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During the Christmas season, the Saint John Seafarers’ Mission provides gifts to the seafarers who are visiting our port. These gifts are packaged with the goal of giving items of necessity, with “a little something extra”, at a time when these men and women are feeling the loneliness of being away from their families. In 2021, with generous support from groups and individuals, the Mission distributed 152 Christmas packages to 7 ships. One of these packages was delivered to the Saint John Regional Hospital, where one crew member was recovering from illness. All expressed appreciation for the gifts and for thinking of them at this season of the year.  

Ideas for items you could include in a Christmas package:

• Toiletries:  shampoo, body wash, soap, shave cream, toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss,  mouth wash, deodorant, disposable razors, lip balm, comb, hand/body lotion, sanitizer, kleenex
• Warm Items: gloves, socks, scarf, toque 
• “A Little Something Extra”:  Playing Cards, Game Book, Note Pad, Pen, Canada souvenir (pin/magnet/key chain), Candy, (individually wrapped), Chocolate bars, chips, gum, etc.
• Christmas card

Note 1:  Please do not wrap individual items. Port security controls, in the US and Canada, impose a responsibility on us to scan the contents of any parcels before they go aboard ships (to assure Security that the packages are risk-free).    

If you want to support our Christmas Program but don’t want to do a ‘package’, another option would be to donate some items we generally have a shortage of (see ‘Note’) or to donate money for the program (tax receipts will be issued).        

Note 2:  We generally have a shortage of gloves, scarves, shampoo, deodorant, shave cream, hand lotion, lip balm

Note 3:  If you are packing the Christmas bag yourself, the suggested approximate size is smaller than in previous years [ 10 1/2” (h), 8 3/4”  (w) and 4 1/2” (d) ].  

Without help from others, we could not provide these gifts.  If you are interested in supporting this project, you may drop your Christmas donations at the Mission (92 Tilley Lane, Saint John).  To ensure the Mission is open OR if you need someone to pick up your items, please call Bev at (506) 635-1731 to make arrangements or email seaf@nb.aibn.com .

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Saint John Seafarers Mission

New Service for Seafarers

In the past few days an initiative of the Saint John Seafarers mission has begun to make a difference.   When the pandemic began to affect the ability of seafarers to contact home and do local shopping Chaplain Eric Phinney of the Saint John Seafarers mission began to dream of an alternative way to bring service to the seafarers that visit the port.   

The scheme involves several different components and can be scaled up to eventually include every berth in the Port of Saint John.   It begins with providing a good wifi signal to a ship that is alongside.   Many ships today do provide Wi-Fi to their crew but it often comes with a cost or is limited in quality and quantity.

Recently the Port of Saint John installed three access points on the lighting towers at the Container Terminal on the west side of the harbour.    Other points in the harbor that have free Wi-Fi include the Mission Centre on Tilley Road, the Potash Terminal at Lower Cove and the Oil Terminals in Courtney Bay.

The newly installed Access points at the Container Terminal have an additional feature that give assistance to seafarers.  When the seafarer finds the signal that is at the SSID of  “sjseafarers” his browser is forwarded to a page on the Saint John Seafarers Website https://sjseafarers.com/?page_id=98  that is set up for visiting seafarers.   Upon landing on this page the seafarer is advised of a variety of service that can be accessed virtually.    These include virtual shopping at Walmart and other stores.    Phone numbers, email and WhatsApp contact information for the Chaplain and Mission manager and a variety of websites of general interest to seafarers.

Within hours of the first Access point going live the chaplain received a phone call from one of the Engineers aboard a container vessel.    He had recently discovered that his cell phone was damaged and would not work.   For a seafarer who has had his contract extended because of the pandemic, his cell phone was his only link to his family back home.  Chaplain Eric Phinney was able to retrieve the cell phone at the foot of the Gangway and find a replacement phone.

Future plans include ensuring that all free Wi-Fi points that are directed at ships will forward the seafarers phone to the Mission web pages so that they can see what is available to them.

Rev. Eric Phinney

Port Chaplain

Saint John Seafarers Mission.

(506) 643-0799

Because of Covid it is very difficult for Seafarers to get out to do the kind of shopping that they usually like to do. Therefore we have set up a system where by they can place an order and we (Saint John Seafarers Mission ) can pay for it, pick it up and deliver it to the ship. Sometimes the time lines are quite tight. When you think you are ready to order email me and lets work this out together. Eric Phinney, Chaplain Saint John Seafarers Mission.

sjseafarers@gmail.com

Procedure for ordering from Walmart in Saint John

Appoint one member of the crew to be the liaison person. They can contact me on messenger, by email or phone 1(506)643-0799 sjseafarers@gmail.com

I will advise you of the Password to use for shopping at Walmart . The logon will be

sjseafarers@gmail.com

Set the store location to:  Saint John East Supercentre

Fill the shopping basket with your items.    Make sure that they show that they are available. 

Maximum value to be less than $1000CDN

Maximum number of items 200

Email me at sjseafarers@gmail.com when the order is complete.    I will pay for it and then convert it to USD and bring it to the ship.  I will send you the total amount that you will pay in US cash.

Procedure for ordering from Best Buy

Go to http://bestbuy.ca

Creat an account using one of the crews email addresses.  

Make the Password Sjseafarers[name of ship]

Set the Postal code to E2H2J5 (this will ensure that you connect to the Saint John store)

As you find items you wish to purchase, select “pickup in Store”

You will fill in a form that says who will pick it up. Put in my information

When this is done email me at sjseafarers@gmail.com with your account name and Password.   I will send you confirmation that I have paid the store and tell you what you will own me in USD.   I will convert to USD and add a 5% handling fee. I will then arrange a delivery time to the ship. 

Do not put the order in until you know that the ship will be docking.   BESTBUY  will only hold the items for 24 hours. 

At some point it would be really great if each of the crew could fill in the survey below. It has been developed by the Mission to Seafarers in the UK and helps us tremendously to serve you better.

Home

Eric Phinney

Port Chaplain Saint John

We have completed the renovations to the Centre and to the Van and are now able to receive seafarers to the mission for a period of time. Please check with your agent about booking a time and scheduling transportation.

As of March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (“WHO”) declared the novel coronavirus COVID-19 a global pandemic. Port Saint John (“PSJ”) welcomes foreign seafarers from around the globe arriving aboard vessels entering the port. Recognizing the real potential for inadvertent transmission, we have taken the proactive step of suspending the physical operations of the Mission – both at its Tilley Road location and in respect of visits onboard vessels by the seafarers’ Chaplain. This precaution is taken out of concern for all involved, and to minimize the risk of exposure to our staff and volunteers and in turn the general public. During this period, the Mission will make contact information for the Mission’s Manager and Chaplain available to seafarers and ships’ agents and PSJ. We do so to allow the Mission to continue its operations remotely and/or to assist those in need. We will continue to monitor the situation and take such measures as directed by the authorities to ensure that we can open the doors to our physical location and resume aboard – ship operations as soon as advisable.