Our People, Our Voices

Angela is the newcomer from Colombia. She shares the story about her experience at 105 Gibson Centre.

My 105 Gibson Newsletter – March 2021 Issue 32 Feature Article: Seeing Light in the Dark Due to COVID-19, our lives have been turned upside down and it has been hard. So many of us miss our lives before coronavirus; we remember gatherings with family, travelling abroad, dining out, seeing our friends and contact with…

Wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and taking online classes…The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life as we know it – changes that seemed rather frustrating at the beginning but have gradually become a kind of ‘new normal’ in life. The 105 Gibson Centre has also made corresponding changes to fit into the this new normal.  …

Hi, my name is Lok-ping and I am the food bank in-charge.   Thanks to our many donors and volunteer drivers, the food bank has remained operational during the shut-down. I’m grateful, as many of you are, that we are in a position to give. However, involving in the food bank is more than just…

Since 2013, 105 Gibson Centre has been serving the community with diversified services with aims to address physical, emotional and physical needs. The COVID-19 pandemic response forced us to close in mid-March and has since greatly impacted the Centre’s operations and finances. We are currently providing only two essential services by appointments through Food Bank…

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting every part of our daily lives. 105 Gibson Centre greets you with our blessings and wishes everyone well! 105 Gibson Centre has been closed to the public since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. Yet we did not stop caring for the community. In fact, we…

I borrow this title and content from the famous author, professor and theologian, Henri Nouwen, who spent much of his life’s efforts rooted in spirituality, community and social justice. In a book by the same name that was transcribed after his informal address to Marguerite Bourgeoys Family Service Foundation, he talked about fundraising as central…

Hatam Al Ameri 105 Gibson Centre’s Food Bank is not the first food bank that Hatem visited after arriving in Canada in 2017. However, the Centre’s friendly environment and staff had given him a sense of belonging. To him, the Centre is different from other places because he feels the people here love to help…

In the last six years, we have encountered many people who have faced challenges in their lives: older adults isolated from community; youth at loss and uncertain about their future; food bank clients adjusting to a new country or the homeless seeking warmth and shelter. While our existing programs and services can alleviate some of…

Benny Wong As a recent grad with steady employment, Benny always considers himself lucky to have everything he needs and not having to worry about anything. Volunteering at 105 Gibson’s Food Bank, Tax Clinic and the Out of the Cold program reinforced this and has changed his perspective of the Centre. When Benny first heard…

Richard and Sylvia began leading a small group (Life Transformation Group) at the Richmond Hill Christian Community Church three years ago. Together with the group members, they hoped to put biblical teachings into action by serving the community on a long-term basis. But it was not easy to find such opportunities. They heard about the…

Arriving in Canada as a refugee from war-torn Syria four years ago, Jenny was eager for a new adventure here but cultural, financial and linguistic barriers hindered her family to housing, food and education. However her greatest concern was her two young daughters who longed to see their friends in Syria. They could not adjust…

July 2019 marks a milestone for the Toronto Christian Community Church and 105 Gibson Centre. Rev. Dr. Harding Ng, founder of 105 Gibson Centre, retired this month after serving as TCCC’s Senior Pastor for 21 years. Rev. Jonathan Chan, 105 Gibson Centre’s General Director since 2013, will succeed him. We thank Rev. Ng and Rev.…

I began attending the Toronto Christian Community Church in 1975 – the year that Rev. Dr. John Kao and his wife Esther founded the church.  It was a spiritual home to many visa students from Hong Kong – a place where they learned to serve God and the community.  From this beginning, the church has…

It has been a wonderful six years in which I was in the role of General Director for 105 Gibson Centre and many things have changed. The greatest change I saw over the years is how the Centre has matured with respect to its liveliness, level of services and operations, user visits and even our…

Dr. David Wong 105 Gibson Centre’s core values, Love and Hope, are exemplified in Dr. Wong’s volunteer work at the Wellness Clinic. He was invited to consider opening a clinic for Abundant Life Institute. Through holistic healing, the clinic aims to address clients’ emotional and spiritual needs as these are rarely addressed by family physicians.…

Dr. Leo Fung Dr. Leo Fung is currently a committee member of the 105 Gibson Centre’s Abundant Life Institute. He worked as a Senior School Development Officer in Hong Kong and is now using his expertise in curriculum development for ALI. He has developed different levels of curriculum to meet the needs of members and…

Nestor Lau Nestor’s positive attitude towards life is reflected in his zealous caring for his mother, who has diabetes and memory loss. Their physical, emotional and spiritual needs have been well met by 105 Gibson Centre’s Abundant Life Institute for the past 2 years and he is very grateful to every volunteer’s unconditional companionship and…

Volunteers participated in a labyrinth activity on April 6 and meditated on their volunteer experience at 105 Gibson Centre based on questions about friendship, volunteering, community, center of our energy source, compassion, needy, journey, hope and receiving stranger. At the end of the activity, they answered some questions about their volunteer experience at 105 Gibson…

Volunteers participated in a labyrinth activity on April 6 and meditated on their volunteer experience at 105 Gibson Centre based on questions about friendship, volunteering, community, center of our energy source, compassion, needy, journey, hope and receiving stranger. It was the first time they have tried this type of activity and this is some of…

Rita volunteers as the Tax Clinic’s scheduler and the role involves checking the phone line and email for messages from clients who want to book an appointment to file their tax return. Though this task seems ordinary, she firmly believes this is an excellent way to give back and serve the community especially to the…

While most Out of the Cold locations offer a meal and shelter for the guests, some locations have additional services in their program. In the past, Toronto Christian Community Church had offered dental check, physiotherapy, hair cut and other services. With Dr. Abraham Yuen’s coordination, optometry service was introduced in 2018 to provide eye exams…

Eugene’s daughter has been enrolled in Taekwondo class at 105 Gibson Centre for a year. She expressed interest in learning Taekwondo at the age of four. When asked why she loves Taekwondo, she replied: “I like Superman.” Eugene’s daughter is one of the few girls in class, and some boys have the perception that boys…

Popular Hong Kong singer June transitioned her career focus in 2016 to teach singing and became a teacher at 105 Gibson Centre in 2017. In her teaching, she realized many people lacked self-confidence. With the hope to build students’ self-confidence, she also advocates the teaching ideals of mutual encouragement and support, and communal progress and…

June lives within walking distance from 105 Gibson Centre but she had not heard of the Centre until she received the activity pamphlets in her mailbox in 2016. She initially wanted to join the singing class. Unfortunately, some of the classes were not offered in English so she joined the Zumba class instead. Elaine, the…

105 Gibson Centre will be welcoming a new group of guests this winter through the Out of the Cold (OOTC) program. OOTC is organized by Mosaic Interfaith, a privately funded organization that partners with interfaith groups to provide hospitality that includes shelter and meals to those in need during the winter months. The Toronto Christian…

~ Sandy Lam, Volunteer Coordinator I was introduced to 105 Gibson Centre by my sister-in-law Louisa (who volunteers here too) at a time when I was searching for something more in my life, something that would make a difference, a new purpose after a career in the corporate world. God had given me so many…