Linda's Walk

The Franciscan Church of St. Bonaventure, Toronto, Ontario

In the morning of August 14, 2010, community members from the Franciscan Church of St. Bonaventure in Toronto, Ontario and the surrounding area will gather at the church to register for Linda’s Walk. It is important to remember Linda, a woman who spent many years in a bus shelter not far from St. Bonaventure Parish. During the winter of 2000 while at the bus shelter she began to succumb to hypothermia, malnutrition and a number of other ailments. Police officers who saw that Linda was not well took her to a nearby hospital. Suffering badly, Linda died in the care of doctors and nurses, men and women who at this late point could do nothing to help her.

Members of the St. Bonaventure community work in service to others

Parishioners and Conventual Franciscan friars at St. Bonaventure Parish were shocked by Linda’s story. Deciding that another such story could not happen again, a number of them formed a group called Friends of St. Francis. This group in turn founded St. Clare Inn, a home in Toronto for homeless women who because of mental illness have fallen on hard times. While living at the inn, women receive guidance as well as medical and social care. The stability of St. Clare Inn allows these women to build healthy lives.

A snapshot of Don Mills

Linda’s Walk – a comfortable 5 kilometre jaunt through Toronto’s Don Mills neighbourhood – will raise funds for St. Clare Inn. Walkers will be treated to a barbecue at St. Bonaventure after the conclusion of the walk. If you are interested in supporting St. Clare Inn or participating in Linda’s Walk, please visit this link.

(Sources of all related images on webpage and homepage: The Franciscan Church of St. Bonaventure and www.wikipedia.org.)