Board Outing on the Ve’ahavta Van

Board Outing on the Ve’ahavta Van

By Megan Stephens 

On Thursday, May 4, as many in Toronto were settling in to watch the Leafs take on the Florida Panthers in round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, seven members of the HBT Board set out for an evening on the Ve’ahavta vans, following the lead of our clergy who had gone out together to help the neediest in our community back in April. It was truly a meaningful volunteer experience – and one I recommend you all consider doing.

The Board members were paired off into two vans with Marla, Phyllis and Diana heading off to Scarborough, and Jeff, the “Erics”, and I on the van destined for downtown Toronto.

Our Toronto Ve’ahavta van stopped in three different locations where we gave out food and hot coffee to those who both clearly needed it, and clearly appreciated it. Many also requested clothing and other supplies (like toiletries, sleeping bags, shoes, etc.) that are stocked on the vans. The cold rainy spring has brought a lot of us down – but the reality for those living on the street is that staying warm and dry has been a real challenge. Who’d have thought that in May, we would be asked for toques and mittens?

We also did a few stops to “regulars” that the Ve’ahavta staff know are “rough-housed”(sleeping on the streets – not staying in shelters) and would need food and supplies. The staff’s connections with the people we met were really inspiring. They don’t see these unhoused or rough-housed folks as frightening, untouchable, or someone to avoid. They see them for who they are: survivors who have had very tough lives – with traumas, mental health challenges, and addictions that have left them on the margins of our society.

Spending the evening helping to give these members of our community a meal, sharing a smile and a laugh over whether this hoodie or those pants were the right ones for them was meaningful – and honestly, fun. All in all, I think our van would agree that it was a  much more rewarding evening than it would have been if we’d been watching the Leafs game!

We often talk about the importance of tikkun olam and tzedakah. It really felt good to not just “talk the talk” but to also engage directly in the work of helping others with my fellow board members.

The Holy Blossom Community has committed to help staff the two Ve’ahavta vans every other Thursday. Please sign up for an evening – whether on your own, with friends, or with family. It’s really the most meaningful and rewarding thing I have done in a while. The form to register to sign up is here:

Serving our Neighbours: Staffing the Ve’Ahavta Van as a Community (tfaforms.net)

Thanks again to Phyllis, Diana, Marla, Eric R and Eric K, and Jeff for answering my call to action from the Board – and joining me on the Ve’ahavta van. It really was a community-building experience, in so many ways.

Megan Stephens