One church’s weekly challenge brings relief to struggling neighbours.
Over the years, First Baptist Church Toronto (FBC) has always been involved in community food drives and supporting local food banks. But, in the last couple years, something unique has happened at the church. Their senior pastor, Wendell Gibbs, began to give his congregation a challenge each Sunday: What if every member of the church could bring something with them to church each week — water bottles, diapers, or a nonperishable food item for someone who desperately needs help?
The church created a space for donations, where members can gather and see donations accumulate, motivating even more contributions. “The challenge was to overfill the space,” Pastor Gibbs explains. “And then we’ll gather everything and drive it over to YSM.”
FBC’s parishioners have responded generously, making this weekly challenge from the pulpit a part of who they are as a church. Pastor Gibbs has become a regular visitor to YSM, and the church’s donations of water have had a significant impact during the summer’s extreme heat.
The impact of a bottle of water
“For those living unsheltered, the summer heat can be overwhelming and exhausting,” says YSM Bridges Care Management Supervisor Arleen Gomez. “Without access to basic relief like water, individuals can quickly become dehydrated, distressed and discouraged. Something as simple as a bottle of water offers not only physical relief but a sense of dignity and care.”
Water bottles are also distributed to community members through YSM’s Church at the Mission, and to children participating in YSM’s summer day camp.
“For the children at our camp, the bottles of water have been very helpful,” explains YSM Family Education Supervisor Julian Williams. “We’ve been handing them out prior to outings, and the campers have been very grateful. It’s been a hot summer!”
Kraft dinners for vulnerable youth
Pastor Gibbs also drops off the church’s donations of diapers and non-perishable food items at YSM’s Evergreen Centre for Vulnerable Youth. On one visit, he asked Evergreen staff if there was one particular item they could really use. He learned the drop-in food pantry was experiencing a shortage of Kraft dinners — a meal that’s easy for young people to make for themselves. Pastor Gibbs let his congregation know of the need during his weekly Sunday reminder, and now his church is helping keep Evergreen’s pantry stocked.
“We’re living in a time when the need is great,” says Pastor Gibbs. “Mission is not only where we go, but where we are — to be like Jesus and go about doing good (Acts 10:38). What we do for the least, we do for Him (Matthew 25:40). God can use that bottle of water, those Kraft dinners — it will be a seed for transformation in the life of the person who will be using it.”
FBC wants to encourage other churches to join the challenge! You can also learn more by reaching out to YSM’s Community Engagement Specialist Jenni Lien at jlien@ysm.ca.
This story originally appeared in the fall 2025 issue of YSM’s quarterly newsletter Urban Lights.