"Reaching out to people in the city with the love of Christ"

Who comes? People from all walks of life, including those who are lonely, troubled, or hungry.

  • Do you need someone to talk to about a crisis in your life?
  • Do you need to know what resources are available to you and how to connect to them?
  • Are you looking for information about churches, retreats, programs, etc. available in the Christian community?
  • Do you need food?
  • Do you want a place to read, rest and relax for an hour or two?
  • Would you like to join others for Bible stories or a friendship dinner?

"Love me, love my people"

Isn’t it amazing! At the Open Door we are grateful to God and you for 31 wonderful years, 6 days per week of being a front-line ministry outreach of the churches of Mississauga, making every effort to minister to people’s practical, spiritual and emotional needs. The heart of the ministry is to love God and love and serve His people.

We are especially thankful for the wonderful partnership we have with all our churches and every one of you who participate in this ministry. The people who come to us for help are from all over Mississauga and beyond. We serve people from every walk of life, all different ages, races, religions and cultures for every reason imaginable. As the second largest shopping mall in Canada, located in the heart of the city, Square One is a real city centre. It is easily reached by bus from any area of our city. There are over 5,000 employees, countless shoppers, and also many people who wander around the mall for various reasons. It is surprising the number of people who are in distress who come to the mall and end up at The Open Door. Many different agencies and both hospitals refer people to us, as well as those who find us by word of mouth. People can see the churches of Mississauga wanting to be available to them when they need someone to turn to, whatever the reason. People also appreciate Square One’s desire to have us here as an expression of their caring commitment and service to the community, the people of Mississauga. 

There are so many wonderful resources available in our churches – but many people do not know they exist. There are parenting groups, alpha groups, bereavement, small home groups, youth groups, sports groups, separated and divorced, financial advising, anger management, etc. There are programs to help youth in difficulty with school work or the law, ESL classes, vacation schools. There are concerts and plays, etc.

This is just a small sampling of the vast resources. We are thankful to be able to connect people who need these resources to our churches. We also network with many agencies in the community to obtain help needed by those who come to us as a part of our referral counseling.

We have a map of Mississauga with all our churches on it plus a file on every church which we try to keep as current as possible. Please make sure that your information is up-to-date.

Thanks to our Lord and to all our churches and the people who partner with us in so many ways. Thank you to those of you who financially support this ministry as we are run entirely by donation and do not receive any grants.

Every day is packed full of ministry both in the centre and on the telephone. A lot of our work is caring for people in distress, for people who are homeless or about to be evicted, for abused women and children, teenagers or young adults in difficulty, for people suffering from marriage breakdowns, joblessness, poverty, bereavement, poor health, people in need of food and for people who do not know where to turn for help in their particular circumstances. Many people who come are hungry for a sense of wholeness, and some people have a deep spiritual hunger. So many people need someone to talk to, and to know that someone cares.

We also have people who come in seeking information on how to access the help they need in order to assist them in their endeavours to help loved ones, ie. aging parents, children with various problems, etc. Some of our pastors and churches call upon us for information as well.

The centre is also a place of comfort, a source of encouraging friendship for people who are lonely, for those who are battling disabilities or chronic illness. Some are new to the country. We have many opportunities to encourage and pray with people and we also try to connect them to groups or places where their needs can be further met.
 
Every day is different, but there is always so much joy and thankfulness each day for all that has happened. How wonderful when a little family about to be wrongfully evicted is safe because of the instruction they receive from our outreach worker. How beautiful when a terrified, single mother out of an abusive situation is reassured, offered help and regains her hope or when we see someone grieving a loved one, being encouraged by our Lord. We are all so encouraged when we see people overcoming addictions, finding employment, not losing their new job because we were able to provide some bus tickets or work boots; being able to be of help to someone facing critical illness or to journey with people with disabilities or providing food and diapers and clothing for a little baby; watching people come into faith, hope replacing despair, and the lonely comforted.

We had well over 10,000 visits to The Open Door last year. This includes over 2,500 visits to our food cupboard, over 260 people attended our free Christmas dinner and 136 families totaling 443 people were provided with turkeys and gifts in their homes. Every Thursday evening between 25 and 40 people attended the free dinners.

-Lynne Culham
                                                   Executive Director

The Churches of Mississauga and Christian Community
stand together in Christ to reach out to you!

OVER 30 YEARS OF SERVING TOGETHER!
SIX DAYS A WEEK!