News and Events Archives - Page 10 of 13

Immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine

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HOPEworldwide Halifax Chapter raises almost $ 19,000 for HOPE India and Halifax Projects

Back in May of 2015 volunteers from our Halifax Chapter, inspired and impacted by the time some of them had spent serving in India, decided to run in the Bluenose weekend with a goal of, “10km for $10k” They had never organized a fundraiser together and many had never run, walked or jogged 10km and that year, their efforts were blessed by raising $10.5k.

The specific projects that we were fundraising for in India were the Tigri School in Delhi, which provides educations, life skills and a nutritious mid-day meal to children living in the largest slum in South East Asia; the Asharan Orphanage, also in Delhi which provides custody, protection, education and rehabilitation to children who are under their care; and the Gowahati School, which is a newer project that HOPE India has started to meet needs in that community.

hope-worldwide-of-canada-sue-tregunno-scotiabank-charity-challenge-coordinator-greg-taylor-hwwc — Hope worldwide of Canada – Sue Tregunno Scotiabank Charity Challenge Coordinator & Greg Taylor HWWC

So in May of 2016 our team of 10 decided to run and fundraise again to again raise funds for HOPE India Projects as well as a portion for local HOPE benevolent efforts in Halifax. With our many supporters, great volunteers and very generous donors (THANK YOU) the HOPE worldwide of Halifax team finished 3rd place in overall fundraising for the Scotiabank Bluenose Marathon Charity Challenge. At the end of the summer, members of our team were on hand at a special luncheon to honour all the prize winners, to receive the award, which included an award cheque from the Bluenose sponsor – Scotiabank. Including the award cheque, our team raised just short of $19,000 Canadian. Thank you “to him who is able to do more than all we can ask or imagine”

“What I learned from running – what I kept thinking as I was running, was that the physical exertion I was feeling (especially toward the end) is nothing compared to the physical and psychological exertion those living in poverty feel every day of their lives. It is one way of ‘sharing’ that pain, albeit short. Also, seeing the photos and hearing about my friends HOPE trip to India made the fundraising more personal, and gave me confidence that I could ensure my donors that the money was going to be used wisely.” – Jennifer Anyegah, HOPE worldwide of Halifax runner & fundraiser

“The Tigri School has grown to over 330 students from about 150 in the past two years, and is able to offer many underprivileged children who live in some of the most challenging situations in our world, the opportunity to get a basic education, learn important life skills, provide a nutritious mid-day meal and a happy, safe environment which greatly enhances their development. We are grateful for the support of man partners, like HOPE worldwide of Canada which makes these dreams and goals a reality.” Sober Satheesh (Shibu) | Program Director | HOPE worldwide India

Bringing Hope And A Helping Hand To The Homeless

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Good shepherd 1 — Volunteers from the Toronto Central chapter making beds

10 dedicated volunteers from our Toronto chapter recently visited The Good Shepherd Ministries, a homeless shelter in downtown Toronto. The group was under the guidance of Warren Jones, who diligently recruits volunteers to serve at the shelter every month. They cheerfully completed their assigned duties and completed what turned out to be a satisfying and emotionally charged day.

The Shelter of the Good Shepherd feeds 1200 poor and homeless people per day. They have permanent and temporary housing for over 100 homeless people. They also have temporary housing for individuals with addictions.

They feed the poor around the clock. Their milk bill alone is almost $90,000 per year.

Father Ed, overseer of Good Shepard with some of the Hope volunteers — Father Ed, overseer of Good Shepard with some of our volunteers

Our volunteers help in different ways, making beds, doing laundry, sorting food, kitchen duties and serving a meals to the poor and homeless. On Saturday July 16 they made almost 70 beds and bonded deeply with the staff. On Thursday, July 21st they served meals to about 550 diners in the kitchen.

During their visit they also met with the overseer of the Good Shepherd Centre, Father Ed of St. Paul’s Basilica. He gave a deeply emotional update about the centre and disclosed some shocking statistics about drug abuse and homelessness in Toronto.

For example, the majority of addicts die in their 40s and they once experienced 12 deaths in five days. They often use their chapel for funerals for the homeless persons as most of them have no families.

He also told them about an incident that occurred last week. He met a homeless man that had overdosed on drugs. He brought the man to St Michael’s Hospital where he was admitted to the drug addiction centre. The man was released in the morning and went back to the Good Shepherd. A conflict occurred between this man and a resident of the Good Shepherd. Father Ed was able to intervene and deal with the situation. Father Ed was able to find out the man was vulnerable and in a suicidal state. The man is in trouble with the police and one of our Hope worldwide of Canada volunteers, who is a litigation lawyer, offered some support.

