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Rummage and Bake Sale, December 5, 2015
What a wonderful day we had! December 5th marked our official fundraising kick off with a huge Rummage and Bake sale. Many of us had started collecting donated items over the past month, filling our basements and spare rooms. I don't think any of us were prepared for the overwhelming generosity of our community.
When I arrived at the Assumption Gymnasium the morning of the 5th, with my truck crammed to the brim, wind and rain blowing sideway, I had my breath taken away. The Fundraising team, under the leadership of Kersten Wuthrich, had filled the gymnasium literally, from one end to the other. As I stood in the doorway with my first box, rain pouring down the back of my neck due to poor jacket choices in the morning, I tried to assess where my lot would go. More trucks and cars pulled up with stuff to drop off, volunteers greeted myself and others happily to direct our donations and help unload our vehicles. I kept asking myself...is this ALL donated to bring a refugee family to Powell River? I quickly tried to find a place for myself as the busy volunteers were buzzing around with such ease and organization. I didn't even notice until after that there were lists posted at different stations with "Teams" and their zones.
The air was filled with vibrations of high energy, anticipation and the fresh coffee the kitchen was brewing. Everything was falling into place, as these things usually do, but with minimal stress. I attempted to be useful and found myself so eager to share pictures to Facebook, to share the blessing I was standing in. I wanted so badly to document and capture all of these beautiful souls, working so hard, and that for a moment, I was associated with.
With these events, we have early birds. Unfortunately with stormy weather, the outdoors was less than desirable to sit and wait in. At quarter to ten, the doors were bursting open with gusts of high winds and excited shoppers. After a blessing by Father Dass, we were open for business. I hid behind the books, attempting to keep things straight, providing bags and taking in the scene. Watching the tables slowly deplete of their treasures and people walking away with arm loads of previously loved items gave me such joy. Volunteers were available for the children with colouring books, balloons, face paint. Baked goods were donated and quickly bought up. Beautiful Handmade Christmas swag for the front door was snatched up quickly as well.
Next to the book station was our information and cash donation booth. Consistently throughout the day there were people seated, finding out more information and generously donating towards our goal.
The whole event had us glowing. I felt moved not just by the generosity, but by the community at large. I was not born in Powell River, but grew up here since I was 6, and am now raising my two boys here. I consider myself a Powell Riverite. I am proud to be from this town for its beauty, festivals, diversity and the positive vibrations this town provides for me. I know this is a generous town, but this is the first time In a long time, that I had been part of something that didn't directly support a cause for a local person. Through the negative media attention that refugees are receiving right now, I was starting to feel a bit unsure if our goal of sponsoring a family to live in Powell River would be an easily attainable one or if we were going to really struggle to get that $30,000. After this event, after seeing not just the generosity of Powell River residents, but the unification of such a diverse group of individuals to drive this cause, I feel so proud and full of gratitude to be part of this community, this town, this Pearl. We get to share this home with a family.
I never lost faith. I have had faith in the strong and inspiring women I get to work with. But instead, my faith was reinforced. Faith that standing up in the darkness of these times to say, we want to make a difference, is the right thing to be doing. We want to help. We want to be the light for one family who is suffering and share our home with them. Give someone a chance to live, and have a quality of life. For myself, helping others is part of our human experience. I believe we innately want to help the under dog, the less fortunate, the suffering. The outpouring of support of my fellow residents in one day, tells me this is true.
So thank you to everyone that helped in any way. Whether you donated items to sell, volunteered, purchased items or donated money, thank you. Thanks, gratitude, appreciation are just words that do not fully encompass what myself and our group feel. I know that this feeling is not limited to our group either. As Mother Teresa said "I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." We have cast the stone and we ask you to please join our hands across the waters as we continue this journey.
-Kat Gullette
What a wonderful day we had! December 5th marked our official fundraising kick off with a huge Rummage and Bake sale. Many of us had started collecting donated items over the past month, filling our basements and spare rooms. I don't think any of us were prepared for the overwhelming generosity of our community.
