St.
Kevin’s C.W.L. Holds Christmas Money Draw To Help Food Banks
When
the members of the St. Kevin’s Parish Catholic Women’s League,
including Noella Cheaney on the left and Rolande Michaud on the right,
were choosing a local charity as beneficiary of the proceeds of their
annual Christmas Money Draw, there was very little need for lengthy
discussion. The Valley East Food Banks were the first to come to mind and
indeed will receive all of the money raised from ticket sales this year.
The poor
economic conditions that have affected the entire world were bad enough to
increase the demands being placed upon the two local food banks, but now
that the region is in the throngs of the Vale Inco work stoppage, with
numerous layoffs and reductions in hours of employment elsewhere, the Good
Neighbours and the St. Vincent de Paul Food Banks are finding it even more
difficult to handle the excess calls for help.
Organizations
like the St. Kevin’s C.W.L., through their kindness and generosity are
definitely making a difference with their donations. The ladies will be
selling tickets for only $1 each between now and the draw date on December
13, 2009. You can get your tickets every weekend at the Hanmer Valley
Shopping Centre. Besides helping with a good cause, you may win one of
three prizes. First prize is a huge centre piece plus $250 in cash. Second
prize is a wreath plus $150 in cash. And, third place is a vase plus $100
in cash.
We
congratulate the ladies of St. Kevin’s for their kindness and
consideration. If anyone in the community would also like to drop off food
for the Good Neighbours Food Bank, just stop by the Food Bank Depot that
is located at the main entrance of the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre.
Valley View Community Church Once
Again Provides Shoppers With Free Gift Wrapping At The Hanmer Valley
Shopping Centre
Each year the members of the Valley View Community Church
set up a table near the entrance to the Hart Department Store and provide
free gift wrapping to shoppers. This year, as is the usual custom, the
volunteers were taking donations for the Valley East Food Banks. You can
find out more about the church by visiting their web site:
ValleyPentecostalChurch
Helps Distribute Close To $1 Million Worth of Food To People In Need
During The Past Three Years
Jack
Lanctot, on the left, and Rodney Deforges, take a breather while up to two
dozen other volunteers continue to unload close to $80,000 worth of food
that was delivered to Valley Pentecostal Church in Hanmer on November 30.
This was the seventh such shipment received by the church in the past
year, with all of the food and supplies being distributed to various food
banks and other service organizations throughout the City of Greater
Sudbury.
In fact over 20 charity organizations benefit from the donations. Rodney Deforges founded
Faith Charities of Ontario (Deforges Family Ministries) three years ago.
He is based in Manitowaning. Rev. Steve Gudrie and his wife, Esther, along
with their children, Curtis and Jenn, got Valley Pentecostal Church
involved with the food distribution program right from the beginning and
have received approximately 15 shipments totaling close to $1 million in
food and supplies. The Church has even donated the transport that was used
to bring the food to Hanmer in November. Eva Lanctot, a local realtor,
donates the $1,000 it costs to cover the expenses of getting some of the
shipments to the Church. Deforges collects the
food from manufacturers in southern Ontario.
There is nothing wrong with the food and supplies, but government
regulations are very restrictive when it comes to the distribution of food
items to grocery stores and retail outlets. For example you may purchase a
canned food item from a grocery store that has a “best before date” in
December and keep it on your pantry shelf until April. There is still
nothing wrong with the food since it can normally remain in the can for at
least six months beyond the “best before” date. However, the
manufacturer and the retailer cannot sell it to you after a certain date.
That food becomes surplus and is available for distribution through food
banks and other charitable organizations. The Faith Charities of
Ontario came up with a way of providing a service to the manufacturers who
had to get rid of the surplus products in order to make room for new
products. Until the Faith
Charities of Ontario came along, the manufacturers had to contact people
to try to get rid of the surplus supplies. Now they simply call Deforges
and he sends a transport to pick the supplies up for distribution to needy
people through organizations such as the ValleyPentecostalChurch.
Everyone wins! Each week millions of dollars of food are distributed by
the Faith Charities of Ontario which now has eight transports on the road. Eva Lanctot Realty
heard about the work that was being done through ValleyPentecostalChurch
and was eager to do whatever she could to help out. As it turned out, the
Church could only come up with enough funds to pay for a limited number of
shipments, so Eva stepped up to the plate. Now, whenever Pastor Steve gets
a call from Rodney about another shipment that is ready to be delivered,
he just says bring it on. The 53 foot transport trailer is “always
welcome” and the food is distributed within 24 hours. Deforges explained that
he never knows what is going to be available when he is called to a
warehouse. There are times when he has picked up a load of 40 skids of
popcorn. He brings it all back to his warehouse at Manitowaning and
spreads it out all across Ontario,
but mainly in the northern communities. All of the items get distributed
and are very much appreciated by the recipients. This is indeed a good
news story and our hats go off to the Gudries of Valley Pentecostal
Church, to Rodney Deforges of Deforges Family Ministries, and to Eva
Lanctot of Lanctot Realty.
Back-To-Church
Sunday Is An Attempt To Raise Awareness of The Need For Higher Moral
Values
Rev. Diana M. Wilde,
Parish Priest of the Church of St. Alban The Martyr, feels that the “Back To
Church Sunday” movement, sponsored by the Anglican Churches throughout
the world is an important step in raising awareness for a higher level of
morality in our society.
Officially, Sunday,
September 28, 2008 was declared “Back To Church Sunday”, but Rev.
Wilde is hoping that this will motivate more and more people to return to
churches of all kinds and denominations in hopes of becoming inspired to
live a better life and to treat others with respect and dignity.
“The concept started
in the United Kingdom,” explained Rev. Wilde.
“The hope was to show people who for whatever reason have stopped coming
to church that we are always ready and willing to accept them back with
open arms.”
Rev. Wilde and several
of her parishioners were in the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre early in
September talking to people about the special day and providing them with
more information about St. Alban’s Anglican Church which is located on Dennie Street in Capreol.
Sunday worship and ChurchSchool takes place at 10:30 a.m.
followed by fellowship in the church hall. If you have any questions for
Rev. Diana Wilde, please call her at 858-2550.
Valleyview
Community Church Once Again Brings Out The Free Gift Wrapping For
Local Shoppers
Lou Dotto, to the left in the foreground, spent a busy few
days at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre wrapping holiday gifts for local
shoppers. This was about the fifth year that the Valleyview Community
Church has organized this free service for local residents. It is much
appreciated by the busy, last-minute shopper. The gift wrapping is free,
but many people donated an item of food for the needy to say thank you for
the service.
Here, Lou is shown with his wife Bernadette during a quiet
moment.
Karen Stenbraaten, on the left, and Kimberly Irving were
also two of the volunteers from the Church who took part in the gift
wrapping activity.