Boys picture cropped — Harrison and Hayden with Toronto Central chapter director Phil Osagie

The Toronto chapter is proud of the involvement of young people of all ages in their activities and families coming out together to serve the less fortunate. Our team also included two young people. Harrison, 13 years old, and his younger brother Hayden King really stood out. Their zeal and their meticulous work electrified the whole team.

The next volunteer shift at the Good Shepherd will be on September 17 2016. If you would like to join the Toronto Central volunteers, please email Warren at labwiz35@rogers.com

Toronto Volunteers Sing and Encourage at Wexford Seniors Home

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HOPE at Wexford — Our Toronto volunteers who spent their National Day of Service at Wexford Seniors Home

June 4 was our annual National Day of Service. The theme for this year was “Helping The Elderly.”

Seven volunteers from the Toronto Central chapter went to the Wexford Seniors home in Scarborough to provide an an afternoon of singing and entertainment to the residents . Over 35 seniors assembled in the entertainment Room for an hour of great singing, mingling and encouragement.

The singing was led by Dr Dave Ivey who performed and danced to the delight of the residents. After the singing, there was a time of refreshment and bonding with the seniors, most of whom were also physically challenged.

The response was highly enthusiastic and the Coordinator of the Home said it was a wonderful experience and appealed for more frequent visits.

Let us continue helping and supporting our seniors in any way we can throughout the year.

Record Making Year for Winnipeg Volunteers

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2016 is going to be a record making year for our Winnipeg chapter as so many volunteers have chosen to serve in HOPE programs across the globe. 7 HOPE volunteers, all from our main partner the Winnipeg Church of Christ, are sacrificing time and money to travel far to meet needs. When asked why so many in the church were volunteering this year, David Jung, minister of the Winnipeg Church of Christ, responded “I believe as we grow in our relationship with God we also grow in our gratitude. One way to express that gratitude is to continue to give of yourself to serve those who need it most. Participants in the HYC program are growing in their faith and living it out more fully through their sacrifice and service.”

Ranging in age and season of life, all the volunteers are excited for the journey they’ll be taking…and that journey will be leading them far and wide. Here are some highlights on each of our committed Winnipeg volunteers.

Gabriel Jung, our youngest volunteer at age 16, will be travelling to Chicago to join the HOPE Youth Corps (HYC) in a variety of service projects across the city. He’ll be building homes for low income families, volunteering with homeless shelters, working in a community garden, as well as mentoring at-risk youth from the inner city. When reviewing the HYC options this year and looking at the needs in Chicago, Gabriel stated “I never thought Chicago had these sort of issues, so I was taken back by that, and wanted to go there to address those issues that most people don’t know about.”

This December will be Sharisse Lontajo‘s second time volunteering with HYC after serving 2 years ago in Philadelphia with handicapped children. This time around Sharisse will be travelling to Thailand to spend her Christmas at the Baan Nontapum Home for Disabled Children. On explaining her reasoning for travelling to Thailand: “Firstly I am passionate about children and second, my heart goes out to the disabled community. As a younger sister to a wonderful brother who is diagnosed with Down syndrome, I feel I could learn ways to accommodate my brother even more, but as well use the skills I have developed by helping my brother throughout the years to serve this special group to my best advantage. It would be an honour to serve in any way I can so that this group can feel extremely loved and cared for in the short amount of time that we are with them.”

When John and Sherry Abet combed through the HYC site for volunteer opportunities abroad but were unable to find one that fit with their work schedules, they reached out to HOPE worldwide Philippines through the Winnipeg Chapter office to see if an opportunity to serve might present itself. And did it ever!

John and Sherry are in the Philippines this May for 15 days volunteering at three Centers of HOPE, as well as in an orphanage, community homes and participating in a therapy camp for abused children. When explaining why they chose to reach out to HOPE worldwide Philippines, they explained, “because of our connections with the Filipino community here in Winnipeg, and their strong support during the last few years in the aftermath of typhoon Haiyan. The Filipino people have a strong family presence and work ethic which has inspired us to learn from this culture firsthand.” While volunteering, they also plan on capturing their trip on video in order to inspire further volunteers from HOPE worldwide of Canada.

It’s a family affair for Kevin, Krista and Caitlyn Wiebe as they depart for Bangkok this December to serve at the Baan Nontapum Home for Disabled Children with HOPE Family Corps. This trip has been years in the making as the Wiebes have been praying and thinking about travelling abroad together to serve for a long time. All three have hearts for both children and the disabled, and those they will be serving are primarily homeless, abandoned or orphaned children between the ages of 7 to 18 years old.