When I arrived at the Assumption Gymnasium the morning of the 5th, with my truck crammed to the brim, wind and rain blowing sideway, I had my breath taken away. The Fundraising team, under the leadership of Kersten Wuthrich, had filled the gymnasium literally, from one end to the other. As I stood in the doorway with my first box, rain pouring down the back of my neck due to poor jacket choices in the morning, I tried to assess where my lot would go. More trucks and cars pulled up with stuff to drop off, volunteers greeted myself and others happily to direct our donations and help unload our vehicles. I kept asking myself...is this ALL donated to bring a refugee family to Powell River? I quickly tried to find a place for myself as the busy volunteers were buzzing around with such ease and organization. I didn't even notice until after that there were lists posted at different stations with "Teams" and their zones.
The air was filled with vibrations of high energy, anticipation and the fresh coffee the kitchen was brewing. Everything was falling into place, as these things usually do, but with minimal stress. I attempted to be useful and found myself so eager to share pictures to Facebook, to share the blessing I was standing in. I wanted so badly to document and capture all of these beautiful souls, working so hard, and that for a moment, I was associated with.
With these events, we have early birds. Unfortunately with stormy weather, the outdoors was less than desirable to sit and wait in. At quarter to ten, the doors were bursting open with gusts of high winds and excited shoppers. After a blessing by Father Dass, we were open for business. I hid behind the books, attempting to keep things straight, providing bags and taking in the scene. Watching the tables slowly deplete of their treasures and people walking away with arm loads of previously loved items gave me such joy. Volunteers were available for the children with colouring books, balloons, face paint. Baked goods were donated and quickly bought up. Beautiful Handmade Christmas swag for the front door was snatched up quickly as well.
Next to the book station was our information and cash donation booth. Consistently throughout the day there were people seated, finding out more information and generously donating towards our goal.
The whole event had us glowing. I felt moved not just by the generosity, but by the community at large. I was not born in Powell River, but grew up here since I was 6, and am now raising my two boys here. I consider myself a Powell Riverite. I am proud to be from this town for its beauty, festivals, diversity and the positive vibrations this town provides for me. I know this is a generous town, but this is the first time In a long time, that I had been part of something that didn't directly support a cause for a local person. Through the negative media attention that refugees are receiving right now, I was starting to feel a bit unsure if our goal of sponsoring a family to live in Powell River would be an easily attainable one or if we were going to really struggle to get that $30,000. After this event, after seeing not just the generosity of Powell River residents, but the unification of such a diverse group of individuals to drive this cause, I feel so proud and full of gratitude to be part of this community, this town, this Pearl. We get to share this home with a family.
I never lost faith. I have had faith in the strong and inspiring women I get to work with. But instead, my faith was reinforced. Faith that standing up in the darkness of these times to say, we want to make a difference, is the right thing to be doing. We want to help. We want to be the light for one family who is suffering and share our home with them. Give someone a chance to live, and have a quality of life. For myself, helping others is part of our human experience. I believe we innately want to help the under dog, the less fortunate, the suffering. The outpouring of support of my fellow residents in one day, tells me this is true.
So thank you to everyone that helped in any way. Whether you donated items to sell, volunteered, purchased items or donated money, thank you. Thanks, gratitude, appreciation are just words that do not fully encompass what myself and our group feel. I know that this feeling is not limited to our group either. As Mother Teresa said "I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." We have cast the stone and we ask you to please join our hands across the waters as we continue this journey.
-Kat Gullette
West Meets East Feast - January 23, 2016
On the evening of January 23rd, after a week of food prep, auction organsing and event preparation, the HAW group with the help of many volunteers, open the doors of the Assumption Parish Hall to 200 people for a night of delicious food, entertainment and fun.
Under the supervision of Chef Linda Shaben, we offered an authentic Syrian buffet to the people of Powell RIver. From the moment of walking in the door, the ambience was warm and welcoming. Donated items for silent auction flooded the back room tables, and prizes for purchased balloons at the tables lined the walls. The room was filled with such a diverse group of people of all ages that it truly represented the nature of this community. We are a diverse community. One that is so open and generous and supportive of eachother that it makes you feel so proud to call Powell RIver home.
