The Centretown
Churches Social Action Committee (CCSAC) is currently comprised of
twenty-four member churches. Its mission is to "unite Christians
of all denominations through joint participation in social projects and
prayers." CCSAC was started in 1967 by nine churches to respond
to social needs in the Centretown area. Since then,
CCSAC has undertaken many initiatives on behalf of the poor and isolated in
our community. CCSAC’s mandate also includes
advocacy for social justice, especially for issues relating to poverty.
Each church contributes to CCSAC in a number
of ways:
Funding from church givings and special events unique to each church.
Donations of food - each week, church
members bring food to Centretown Emergency Food Centre
(CEFC) or to their own church, whereupon it is delivered to CEFC.
Volunteer effort stocking shelves, packing
food allotments or distributing food at the CEFC.
Representatives on CCSAC’s
board.
CCSAC’s purpose is to unite
our member churches in social action and prayer. The philosophy that guides
our actions is based on Christian principles: service to others, respect and
tolerance for those we serve, along with sympathy with sometimes deepens into
empathy; humility about our service; and stewardship of the resources
provided for us. These principles guide all CCSAC representatives (volunteers
who work directly with clients, our Coordinator and our committee representatives).