What would we do without our volunteers? They are the lifeblood of all of our programs and events in the Winnipeg chapter of HOPE worldwide Canada. As we get ready to celebrate and honour our volunteers on April 7, 2019, here is a recap of the impact made to bring hope and change lives in 2018!
We started off in February by getting off the couch and into the cold! Over 14 volunteers of all ages participated in the “Coldest Night of the Year” Walk to raise much needed funds to support at risk youth in Winnipeg.
The spring months we were focused on initiatives supporting youth in foster care. In March volunteers pounded the pavement to canvas friends, family and co-workers to collect non-perishable food items as well as personal and household products to “Stock the Shelves” for youth struggling to make ends meet. During April and May volunteers were busy teaching life skills classes to youth that are getting ready to age out of foster care.
In the month of April our chapter also hosted a breakfast fundraiser in support of the Centers of HOPE in the Philippines. Over 30 volunteers served in different capacities such as taking and selling tickets, serving food, waiting on and busing tables. 130 generous people came out for breakfast to support the children feeding program at the Philippines Centers of Hope.
June was a busy month filled with cleaning up an inner city neighbourhood, celebrating Filipino culture, helping at the Winnipeg CFS Kids in Kare picnic and hosting a family picnic for families in the autism community. Special thanks to OHEYS autism programs and RBC volunteers for helping to make the family picnic so special and to RBC for providing a $1000 grant as part of their Benevity Community Impact Fund.
In July and August the Winnipeg chapter hosted its first ever Hope Youth Corps where 24 youth from across Canada and the United States travelled to Winnipeg to serve in our day camps for children who are wards of Child & Family Services agencies. Our chapter volunteers spent hours preparing for the Youth Corps participants and both Winnipeg volunteers and Youth Corps participants spent hundreds of hours to make the day camps a success....the impact of their service was felt by all!
In the fall volunteers facilitated another session of life skills classes for kids getting ready to age out of foster care and in October volunteers walked and rode to raise funds for our chapter programs in the annual Ride for Refuge event. 35 volunteers raised over $9000!
We ended off the year with the Homeless Christmas Wishlist program. This event took place over November and December and involved over 300 volunteer hours including students from St Avila School raising funds to purchase gifts, wrap them and make handmade cards.The hearts of the volunteers were moved and the recipients felt the love and compassion as well as receiving a personalized gift and card with well wishes.
Wow, what a busy year! Please join us on April 7 to celebrate and honour our volunteers – without them and their hearts to serve none of these events would be possible!