The Armenian Christian Education Youth Help The Homeless

#12deeds
By: Talin Orfali

On Sunday December 18, 2016, Many of the Armenian Christian education youth volunteers headed to downtown Toronto from St. Mary’s Armenian Church of Toronto at the St. Felix Centre to roll up their sleeves to assist the people of the centre and of course to help the homeless with serving them food. 2 groups went and helped serve. We were even on the news on television at Toronto’s CP24 with our own Arda Zakarian reporting on location to explain to the community of Toronto about what we are doing at St. Felix. Our parish priest Keghart Kosbakian also came out to assist us as well.

You know when they say the 12 days of Christmas? well, we decided this year of 2016 and in 2017 that it is all about the 12 deeds of Christmas and giving back to our community, especially those in need.

During the months of December and January, there are 12 deeds that we do something positive and give back to the community. Not only within the Armenians, but to help out our community of Toronto. It definitely puts everything into perspective and also it feels great to give back to those in need. We saw the many faces of the homeless people and they came into the centre to keep warm, to have a great meal and to take a break from the bitter cold of winter.

Each homeless person that We/I saw today have their different stories and different walks of life and the hard times they face day in and day out with not knowing where to go and sleep, where to go and spend their time, especially in the bitter cold winter months. Each one of us on this earth matter and no matter what we go through we are still human and have a purpose in this life and we have come here for a reason. I know sometimes life is unfair with what everyone goes through but in the end everything has its time.

Some of the homeless and less fortunate individuals that came into the Centre, said thank you to us for serving them and you can definitely feel the sincerity and the gratefulness coming from them. It definitely opens your eyes and your heart/soul and you feel so good helping people which is what life should be about.

It is great to put positive and greatness into society and the more we help, the more we devote our time into productivity and goodness with all our heart and soul, the world will be a better place for you, for all and for myself too. In order for us to want this world to be a better place, peaceful, and happy we must act on it and not just say it. It all starts with you and your willingness to help the world and our people of humanity. We must always be grateful for what we have.

Thank you to St. Felix Centre of Toronto for having us, thank you to the volunteers and the organizers of this beautiful gesture into giving back and we will definitely be back to do more volunteering and helping humanity. God bless everyone.