June was a busy month for Winnipeg HOPE volunteers!
We started off the month on June 9 by helping with the Centennial Neighbourhood clean-up, the hearts of the volunteers wanting to not just improve the neighbourhood visually, but also to help make it feel more like a community. Twenty-two volunteers, including many kids, worked with dedicated people in the neighbourhood to clean the garbage strewn about, and to ensure areas where children play was safer – by cleaning up used needles.
The same weekend marked the 6th year our Winnipeg Chapter participated in the Manitoba Filipino Street Festival. Our enthusiastic volunteers spent their weekend sharing about work being done locally and abroad in the Centers of HOPE Philippines in order to garner support, donations and more volunteers! Festival goers enjoyed free ice candies made by one of our dedicated volunteers and some made financial donations which will go towards supporting the feeding program in the Center of Hope in Tacloban.
June 23 marked our annual National Day of Service where over forty volunteers lent their time, energy, and creativity for the second annual Autism Community Family Picnic. Heavy rain was in the forecast but as the picnic began all the clouds rolled way and families with children on the autism spectrum enjoyed the day put on by HOPE worldwide Canada. Over 70 people were in attendance in addition to the volunteers running the show and enjoyed the opportunity to beat the unexpected heat with water balloons. HOPE volunteers along with RBC volunteers partnered with the OHEYS Autism Program who were gractious enough to provide all of the sensory friendly equipment used. Participants enjoyed a superhero themed photo booth, a pirate station, balloon pit for younger children, a large colourful parachute and oversized beach ball – we even had an appearance by Wonder Woman! The children with their families are definitely the real super heroes though, and it was an honour to be able to bring smiles to their faces.
A special thank you to RBC for providing a $1000 grant as part of their Benevity Community Impact Fund.