The delicious menu that Linda prepared was received with so much praise and hope that we would host another evening like this so we could enjoy the her food again. With thanks to Mitchell Brothers, Eatmore Sprouts, Ecossentials and Pacific Point Market for helping us with the food costs and the Anglican Parish for their donation of desserts.
Our silent auction was a booming success. We were astounded by the amount of donations we received. As we continue this journey, we have all felt constantly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, generosity, hard work and support. It is amazing to have expectations of your community and to time and time again, have those expectation exceeded. This was no exception.
I was a server that evening. I had a chance to visit every table more than once. The smiling faces, empty plates, laughter and happiness that I felt surrounded by was euphoric. To know that every single person, just be being there, was making a difference in a families life is a very special feeling to have. Sometimes we don't realize to the full extent how we positively impact the world around us. We take for granted the simplicity of it. But one of our group's favorite quotes is from Mother Teresa "I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." That is what this evening felt like. It may have just been a "great night out for a great cause", but to truly feel the gratitude of what every single person contributed that night just by being there brings me to tears.
We currently are collecting items to stock our family's home and furnish it. Please see our "Contribution" page for a list of things we still need and stay posted for updates. Once our family has finished going throught their process, they could be on a plane within a month. We are so excited to share this with you!
With gratitude, blessings, peace and love;
Kat Gullette
Arrival-June 2016
It has been a long time since I wrote anything and shared what our group was up to. We had made a decision to really respect the privacy of our future Powell Riverites, and in doing that I didn’t have much to share on such a public forum. I know that it was probably frustrating for the community, especially citizens outside of our HAW board who had contributed time, money, items, positive thoughts and prayers. It is important to remember what it is like to come to a new community, let alone a small one such as ours, and we really wanted to provide that dignity and respect of privacy that everyone is entitled to. So thank you for your patience.
On that note, I sit here reflectively. One year ago we were being inundated with images from the crisis in the Middle East. It had been going on for years, but it wasn’t until those photos of that toddler’s body washed up on the shore, did the crisis really make the world gasp and finally capture our attention. Many of us felt helpless. I know I felt strongly that I wanted to contribute in some way, but felt like I was a grain of sand on a beach. Yes, I could send money to Red Cross or many of the other relief programs that were in place. In my gut it didn’t feel like enough. There was so much more that needed to be done and I wanted to be part of implementing some change on a larger scale.
I am not old enough to remember or to have lived through times where there was major world crisis that demanded such a mass out pouring of resources, compassion and unity from the world. This is not negating the ongoing world issues, but this crisis created such an urgency in myself and others.
I was following a friend on Facebook who I had known in high school, and she had shared information on a group in Smithers that she was a part of that was fundraising money to resettle a family of refugees in their town. I don’t recall the conversation clearly, but I think I had inquired with her about it and she put me in touch with her mom who was doing the same thing in Powell River. Before I knew it, I was sitting at a meeting in the Fall of 2015 at Liz’s house.
Our journey began. Like minded, empathetic, and inspired for change. We shared our hearts. Our desire to bring light to a family in this devastation that we could not even fathom. I was intimidated by the group, many I knew from the community, old school teachers, friend’s parents. I didn’t know what I could bring or contribute and was in awe of the skills and experience that the group collectively had, and even now I am still a little intimidated! They are truly amazing individuals.
We jumped in. We set goals, policies and positions. We didn’t even have a name for the first couple of months. We were democratic and tried our best to communicate and be inclusive. We worked hard, some members and volunteers went above and beyond what I was able to give and for that I am so grateful. The drive and initiative of this group has been so inspiring. We have had frustrations, celebrations, challenges and joy. We have cried and laughed. We have experienced such a spectrum of emotions it is hard to sit here writing this without tearing up because our goal last September of bringing a family here to our beautiful home of Powell River by Fall 2016, is happening this last weekend of June.