Kevin explains their choice to serve in Bangkok: “I can understand how difficult it can be for children with a disability to manage in the world and this is only increased tenfold when we look at the situation in countries like Thailand. I have worked with children in a volunteer capacity at times and know how great an impact we can have on their lives. After viewing the facility on their website and reading stories about the people they help and the centers mission to care for them I have been deeply moved and drawn to their cause”

Our Winnipeg Chapter and the Winnipeg Church of Christ are excited for all the experiences these committed volunteers will have and are eager to hear the stories they will bring back to inspire others to do the same. We wish them all Bon Voyage!

Anne Du Sault Awarded Prestigious Canadian Volunteer Medal

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We are extremely proud to announce that last week Anne Du Sault was honoured by the governor general of Canada with the inaugural Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers. This was in recognition of for tireless work with HOPE worldwide of Canada and other volunteer work as well.

The governor general said; “I’m delighted to recognize some of Canada’s most caring individuals with the inaugural presentation of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers. Each recipient was nominated for the medal from within their community, making this celebration a wonderful reflection of generosity across Canada during National Volunteer Week.”

This is a well-deserved honour. Anne Du Sault has been a dedicated volunteer with HOPE worldwide of Canada for nearly 30 years. In 2008, Anne joined the Board of directors and she has served for 5 years as the first chapter director for our Montreal chapter.

She has also led Montreal’s annual campaign to raise funds and provide backpacks for school children from vulnerable communities in Montreal for many years. Anne’s volunteer work has also taken her to South Africa, Russia, India, Ivory Coast and Haiti, where she has helped HOPE worldwide Haiti to start income generating projects at the Village of HOPE in Croix-des-Bouquets.

Anne actively supports HOPE worldwide Abidjan in Ivory Coast, and helped to raise funds for the construction of the HOPE Preschool Centre in Abidjan which the Montreal chapter has been supporting every year since 2012. It provides quality education services in a safe environment to children from vulnerable families.

Anne Du Sault commented;

“A whole day full of emotions. I share this award with all my colleagues of HOPE worldwide from across Canada. Thank you for your unwavering dedication and your heart for people in need.

We are proud of Anne’s achievements and wish her well in all her future endeavors.

Thank You From HOPE Foundation India

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HOPE worldwide of Canada has been working closely with HOPE Foundation in India, an affiliate of HOPE worldwide. Through your generous donations, we have been able to provide funding for educational programs that are desperately needed for impoverished people in some of India’s poorest neighborhoods. The Foundation also provides health, vocational skills training and disaster assistance.

In 2105 we were able to provide funds used to purchase computers, school equipment, school supplies, school uniforms and books.

Here are Thank You letters that we have just received from HOPE Foundation and are pleased to share with you.

Thank You HOPE worldwide of CANADA!

For all the things that is provided through the fund that you have sent. We are really very grateful, the students are also very happy to sit in a proper maintained class. All the tables have been utilized for the computer classes, and chairs have been set in both Computer and Spoken English Classes. There are 30 students using them every day, and new students are being added to the list. New batches will start soon, so around 200 more students will be taking the benefits of your generosity!

All the teachers and students at the Hope Foundation School would like to express our deepest gratitude to HWW Canada. Your donation has been invested into our pre nursery class which contains 30 students aged 3 years old. Your generous funding has enabled us to purchase uniform for 80 students, buy 40 pairs of shoes and buy Hindi, English and Maths books for the entire pre nursery class. Not only have the essential school equipment been supplied for, but the teacher’s salary for a year will ensure the students get a high standard of education and at their young age be nurtured and develop manners and good behavioural skills. These little ones may not understand the value of this aid now because of their innocence but we are hopeful that they will reap great benefit from it. Once again, your help to provide school equipment and the teacher’s salary is an invaluable gift and Tigri Hope School cannot thank you enough.

To read more about how your funds are changing lives in India, click on the link and read the following story:

Keeping Kajal in School

National Volunteer Week 2016: Thank You Awesome Volunteers

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“We Volunteer.” That’s what it says on the back of our HOPE worldwide of Canada t-shirts. And so it should. That is who we are and what we do.

From the board members to the chapter directors to the advisory groups to the project leaders to those who serve in ongoing programs and/or individual projects, from the east coast to the west, every last one in HOPE worldwide of Canada is a volunteer. No one gets paid for the hours of service, love, care and concern he/she provides. It is all done from the heart.

I personally have never, in my 60 years, worked with people who have bigger hearts, who give more or care more.

“We share because we care” is another byline that resonates with me when I think about our volunteers. During this “National Volunteer Week” I just want to encourage our volunteers (and that’s anyone who does anything for HOPE worldwide of Canada) by reminding them what Jesus taught about serving, “The greatest among you will be the servant of all.”

I am most privileged in my life to work alongside some of the “the greatest” because you serve all. And if you ever think that your service is not making a difference, keep Paul’s words in mind, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” And if you ever think that no one notices or cares that you are serving, Jesus said, “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” But I also want to assure you – many see and know and you are, each and every one of you, making a difference.

