Emmanuel Alumni/ae Service Award: Alexa Gilmour

Alexa Gilmour Emm 1T1 is one of this year’s recipients of the Alumni/ae Service Award. Her calling spans many aspects of service and justice, including life-saving support for refugees. In 2013, she led the Windermere United (Toronto) congregation in a decision to provide sanctuary within their walls for a Roma family facing deportation. After two years of co-ordinating interfaith advocacy to all levels of government, the family was granted permanent residency. She has volunteered with Repairers of The Breach on their Moral Monday at the Border campaign to end the detention of children and family separation in the U.S. She has also been part of the International Sanctuary Delegation to the U.S.-Mexico border in 2019, helping to build international support and advocacy for refugees. Alexa advocates for refugee rights through membership with the Canadian Sanctuary Network and the International Sanctuary Declaration Campaign, but this is only one aspect of her ministry.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Alexa has been recognized for mobilizing her community to provide support through mutual aid networks who provide food and masks, run errands, make calls, deliver Good Food boxes and more. She currently leads a coalition of local partners providing 1500 meals per week to food insecure neighbours. Within two months of the crisis, her small church (70 members) had provided emergency aid to over 600 local households. All this while joyfully leading Sunday worship, church programming, and raising four children with her partner.

Alexa is also the recipient of this year’s McGeachy Senior Scholarship. Managed by the United Church of Canada Foundation, the intent of the scholarship is “to develop leaders who will provide The United Church of Canada with discernment and direction that inspire and challenge the church towards creative and faithful mission.”