Over the next decade and a half, my community, Regent Park, is going to be torn down and rebuilt. Currently Regent is the oldest and largest example of “project housing” in Canada, composed entirely of government rent-geared-to-income units. Soon, these homes will be joined by an equal-or-greater number of residents paying market rent, in new, state-of-the-art buildings, which will replace the current old dilapidated ones. At least that is the plan, the wealthy and middle class moving in and living side-by-side with the poor in harmony.

Recently while attending a meeting of community agency leaders regarding Regent Park’s “revitalization,” the facilitator spoke these words: “There is a romantic notion that one day a woman will look over her back fence, and say to her neighbour, ‘Don’t go to the food bank, come over to my house for dinner instead.’” This statement was received with snickers and knowing smirks by the social workers and agency heads in attendance, who all “know better.” However, as the words were spoken, I realized them for what they were, words of truth, and the plan of the Gospel. Bringing “church” to a community is not about programs, or about street-corner preaching, although both of these may have their time and place. Bringing church to Regent Park is about “Moving into the neighbourhood,” it is about making friends, being a good neighbour, and living life among people. Out of these relationships, true Christian community grows, and the Word of God is given and received.

Recently the concept of being a good neighbour came home to me. About a week before thanksgiving, our church kitchen at 614 burnt down. It was an electrical fire that happened in the evening, and thankfully no one was hurt in any way. However, only a few days before what was meant to be our annual community thanksgiving dinner, we were without a kitchen to cook in.

Somehow the press heard about this story, and came to the rescue, and for the next few days, every evening the story of our plight was on the news. Many members of the Toronto business community came through and we received far more turkeys, appliances and other forms of support than we knew what to do with.

Our neighbours watched the news too. On the day before thanksgiving, I received a phone call from one of the moms in our community – a single mom with four kids, living on government assistance, surviving from month to month. She asked me, “Rob, I heard about the fire, do you need any potatoes and carrots for the thanksgiving dinner?” I told her that yes, that would be very helpful, so she went down to the grocery store, her kids in toe (her kids never leave her side), and the next day in time to cook the dinner, we received a few bags of potatoes and carrots.

No sooner had I hung up the phone, than another woman walked into the office carrying a load of grocery bags. “I thought you might need some food for your kids programs,” she said. “I brought some juice, some crackers, and some cookies. I hope it helps.” I said thank you very much, and she was on her way. This particular woman is one of the “watchwomen” of Regent Park, a group of ladies who spend their entire summer sitting on park benches in the community. They are moms who take their kids out to the park, and simply sit in the sun all day gabbing. Over the years, we have gotten to know them well, simply shooting the breeze when we happen to walk by. When this woman heard about our fire, it was her natural reaction to come to our aid – to the aid of her neighbour.

So, I suppose the romantic is possible, but perhaps the reverse of what we might have expected. It was we who were in need, and it was our neighbours who saw us over the fence, and invited us in for dinner.

Article by Rob Perry, Ministry Co-ordinator, 614 Regent Park, Toronto