Starting over in a new country can mean navigating much more than a new language or unfamiliar surroundings. For many newcomers, it can also mean figuring out where to find food, building new relationships, and finding a community where they feel welcomed.

At West Park Seventh-day Adventist Church, a simple question has shaped the New Immigrant Initiative since it began in July 2024: How can we help newcomers feel that they are not alone?

Every two weeks, volunteers gather food and hygiene supplies for more than 40 newcomer families and individuals. The Food Security Program helps provide for essential needs, but the ministry has become about more than what is placed in a grocery bag. Volunteers have the opportunity to meet families, listen to their stories, and build relationships over time.

That sense of connection continues beyond these regular distributions. Throughout the year, the church’s Sabbath School Department organizes gatherings where newcomers and church members can simply spend time together. At a Summer Picnic, Parents’ Day Celebration, or Christmas Party, families share meals, play games, receive prizes, and make new friends. For someone still finding their footing in a new country, these moments can make an unfamiliar place begin to feel a little more like home.

The initiative has also brought together generations within the church. Pathfinders and Adventurers, youth, young adults, parents, children, church leaders, and other members all contribute their time and energy. Community volunteers have joined them, turning the ministry into a shared effort to welcome people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

That work has been strengthened by partners throughout the community. The Rotary Club, Peak of the Market, Kildare Dental Clinic, Manitoba Harvest, Faraz Bread, West Park Manor, Park Manor Care, and the Manitoba-Saskatchewan Conference have all contributed to the initiative. Faraz Bread, in particular, regularly provides bread for families receiving support.

What began as an effort to help newcomers meet practical needs has grown into something more enduring: a place where people can be known, relationships can develop, and families can experience the care of a community around them. Thanks to the generous support of donors like you, West Park Church is finding meaningful ways to put Christ’s love into practice, one family and one relationship at a time.