The community rose to the occasion time and time again in support of not only our group and their fundraising efforts, but to two other groups as well. Sometimes there are no words, all you can say is the sincerest thanks, from the bottom of our hearts and souls. This gift that we are giving our new citizens is not something I ever thought I would be a part of. I feel privileged and honoured to share this experience with not only these exceptional Board member and friends, but also this community. We should all feel proud of our home town and the hearts of the people who reside here.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” -Mother Teresa
With gratitude,
Kat
It has been a long time since I wrote anything and shared what our group was up to. We had made a decision to really respect the privacy of our future Powell Riverites, and in doing that I didn’t have much to share on such a public forum. I know that it was probably frustrating for the community, especially citizens outside of our HAW board who had contributed time, money, items, positive thoughts and prayers. It is important to remember what it is like to come to a new community, let alone a small one such as ours, and we really wanted to provide that dignity and respect of privacy that everyone is entitled to. So thank you for your patience.
On that note, I sit here reflectively. One year ago we were being inundated with images from the crisis in the Middle East. It had been going on for years, but it wasn’t until those photos of that toddler’s body washed up on the shore, did the crisis really make the world gasp and finally capture our attention. Many of us felt helpless. I know I felt strongly that I wanted to contribute in some way, but felt like I was a grain of sand on a beach. Yes, I could send money to Red Cross or many of the other relief programs that were in place. In my gut it didn’t feel like enough. There was so much more that needed to be done and I wanted to be part of implementing some change on a larger scale.
I am not old enough to remember or to have lived through times where there was major world crisis that demanded such a mass out pouring of resources, compassion and unity from the world. This is not negating the ongoing world issues, but this crisis created such an urgency in myself and others.
I was following a friend on Facebook who I had known in high school, and she had shared information on a group in Smithers that she was a part of that was fundraising money to resettle a family of refugees in their town. I don’t recall the conversation clearly, but I think I had inquired with her about it and she put me in touch with her mom who was doing the same thing in Powell River. Before I knew it, I was sitting at a meeting in the Fall of 2015 at Liz’s house.
Our journey began. Like minded, empathetic, and inspired for change. We shared our hearts. Our desire to bring light to a family in this devastation that we could not even fathom. I was intimidated by the group, many I knew from the community, old school teachers, friend’s parents. I didn’t know what I could bring or contribute and was in awe of the skills and experience that the group collectively had, and even now I am still a little intimidated! They are truly amazing individuals.
We jumped in. We set goals, policies and positions. We didn’t even have a name for the first couple of months. We were democratic and tried our best to communicate and be inclusive. We worked hard, some members and volunteers went above and beyond what I was able to give and for that I am so grateful. The drive and initiative of this group has been so inspiring. We have had frustrations, celebrations, challenges and joy. We have cried and laughed. We have experienced such a spectrum of emotions it is hard to sit here writing this without tearing up because our goal last September of bringing a family here to our beautiful home of Powell River by Fall 2016, is happening this last weekend of June.
The community rose to the occasion time and time again in support of not only our group and their fundraising efforts, but to two other groups as well. Sometimes there are no words, all you can say is the sincerest thanks, from the bottom of our hearts and souls. This gift that we are giving our new citizens is not something I ever thought I would be a part of. I feel privileged and honoured to share this experience with not only these exceptional Board member and friends, but also this community. We should all feel proud of our home town and the hearts of the people who reside here.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” -Mother Teresa
With gratitude,
Kat
Celebrating flight confirmations! What a joyous meeting! (Left to right) Kelly Neri, Mary James, Brenda Butula(back), Juliet Potter, Liz Brach, Kat Gullette, Steffi Ackroyd
Hands Across the Water – Update January 2020
Thanks once again to the generosity of so many Powell River citizens, Hands Across the Water has been able to realize our next milestone in our goal to reunite members of the Mgeni Family.
In early September this year, Dieudonne and Seraphin Mugeni, along with their two young children arrived at Powell River airport on a beautiful fall day, to be greeted by their 5 siblings and Canadian born nephew/cousin with much joy, laughter, and tears. Many of our supporters were also there to give hugs and a warm welcome.
Little did we know that the group that formed with the aim of sponsoring a Syrian Family in 2015, would continue and thrive with the support of the community and of the people who have served and continue to serve on the Board. Our initial mandate to sponsor a refugee family has expanded beyond our expectations and we are so proud to have contributed to changing the lives of the three families that we have now sponsored.
Our mandate carries on as we continue to fundraise in support of our next sponsorship application to bring more family members of the Mgeni clan here. The spouses of Rhoda and Crispin are next on our “to do” list! These two amazing humans, who have been looking after their younger siblings for many years, left their spouses back in the Namibian refugee camp to seek a better life for them all.
