Once Upon a Time...
Gravenhurst Against Poverty - or otherwise, affectionately known as "G.A.P." - evolved from a presentation made to the Gravenhurst Ministerial Committee about the poverty in the greater Gravenhurst area and a need to address it as a community.
The Minister of Trinity United Church and the pastor of Gateway Apostolic (now called the Gateway Worship Centre) took the lead. They involved the Community Outreach Committee of Trinity United and members of Gateway Apostolic in the first meeting. That meeting included a representative of the District of Muskoka and an outreach worker from the Bracebridge Salvation Army - along with a couple interested community members.
The Minister of Trinity United Church and the pastor of Gateway Apostolic (now called the Gateway Worship Centre) took the lead. They involved the Community Outreach Committee of Trinity United and members of Gateway Apostolic in the first meeting. That meeting included a representative of the District of Muskoka and an outreach worker from the Bracebridge Salvation Army - along with a couple interested community members.
The District of Muskoka then generously provided a grant of $40,000 to start the initiative. The first step was to hire a researcher to conduct a Needs Assessment within the community. When the results were ready to be shared, a general invitation went out to service clubs, community organizations, churches, municipal organizations, citizens with lived experience and community members to hear the identified needs.
From there, Gravenhurst Against Poverty was established and a Steering Committee was formed in January of 2018 to begin work on the identified areas of need within the community. These included: Food Insecurity, Housing, Medical Availability, Transportation, and Mental Health support.
The first program that Gravenhurst Against Poverty launched was a supplemental Food Program - in the form of a community lunch. The intention was never to duplicate what was being offered, but to supplement what was in the community and to initiate when there were needs identified.
From there, Gravenhurst Against Poverty was established and a Steering Committee was formed in January of 2018 to begin work on the identified areas of need within the community. These included: Food Insecurity, Housing, Medical Availability, Transportation, and Mental Health support.
The first program that Gravenhurst Against Poverty launched was a supplemental Food Program - in the form of a community lunch. The intention was never to duplicate what was being offered, but to supplement what was in the community and to initiate when there were needs identified.
Fast forward to 2021 and Gravenhurst Against Poverty has not only pressed forward with exciting new programs, more outreach and greater support for the community, but has done so through an unprecedented global pandemic. Covid-19 has offered up plenty of unique challenges and as a great testament to the commitment of the Steering Committee, local sponsors & supporters, staff, volunteers and community-at-large, G.A.P. has risen to those challenges and adapted to be able to continue serving community.
July 2022: We are pleased to announce that G.A.P. has been successful in the application process and has now received full Charitable Status. To donate – and receive your charitable tax receipt immediately - click here.
July 2022: We are pleased to announce that G.A.P. has been successful in the application process and has now received full Charitable Status. To donate – and receive your charitable tax receipt immediately - click here.
Tribute to Rev. Allan Lynk
Over the course of the 2020 Thanksgiving weekend, we reflected on the things that we were grateful for and this included our volunteers, our sponsors, our community supporters and everyone who played a role in G.A.P.'s programming. But we were especially grateful for the contributions made by Allan Lynk. Allan came to the Trinity United Church back in 2015. By 2017, conversations about unmet needs in Gravenhurst evolved to grassroots community meetings resulting in the founding of G.A.P. As the founder, he agreed to take on the Chair position for 1-year, encouraging leadership from within the community. When Joanne Twist became Chair, Allan remained on the Steering Committee as Mental Health Committee Chair until last September of 2020, when he reached retirement age. Allan has been a vocal supporter of G.A.P. regularly at Sunday morning services and was passionate about the Trinity United Church welcoming, including, and serving the community. He was a minister for 40 years. His wife is a member of the RCMP and has been transferred to Nova Scotia where they will be moving November 2020. With his departure, we wanted to express our gratitude and show appreciation for Allan's vision, his dedication to serving community and all of the incredible work he's done laying a strong foundation for G.A.P. The Rotary Club of Gravenhurst made a presentation to Allan in regards to his departure, which you can watch here on our page or directly on YouTube here. |
|