Thursday, November 9, 2022 | 7:00pm | Knox-Metropolitan United Church (KMUC) | 2340 Victoria | Contact Cam Fraser | camfraser@knoxmetregina.org for more information 

Join with representatives from other congregations to discuss strategy for a church response to advocate for the inclusion of funding for the Regina Plan to End Homelessness in the 2023 City Budget (estimated at apron $15million). Ward 6 City Councillor Dan LeBlanc who first introduced the motion to undertake this will be part of the meeting as will Regina Anti Poverty Ministry’s Peter Gilmer.  

The Goal is have churches and church members coordinate active support for this leading up to the Budget Meeting on December 15 through contacting City Councillors and submitting/making presentations to the meeting itself. Presentations can be effective coming from official bodies within our congregations (Boards, Councils, Outreach Committees) so it would be great to have representatives of those bodies, or people who want to propose that their congregations version of these get involved. Presentations can also be effective when they come from citizens who simply represent themselves and whose conscience about this issue is shaped by their faith involvement, so passionate and interested folk should attend even if they hold no official role in your congregation. 

While there will certainly be an educational component to this meeting, strategy is central to the hoped for outcome. We understand and respect that not all congregations or their membership feel comfortable with this sort of political engagement. All are welcome to come and learn and contribute but the main question is how shall we engage, not whether we should engage.  

KMUC does not currently require masking but we support those who choose to and will have extra masks on hand. We do as that those who are experiencing any COVID related symptoms stay home to care for yourself and others.  

Background - In June 2022, City Council passed a motion to include full annual operational for the Regina Plan to End Homelessness in the Draft 2023 budget. The large and broad support for this motion from the community including both official letters from congregations, and personal letters from people of faith, contributed to the passing of this motion. News article link

This fall when the draft budget was presented to the City Executive it was clear that both some voices on Council and City Staff are advocating that this commitment be reversed, so despite the June motion, this is still a very live issue which needs a broad and active support. News article link

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