Community Coffee Morning
From time to time, the Fellowship and Hospitality Committee of Knox invites the community at large to join us in the church Activity centre for Coffee and refreshments. This is a casual drop-in morning event intended for fellowship, conversation and making/renewing friendships. Dates for these events can be found on the Knox church calendar.
Community Living Kincardine and District
Knox Kincardine is pleased to partner with Community Living of Kincardine and District to provide an entertaining and educational program for local parents and pre-schoolers. The “Baby and Me” program may consist of a “Messy Art” project, a Gross Motor and Movement experience, or an introduction to music – whatever the format, the kids have a ball while the parents can trade child-rearing tips or grab a few moments of socializing. This is a community drop-in program, no pre-registration required, and runs from 10am – 11am on the first 3 Thursdays of each month in our church Activity Center.
Community Living also uses the kitchen at Knox to provide their clients with education programs in food selection and preparation. Classes include providing hands-on instruction as well as lots of fun, social experiences.
More information about Community Living Kincardine and their programs can be found on their website at https://www.clkd.ca/.
Camp Kintail
The Southwestern Synod of the Presbyterian Church in Canada operates a Camp and Retreat Centre at Kintail Ontario about 25 minutes south of Kincardine on the shores of Lake Huron. Knox Kincardine is privileged to support the work and growth of Camp Kintail in the following ways:
We cover the camp fees for local children, whose families otherwise may not be able to afford it, to a four-day “Try-Out” residential camping experience for 8- 10-year-olds.
The Knox Missionary Society gives money annually to support the scholarship program for camp counsellors.
Each year the camp provides a “wish list” of small items for the operation of the camp to congregations in the synod. Among the wished for items may be craft supplies, gardening tools, things for the kitchen. This list is provided to the congregation members to encourage their support for this worthy venture.
Information about Camp Kintail, their programs, and camper registration can be found on their website at https://www.campkintail.ca/.
Kincardine Good Food Box Program
The Good Food Box program was initially conceived by the Grey Bruce Health Unit, in conjunction with the Kincardine Community Service Association, with the mandate to provide good healthy fruits and vegetables at affordable prices to rural communities. It is a collective buying program that provides a “bin” of fresh seasonal produce at low cost to program subscribers. An employee of the program drives to the Food Terminal in Toronto and delivers the produce to Knox Kincardine by 9:00 in the morning where a team of volunteers is eagerly waiting in the church Activity Center to sort it into bags for pick up later that morning. The Health Unit subsidizes the cost of some of the bins for a number of low-income families but the service is open to all people in Kincardine and area. The Good Food Box Program operates on the fourth Thursday of each month throughout the year. Repeat customers can pre-order for the next month when picking up their order at the church. Pre-ordering for new customers is currently located at the offices of the Local 2222 United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners at 385 Queen Street, Kincardine, and is required up to one week prior to delivery in Kincardine.
The program has expanded greatly since its inception, and now includes delivery locations in the communities of Ripley and Tiverton, with assistance from the local Lions Clubs in those communities. This will benefit local clients who may have difficulty in arranging transportation to pick up their produce. Additionally, the local Senior School is receiving Good Food Boxes to assist with their meal programs.
Those who are in need of a subsidized Food Box (without cost) should contact the Kincardine Ministerial Association’s Food Bank, which is located at the Church of the Messiah, on Russell Street, Kincardine, and is open every Thursday morning.
For more information contact Wendy Cox, 519 396-7307, rodwenco@bmts.com or Shirley Steele 519 396-3736, sbieman@icloud.com.
Clothing Drives
Winter Warmth – In the fall of 2022 Knox Kincardine partnered with a local business to collect warm winter clothing which was then offered without cost to anyone who could use it. A distribution day was organized at Knox Activity Center, and any left-over items that remained were shared with United Way Bruce-Grey for distribution in areas of need. Presently two local businesses have agreed to be the drop-off locations for this year’s coat collection, and a distribution date is planned for late November, again at Knox Activity Center.
Kids Clothing Drive – Similar to the Winter Warmth program, but aimed at collecting gently used kids clothing across the summer months so that every child had the clothing needed for return to school in September. Following the free distribution at Knox Activity Center, a list was compiled of outstanding needs. Thanks to generous donations received in support of this program, those identified needs were met. Following the distribution, any surplus clothing and goods were shared with a local second hand store that supports our local hospital, with a pregnancy support center in Owen Sound, and with a local volunteer who assists people escaping from domestic violence situations.
United Way of Bruce-Grey
Knox Kincardine was one of 21 locations across Bruce-Grey to assist the United Way with distribution of free, fully-stocked backpacks to school age children from families requiring assistance. Having ensured that the program was well publicized in our area, the volunteers enjoyed seeing the small – and larger – faces light up when the kids received their brand new, brightly coloured, well supplied backpacks. More than 70 backpacks were distributed in the local communities and an additional surplus number were delivered to the Walkerton District School for distribution as required.
Website https://unitedwayofbrucegrey.com/
Victorian Order of Nurses (VON)
Knox Kincardine is pleased to support VON programs in our community by providing a comfortable private space for their Caregiver Group. This group is led by a VON professional practitioner and provides vital expert and peer support to those who are caring for others.
VON is also active in providing support to those who are grieving a loss by occasionally scheduling “Grief Group” sessions. A trained group leader, relevant literature, and peer support are important factors in each session, held in a comfortable, private space at Knox church with refreshments provided.
For more information on VON programs available in the Grey-Bruce area please visit https://von.ca .
Community Singers
Knox Kincardine has been the host venue for this assemblage of talented local singers for many years now. With 80+ members, this group runs two sessions per year in our church, one in the spring and one in the fall, each session culminating in sold-out concerts in June and December. The acoustics in our church Sanctuary lend themselves perfectly to these types of events, and we are pleased to be able to share the talents of this group with the community. If you are interested in joining the Singers, please contact any of the members for information.
See https://www.kincardinecommunitysingers.ca/ for details.
Kincardine Summer Music Festival (KSMF)
For many years now, during the first week of August, the town of Kincardine has been blessed with a summer music school. Talented professional musicians of all types, from drums, to horns, to strings, piano, even recorder, provide instruction to students of all levels designed to improve the skills of young and adult musicians alike. While the school is in session, KSMF offers evening concerts given by the instructors of the programs, with many of these concerts being held in the acoustically superb Knox sanctuary. Entry to these concerts by renowned artists is often low-cost or through donation at the door.
Each year close to Christmas, KSMF gathers a choir and an orchestra comprised of local talented musicians to bring a stirring performance of Handel’s “Messiah” to Knox Kincardine. This typically sold-out performance is one of the major fund-raisers for the KSMF and a fitting intro to the holiday season.
Visit https://ksmf.ca for more information.
Knox Pipers Soccer Team
The Knox Pipers are a soccer (football for you purists) team for children in the community. Knox Church supports this team with financial contributions for the purchase of jerseys and snacks during games. The team’s schedule is given to the congregation so members can attend their games and cheer the players on!