A New Outreach "Bridge" in Belleville

                                                                    Bridge St. United Church

Yesterday the volunteers for the Bridge St. United Church meal ministry received a courtesy email about significant changes to the programs offered withing the church building in the partnership with various municipal entities. This letter was a preface to a decision by Belleville city council and the regional partners to purchase a building not far from the downtown which will be a hub for various services with sufficient space to do so. 

You might have noticed that I italicized the word "ministry" because while I was minister at Bridge St. I encouraged -- actually insisted -- that we use that term rather than "program." In my view the heart and lungs of congregational life were Sunday worship which informed our hands and feet in reaching out in compassionate love as Christ's people. It was a hard sell, to be honest, and the important expansion of outreach through the Bridge St. building with partners made this even more of a challenge, from what I can see, because the other stakeholders are not religious. 

I certainly support the plan to establish this hub because the outcome can be an integrated response to the needs of those who are on the margins of society and often in crisis. I know Ruth will continue to volunteer at a new location because her contribution is about the guests, not the physical site. I do wonder what this will mean for Bridge St. after decades of providing several different meal ministries. And what will this mean for the future of a congregation which has, as with so many other downtown congregations across the country, searched for a sense of purpose? 

Here is the email, thoughtful and clear, shared with the volunteers: 

Dear Meal Program Volunteers,

We are writing to inform you of a significant development for the Drop In program currently operating at Bridge Street Church.

As you are well aware, a Drop In program for people experiencing homelessness has been operating at Bridge Street Church since May 2021 as a partnership between several organizations. Over the past year, the Drop In partners have developed a concept for “The Bridge”, a collaborative health and social service hub to provide collaborative services to individuals in one location, as a next step in the evolution of the current Drop In. “The Bridge” is led by a Steering Committee comprised of the John Howard Society of Belleville, Bridge Street United Church, Grace Inn Shelter, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, Belleville and Quinte West Community Health Centre, Enrichment Centre for Mental Health and CMHA Hastings Prince Edward.

With support from the City of Belleville, the Steering Committee for The Bridge hub is in the process of purchasing the property at 1 Alhambra Square (formerly “The Banquet Centre”) as an ideal location for the hub. News of the City’s support for this project will be shared publicly later today. 

“The Bridge” Steering Committee is presently working through a due diligence process for the purchase and pending successful completion, will proceed with the design and construction of the hub. The Drop In will continue to operate at Bridge Street Church until a move to the new location can be affected.

Bridge Street Church has provided daily lunches to members of our community who are experiencing hunger and food insecurity, including those who attend the Drop In, since March 2020, as a continuation of its longstanding Meal Programs. We intend to continue providing meal support to The Bridge, with daily lunch meal service transitioning fully to the new location. We will seek your input and keep you informed in planning for this transition.

This is a positive development for The Bridge hub, those that it serves, and for our community. Bridge Street Church can take pride in its role in enabling and supporting the Drop In and development of The Bridge hub over the past years, and our continued role in its operation.