Steadfast

I just realized that it’s been nearly two months since I have written anything here. I think the reason for this silence is that these past couple of months have been full of so much change that I’ve had a hard time keeping up with my own thoughts and feelings, let alone write about them.…

Nimble Nomads with a Schedule

Yesterday I had the chance to describe The Dale to someone who had very little context for who we are. It was good for me to recap our history, our philosophy, and the unique way that we have chosen to exist in our neighbourhood as “nomads with a schedule.” Early in this pandemic we needed…

For Carol

A dear family friend passed away suddenly this week. Her name was Carol Fuller, and she was an absolute gem of a human being. Carol has been part of my family’s life for over thirty years. She and my dad were the first ever pair of teachers to share a classroom in the Limestone District…

Being “Dale-ish” during a pandemic

It has become increasingly clear, over the past few months, that building community in a pandemic is… hard! We, as a staff team, are SO thankful that we’ve been able to continue working together in Parkdale, seeing our folks and meeting practical needs. AND, it’s really difficult that we haven’t been able to sit down…

(un)learning together

One of the (many) things that I love about the Dale community is that we are a pretty diverse bunch, in a whole variety of ways: in terms of our socioeconomic situations, our stances on theology, our expressions of gender and sexuality, the colours of our skin, our ages/stages of life, our degrees of ability/disability,…

the offering hat

One of the things that I miss the most about “regular” life at the Dale (ie. pre-COVID), is the part of our Sunday service just before we pass around the offering hat. Erinn (or whichever of us is leading the service that day) always makes sure to explain that we all have good gifts to…

In praise of shelter and housing workers

If you’ve had your ear to the ground lately, surrounding issues of homelessness and housing in Toronto amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, you will likely have come across some strong opinions about the City’s response to these overlapping crises. I’ve added my voice to the mix on social media, encouraging others to contact the mayor and…

COVID gratitude journal

These are wild times. There’s no question about it. I know many of us are starting to fray at the edges, wondering how long this pandemic will last. AND, it is also true that these are times of wild generosity. I’ve named many of The Dale’s amazing donors through social media, but I’d like to…

Generosity Amidst Scarcity

It seems a paradox that people who live with very little are often the most generous. Before the COVID-driven scarcity mindset that seems to have beset the world was a thing, many folks in Parkdale (and any number of places around the city and the world) were living with little. In the midst of this…

Community Despite COVID

First of all, I want to say thank you for taking time to read this little update on life at The Dale during this pandemic. In the midst of such uncertain times, it means so much to have such a great team of supporters. We do not take you for granted! As I’m sure you…