Agape looks back on years of delivering candy, hope, and dignity
The B.C. Catholic
After 20 years of sharing sweets and God’s love, a Catholic outreach group is reflecting on how much it has grown.
“For a ministry that does not raise funds, it is the Lord Who has carried us through these 20 years,” said Vicki Conroy, one of the founders of Agape Street Ministry. “The Lord has called for it, and sustains us.”
Vicki and her husband Pat founded Agape in 1996. Twenty years ago they began giving out candy bags and prayers to homeless women and prostitutes at the Downtown Eastside area of Hastings and Cordova.
After 10 years of leading Agape, they handed the reins over to Dan and Sharon Dobin, another husband-wife team. “It’s exciting that we have been evangelizing for 20 years,” said Dan, the president of Agape.
“We have been out in the streets doing our prayer ministry in Vancouver, Surrey, and recently in Chilliwack. It’s very exciting to know that our ministry can grow!”
Dan observed that the dedication of the volunteers is life-giving blood for the street ministry. “The volunteers made this possible,” he noted. “Their commitment to the ministry shows that they believe in the work that we do.”
“When the Holy Spirit wants something done, it gets done,” added Sharon, director of Sancta Maria House, a sister program to Agape. “To have these volunteers come week after week, (the anniversary) is a great chance to give glory to God, stand back, and say, ‘Wow, 20 years!'”
“If we were to launch this as a secular organization, it would take so much money and organization, but God really carries us,” she noted. “It’s all about being present to the women and allowing them to feel love.”
Twentieth anniversary celebrations will include Mass May 28 at 10:30 a.m. in Immaculate Conception Church, Delta. A reception will follow.