Thank you

Brian Felushko, Country Director
HOPE worldwide of Canada

Zumbathon au profit de l’école HOPEww à Abijan

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Great Zumbathon for helping the HOPEww school in Abijan

Le 28 février dernier, HOPE worldwide à Montréal a tenu un Zumbathon au profit de l’école HOPEww à Abijan, Côte d’Ivoire. L’événement a remporté un franc succès en récoltant près de 1 500 $ grâce aux dons des quelque 90 participants ainsi qu’aux tirages de superbes prix.

Nous avons eu le privilège de danser pendant 2 heures avec cinq des meilleurs enseignants de zumba à Montréal, dont l’une, aussi danseuse de flamenco, a gracieusement fait une démonstration de son art. Chacun a généreusement donné de son temps et de son savoir pour soutenir notre cause et nous en sommes plus que

Notre super prof de zumba et bénévole, Manuella!/Our amazing zumba teacher and volunteer, Manuella.

reconnaissants. De plus, pour nous désaltérer, Bouillon de saveur vendait des smoothies et des jus très santé faits sur place et a fait don des profits réalisés lors de l’événement. Rina Dance était aussi au rendez-vous avec toute sa collection de vêtements de zumba à faire rêver!

Merci de tout cœur à ceux qui ont donné, et si vous souhaiter aussi participer à cette cause, cliquez sur Donate dans la page d’accueil.

À propos de l’école HOPEww à Abijan
L’école a été construite en 2012 grâce aux dons récoltés à l’échelle du Canada dans le but d’aider les enfants de familles touchées par la guerre à reprendre un rythme normal d’apprentissage dans un milieu sain et sécuritaire. À ce jour, les dons recueillis annuellement à Montréal ont permis d’acheter un minibus et d’agrandir l’école d’année en année. Ainsi, d’ici à deux ans, son programme, conforme aux normes du Ministère de l’Éducation de la Côte d’Ivoire, sera complet, c.-à-d. qu’il offrira 4 niveaux de maternelle et 6 de primaire.

A Special Valentine’s Day At Sistering

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Twenty volunteers from the Toronto Central Chapter spent an hour at Sistering serving 100 women herbal teas, pastries and a “goodie bag” filled with cookies and chocolates for Valentine’s Day.

A special part of the day was the entertainment where seven volunteers sang or read poetry. They sang wonderful and lively songs such as Unwritten, Video and I Will Survive.

Singing and encouraging the women at Sistering

The women from Sistering sang, danced and clapped along.

The day was well received with great feedback. One of the women who participated said “ This is special that you would do this for us, could your group come back once every few months.”

The women were thankful that our women from the Toronto Central chapter would spend their Valentine’s day serving them.

If you wish to find out more information and join the women volunteer team for Sistering please send an email to communications@hopewwcananada.org and we will connect you with the coordinator Debbie Rayburn.

Preparing Back packs for Ottawa Inner City homeless youth

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Seven young volunteers from the Ottawa chapter prepared backpacks for homeless teenagers. They included Sarah Lutes, Miriam Lutes, Owen Lutes, Taylor Stephenson, Ben Stephenson, Brittany Morrison and Khadidja Camara.

Here is their story;

Backpacks for Homeless Youth Ottawa — Survival backpacks assembled by Ottawa Youth volunteers

As a teen activity last December, we were asked to assemble survival backpacks for homeless teens in Ottawa. These backpacks would be full of useful items that would help the youth to survive this winter. We got together and made a list of the required items for the backpacks, things like warm sleeping bags, socks, hats, and personal hygiene items, among other things.

The next week we went shopping. It was a lot of fun, running around, trying to find all the items on our list, comparing different sleeping bags, and finally trying to stuff everything into the backpacks. We had lots of fun putting these backpacks together and we hope they help someone who needs them. Thanks to everyone for helping us: those who suggested the task, those who donated clothing, and those who guided us along the way!

Thanks to Mr. Stephenson who inspired us with his lesson on giving with a grateful heart.

Ottawa Youth volunteers

HOPE worldwide Canada

Category: News and Events

Immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine

Bringing Hope And A Helping Hand To The Homeless

Toronto Volunteers Sing and Encourage at Wexford Seniors Home

Record Making Year for Winnipeg Volunteers

Anne Du Sault Awarded Prestigious Canadian Volunteer Medal

Thank You From HOPE Foundation India

Keeping Kajal in School

National Volunteer Week 2016: Thank You Awesome Volunteers

Zumbathon au profit de l’école HOPEww à Abijan

A Special Valentine’s Day At Sistering

Preparing Back packs for Ottawa Inner City homeless youth