We will continue to gratefully accept the generosity of all who have and continue to support our sponsorship efforts. Fundraising initiatives will continue into 2020 as we launch a Staycation Raffle/Lottery….Stay tuned for more details! Once again it is through the generosity of local individuals and businesses that we will have been able to put together a collection of amazing ‘staycation’ experiences.
We are incredibly proud of our community and all those who have given of their time, expertise and love to our many new families that have arrived here as refugees and are now a beautiful and welcome part of the fabric of our community.
Blessings
OH COVID....
Submitted March 2021
I sigh as I write this blog post. It is a heartfelt sigh as I think of all the men, women and children living in refugee camps, hoping and praying for the day when they will be able to return to their homeland, to the ones they love, and to the land of their birth. For many, this hope is almost lost, as war and strife continue in many parts of the world.
The last two families that we sponsored came from a refugee camp in Namibia. Their home was in the Congo and they were forced to flee without their parents and other family members, many whom have died or have been 'lost'. They don't know where they are or how to find them.
For the Mgeni family, home is now Powell River BC , Canada. They have put down roots here, they have been welcomed and supported, they have made good friends, furthered their education, and found work. Still they long to be reunited with their family.
Before COVID struck we were on schedule to welcome two more members of the family, partners of the two adult children of the Mgeni family. Since COVID, we have been told that UNHCR and other government offices have been closed or impaired in their function, not only in Africa but also in Canada. This means that the processing of refugees has been severely delayed. We do not know when the two sponsored family members will arrive.
When we hear of the impending arrival of these two young people, we will have to spring into action and we will once again ask for support from our friends and community. We hope you will continue to support our cause.
From our heart to yours....
UPDATE: WE ARE STILL GOING STRONG!
Submitted April 2024
We made it through COVID and beyond! Yes, Hands Across the Water is still at it. Last summer we welcomed another member of the Mgeni family to Powell River. She is the wife of one of the original Mgeni family members. Welcome Rachel!
We can hardly believe that to date Hands Across the Water has sponsored 17 people!
Our latest project is to sponsor the younger brother and sister of Seraphine who are currently refugees in Burundi. Although Burundi is considered an unsafe country to live in, it is still safer for these two young people than their home country of Democratic Republic of Congo. We hope to submit the application soon.
Submitted March 2021
I sigh as I write this blog post. It is a heartfelt sigh as I think of all the men, women and children living in refugee camps, hoping and praying for the day when they will be able to return to their homeland, to the ones they love, and to the land of their birth. For many, this hope is almost lost, as war and strife continue in many parts of the world.
The last two families that we sponsored came from a refugee camp in Namibia. Their home was in the Congo and they were forced to flee without their parents and other family members, many whom have died or have been 'lost'. They don't know where they are or how to find them.
For the Mgeni family, home is now Powell River BC , Canada. They have put down roots here, they have been welcomed and supported, they have made good friends, furthered their education, and found work. Still they long to be reunited with their family.
Before COVID struck we were on schedule to welcome two more members of the family, partners of the two adult children of the Mgeni family. Since COVID, we have been told that UNHCR and other government offices have been closed or impaired in their function, not only in Africa but also in Canada. This means that the processing of refugees has been severely delayed. We do not know when the two sponsored family members will arrive.
When we hear of the impending arrival of these two young people, we will have to spring into action and we will once again ask for support from our friends and community. We hope you will continue to support our cause.
From our heart to yours....
UPDATE: WE ARE STILL GOING STRONG!
Submitted April 2024
We made it through COVID and beyond! Yes, Hands Across the Water is still at it. Last summer we welcomed another member of the Mgeni family to Powell River. She is the wife of one of the original Mgeni family members. Welcome Rachel!
We can hardly believe that to date Hands Across the Water has sponsored 17 people!
Our latest project is to sponsor the younger brother and sister of Seraphine who are currently refugees in Burundi. Although Burundi is considered an unsafe country to live in, it is still safer for these two young people than their home country of Democratic Republic of Congo. We hope to submit the application soon.