Board of Executive DirectorsLiz Brach - Chair Linda Shaben and Melanie Mortenson - Vice Chairs Mary James - Secretary Kelly Neri - Treasurer |
Honorary Board MembersFather Patrick Tepoorten, Past: Ron Woznow |
Directors
Current:
Vicki Pierobon Anna Lambert-Bircher Kersten Wuthrich Juliet Potter Linda Shaben Trina Johanson Caroline Hoekstra Lyn Adamson Past Directors: Margaret Huisman Brenda Butula Steffie Ackroyd Kat Gullett Karen Thom Mar Grantham Maureen Jeff Tierney Elaine Pederson Thank you and RIP John Taves and Marilyn Carey |
Who we are and how we started.
Located on the Sunshine Coast, nestled in to the mountains, and surrounded by ocean, lakes and temperate rainforest, Powell River is the home to more than 13, 000 residents. Originally a Paper and Pulp Mill town, this small town has been a hidden treasure and even earned the name "Pearl of the Sunshine Coast". There has been refugee crisis all over the world for many decades. Recently with the Syrian refugee crisis, it brought to light not only how big the problem is but also the lack of resources and support. Many of us have sat back and watched, feeling helpless and lost as to how we could contribute, how we could be part of the change. It is here, in Powell River, that many concerned citizens came together for this cause. Our group in particular, met through a common connection, Liz Brach, a retired teacher. It was in her kitchen, over banana bread and tea, that a group of women, from new moms to grandmothers; teachers, nurses, accountants and humanitarians formed a board of directors and decided they were tired of sitting idly by while innocent civilians are killed, raped, tortured, and their homes and countries are destroyed. In our endeavor to help alleviate global suffering, we raised over $50,000 to bring a Syrian family of six to Powell River, where they have found a fruitful life free from fear, harm and persecution. We believe that with your donations, together with those of friends and family, we can sponsor another family to make a new life in Canada. In the Spring of 2018, HAW (Hands Across the Water) sponsored a second family. The orphaned Congolese family comprising to 5 siblings ranging in age from 27 to 8 arrived at Powell River Airport after almost two days of travel from Namiblia. As members of HAW supported them in their settlement here in Powell River, we became aware that the family had left behind loved ones. As the two eldest siblings work hard to raise their brothers and sister, they dream of the day when their family can be reunited. HAW would like to make this dream a reality. HAW has set an ambitious goal of raising $50,000 to reunite the family. The “Reunite the Mgeni Family” Campaign was launched September 2018 and continues. The dream of reuniting the Mgeni family can only be realized with your help and generosity. Without your support the two families who we have sponsored would still be living in desperate circumstances. Today, they have a future filled with hope. Below is the story of the Mgeni family: On May 8, 2018 an orphaned family of five siblings boarded a bus headed to Windhoek, Namibia. That same day, they embarked on a series of flights comprising a 30-hour journey that would forever change the course of their lives. This was not the first major journey of the family’s young lives. Torn from their homeland in the Democratic Republic of Congo, away from the bountiful farm where thick orchards of mango, papaya, and avocado trees grew around their home, away from their friends and family, and away from all that they held dear, they had arrived four years earlier in Osire, an enclosed UN refugee resettlement camp in the country of Namibia. Tragically, their mother died soon after their arrival. Having already lost their father some time ago, the two then barely adult children were left to take on the role of parents to their three younger siblings and the family made a new home for themselves in a tiny house on a parched desert landscape. The five siblings worked hard to sustain themselves. They grew a large garden to feed themselves and, when they could, sold their produce in a nearby city. At the same time, they did their best to get an education. The belief that a good education can offer a brighter future has been a theme throughout the Mgeni’s lives. It is one of the reasons they wanted to start a new life so far from their home. In 2013 they applied to the UNHCR to leave Africa as refugees in the hope of finding a country where they could be safe and build a future. In 2017 they received word that Canada had accepted their application. A little while later they heard that they would be sponsored in a faraway place called Powell River. While the siblings were learning that they would be leaving Africa, a local refugee sponsorship group called Hands Across the Water Powell River received news there was a family of five siblings who needed to be sponsored. The MCC coordinator for refugees in BC thought a small town like Powell River with an experienced group of volunteers would be an ideal place for the family to begin their new lives. Soon emails were going back and forth between members of the group and the two adult siblings, Chris and Rhoda. Despite tales of cold Canadian winters, the snow, and warnings that “one could freeze and die”, they remained determined to make the move and start a new life. They believed Canada was a place where the younger children could be successful, access education, and find opportunities to advance. In Africa, they knew that only students with the financial means could ever attain higher levels of education. In Canada, they had heard that there were no limitations to what they could achieve academically if they worked hard. |
Today, four months after their journey from Africa to Powell River, the family is doing very well. The younger children are enrolled in school and have made friends. The older siblings have found work and are keen to further their education. When asked about his impressions of Powell River, Chris said, “The people of Powell River have been so welcoming. They care for each other and come together to help one another. We love it here because it is quiet, not noisy. It is a very good place for the younger children, where they can concentrate on their education. There are less distractions than bigger cities and there are many meaningful opportunities for the children. We like to spend time at the Complex and we are excited about all the sporting opportunities.” “There are so many people who have reached out to welcome this amazing family. We have all been touched by the Mgeni’s graciousness and warmth. They carry such hope in spite of the challenges they face; it is impossible not to be inspired by them.” says Liz Brach, chair of the Hands Across the Water committee. One of the challenges the family faces is bringing their remaining family members to Canada to help support them in raising the younger children. Currently, they have five family members living in the Osire Refugee Camp. Just four months before leaving for Canada, they joyfully received news that their older brother and his young family had found their way to the camp at Osire. It was a bittersweet meeting because the siblings would, in a short time, again be separated. Now that the family has settled in Powell River they hope to find a way to bring their remaining family members to live with them. Hands Across the Water shares this same hope. The group aims to raise $50,000 within a year so that they can help reunite this special family. On October 6th Hands Across the Water will host another signature fundraising dinner “West Meets Africa Harvest Feast” catered once again by Chef Linda Shaben. The meal will include cuisine from Africa. Tickets for the dinner can be purchased at 32 Lakes Coffee Shop, Base Camp, and Assumption Parish Office. As well, Hands Across the Water just launched a Canada Helps page: Donations can also be made to Hands Across the Water through Powell River Diversity Initiative, in person at 4727 Marine Avenue or by cheque made out to PR Diversity Initiative with Hands Across the Water in the memo line, sent to: Liz Brach, 6480 Sutherland Ave, Powell River, BC V8A 4W4. Tax receipts are available if using the Canada Helps page, or when over $50.00 if using cash or cheque. More information can be found on their Facebook page, or by calling Liz Brach at 604-483-3428. Fate, faith, and the generosity of members of our community has brought this family to us here in Powell River. With your help we can continue to support this special family by reuniting them with their family still waiting in Osire Refugee Camp. |