, many dedicated volunteers and, as of 2019, a new location at the Walter Baker Centre.

Since the Food Cupboard moved to the Walter Baker Centre, the church remains actively involved with the organization. We continue to host Come Sing Noel, an annual fundraising concert of Christmas music provided by local church choirs. Members of the congregation are active in various volunteer capacities, including the Food Cupboard’s Board of Directors. We provide financial support and keep in touch regarding ways we can help. For more information about the work of the Food Cupboard, please see their website https://www.barrhavenfoodcupboard.ca/.

Barrhaven Non-Profit Housing Inc.

The Steepleview Crossing affordable housing community on church property was part of our vision for building our church in the early 1990’s, and so Barrhaven Non Profit Housing Inc. (BNPHI) was created. As one of our early Outreach initiatives, its mission was “to provide affordable housing in a caring community for those with diverse needs”. Today, Steepleview Crossing is a community of 41 units of affordable housing that 80 to 85 people call home.

The majority of this community’s residents benefit from “geared to income” rent. Subsidies are provided through the City of Ottawa which manages the housing vacancy list. For more information regarding the housing vacancy list, please contact the City of Ottawa at http://www.housingregistry.ca or 613-526-2088.
For more information on the Steepleview Crossing affordable housing community, please click here …

Multifaith Housing Initiative

Barrhaven United Church is proud to be a founding member of Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI), a coalition of over 80 faith communities that include Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindu, Unitarians, Baha’i and other faiths who have come together to address the huge need for affordable housing in Ottawa.

Currently MHI owns 139 units, housing between 300 and 400 people in four different communities – Kent House, Somerset Gardens, Blake House and The Haven. Their fifth Ottawa housing community, Veterans’ House, is currently under construction on the CFB Rockland Airbase lands.

Barrhaven United has been a member of Multifaith Housing Initiative since its inception, providing financial assistance and supporting its activities through volunteering and attendance at events. We are particularly connected to The Haven, their housing community in Barrhaven that opened in 2017.

Please see MHI‘s website https://www.multifaithhousing.ca/ to learn more about their work.

Chaplaincies

The congregation of Barrhaven United supports three local chaplaincies – the Ottawa West End Community Chaplaincy, Centre 507 and the Carlington Community Chaplaincy. We do this primarily during the Advent season, through gift giving during our traditional White Gift Sunday worship and special offerings collected during our Christmas Eve services.

The three chaplaincies provide support for those who live daily with the challenges of poverty, isolation, health barriers, addictions and underemployment. They strive to provide community to their members through programming that restores dignity, discourages isolation and inspires hope. Each of the organizations engages with its community differently. If you would like to learn more about them, please click on these links …

Canadian Foodgrains Bank

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 Canadian churches (including the United Church of Canada) and church-based agencies which has celebrated over 35 years of working together to end global hunger. Barrhaven United supports the work of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank through the special offerings received at our Thanksgiving worship services.

For more on the important work of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, please see their website https://foodgrainsbank.ca.

Parkdale United Church’s Ministry

The ‘In from the Cold’ Ministry at Parkdale United Church is a wonderful ministry that provides an afternoon of fellowship and a hot meal to over 120 guests every Saturday from the middle of November to the end of March each year. It takes approximately 70 volunteers each week to run this program.

For the past five years, a group of volunteers from our church has participated – serving dinner to the guests and helping with the clean-up. A time of pizza and conversation has traditionally followed!