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What's New

House of Friendship Launches Text-to-Give Program: SHARE

It just got a little easier to share with your neighbours. You can now use your mobile device to extend your hand of friendship to those in need. Simply text SHARE to 41010 to donate $5* to House of Friendship.

SHARE is made possible by the generous support of Mennonite Savings and Credit Union (MSCU), which has long supported mutual-aid opportunities as a part of building community. "From its earliest days, MSCU has encouraged mutual aid support among its membership and bearing one another's burdens in community," noted Brent Zorgdrager, chief executive officer of MSCU, seen above left texting with John Neufeld, executive director of House of Friendship. "Supporting the text-to-give SHARE program is a great opportunity for us to help make mutual aid relevant in an innovative way." We couldn't agree more!

*Empowered by

Kitchener Conestoga Rotary Club's Annual Turkey Drive Raises $1Million in Six years

House of Friendship staff were present when the Kitchener Conestoga Rotary Club announced they had raised over $267,301.41 (gross) through the 2011 Turkey Drive. We say 'over', because when Club members realized they were $450 away from the milestone of $1 million for the first six years of the Drive, they quickly passed the hat, and voila, reached this goal.

Proceeds from the Turkey Drive support House of Friendship's annual Christmas Hamper program, which provides people living on low income with the gift of food during the Holidays. Requests for Christmas Hampers and turkeys reached record levels again in 2011; 4,081 families received the gift of food, which included a hamper of non-perishable foods, a voucher for a turkey (or Halal chicken), and a small grocery store voucher for perishable food items. Approximately 11,000 were nourished with the gift of food and hope.

New House of Friendship Book Recounts The Chandler Mowat Story

From its humble beginnings in the trunk of a car to its current home in the recently built Chandler Mowat Community Centre, the story of House of Friendship's Chandler Mowat Community Centre program is one of building community in partnership. Author, Ferne Burkhardt has captured the spirit, people and events of that story in the newly published, "Creating Community: The Chandler Mowat Story". The book, which serves as a testimonial to the community building work of House of Friendship, was partly made possible through the generosity of the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation and Gore Mutual Insurance Company. Ms Burkhardt signed complimentary copies for guests at House of Friendship's 2011 Friendship Fundraising Dinner.

Additional copies are available by contacting Jenn at House of Friendship. The book is available free-of-charge with donations gratefully accepted and designated to ongoing community building work with families living on low income in Chandler Mowat and other local communities.

Congratulations Laurie Strome, Waterloo Award 2011 Recipient

To people in the Sunnydale community, Waterloo, Laurie Strome (above, centre with arms around child) is well-known and much loved for her tireless advocacy on behalf of local residents. A resident of Sunnydale since 1974, Laurie's individual and collaborative efforts helped turn a once crime-ridden and troubled residential area of Waterloo into a safe, empowered and inclusive community.

House of Friendship's Sunnydale Community Centre program works in partnership with the Sunnydale Neighbourhood Association, which Laurie helped found and lead for many years, and Waterloo Housing, which provides the program space. Today, with Laurie's continued support, the Centre offers many essential programs and services that greatly benefit a larger neighbourhood that includes many new Canadians and residents living on lower-income.

In recognition of her considerable contributions, Laurie was presented with the 2011 Waterloo Award at a special ceremony at a Waterloo City council meeting. "It is an honour for us to recognize Laurie Strome's generous contributions to improving the lives of so many people in this community," said Waterloo Mayor, Brenda Halloran. "She truly is deserving of this award." We couldn't agree more. Thank you Laurie, and congratulations!

Meet House of Friendship's Green Team

As part of House of Friendship's commitment to act 'green' and be responsible stewards of our environment, staff from across various programs have come together to form the Green Team. The team will help coordinate and provide a longer term vision and planning for 'green' efforts. They will explore tangible ideas and possibilities within House of Friendship to make holistic and sustainable changes in the environment we work and live in, the practices and process we engage in, and the impact we have overall as an organization on the community around us.

We will also be working towards establishing our GHG (Green House Gas) output as an organization. Green Team support, and tools to measure our GHG output and impact, are two of the key benefits of our Regional Carbon Initiative membership offered by Sustainable Waterloo Region. Sustainable Waterloo Region supports organizations and companies towards environmental sustainability by offering support in the form of educational forums, technical workshops and carbon accounting tools. Our membership supports a vision for a thriving Waterloo Region with a healthy environment and a vibrant economy.

HOF's Social Media Provides Food For Thought

http://hofemergencyfoodassistance.wordpress.com/

Created almost two years ago, House of Friendship's (HOF) emergency food assistance blog continues to capture the stories and issues surrounding food (in)security in Waterloo Region throughout the year, and the efforts of HOF to address local needs. The team at HOF's Emergency Food Hamper program continues to inform and engage people on a range of topics from spam (the meat kind) to preparing for the annual Hunger Count review.

Want to know more about food (in)security in your community, then be sure to check out the blog and add your comments to the discussion. And while you're there, why not sign up for future posts via the easy-to-use Email Subscription on the sidebar?! You can access the blog above or via our web site home page.

You can also follow House of Friendship on Twitter at HOFKW and find us on Facebook: House of Friendship Kitchener. However you're in touch, we want to hear from you! Poverty, housing, food (in)security, addiction treatment, and community development are issues that concern us all; we can find sol'u'tions with 'u'.