Fair

     The Holy Trinity Ministry Fair that took place a few weeks ago was an eye opener. I was so impressed with the number of ministries that we have available as well as the exuberance and care with which many of the groups showed in their displays. As I walked around from table to table I saw inspiration, dedication and yes, even perspiration! There is a lot of time and effort put into so many of the ministries that make up the Church of the Holy Trinity!

     What really caught my eye though was the activity and the talk that was going on —- folks were really engaging, seeking out the displays and making connections. I felt the energy and vitality in the room and it was exciting!  It was standing room only and even a departure from our usual coffee hour which is usually pretty busy but a bit more sedate.

     I want to thank everyone who participated: all those who made displays, took pictures, attended their tables, signed up and asked questions. You helped make our first ever Ministry Fair a great success. I hope that we have another one soon!

Walk 3

     As you are probably aware by now the Walk & Roll for Harmony 2025 was a massive success! Our team "Hearts for Harmony" more than met their goal of $5,000.00 by raising over $6,100.00 in support of Harmony: inclusive, supportive and affordable housing for all. So many friends and family members gave generously to our team members and we are all very grateful! A few of them also turned up for the run which was so encouraging. To top it off UNITI & Harmony more than made their goal of $100,000.00 by raising over $115,000.00!

     The walk was a festive affair with VIPs, dignitaries, sponsors and even Korky the Klown and associates in attendance. Doug Tennant, Executive Director of Semiahmoo House Society and host of the event welcomed us all. The icing on the cake was that the weather cooperated and we had perfect conditions for the day. Different teams had decked themselves out with signs and colourful accessories. There were friends everywhere we looked! Our daughter walked as many laps as she could in the time allotted, which was far too little as far as she was concerned. It seems she could have walked and walked....

     It was a beautiful experience--- a real testament to the impact of Semiahmoo House Society and UNITI in our community. As one participant's sign so wonderfully put it, "Every step brings us closer to home". What could be simpler or more eloquent than that? Because essentially that's why we were all there: to provide a place that any member of our society could call home, right here in our own community. 

Walk 2

     Our twenty-six year old daughter and her friends have been raising funds and awareness for their ultimate goal: to live independently, to live in Harmony. This is no small feat. Money is tight for many of us especially now and there are so many worthy causes reaching out for our attention and our funds. I like to think about what a miracle a place like Harmony will be: affordable, inclusive and supportive housing for a person who, in the past, might never have been able to live on her own.      
     The model that UNITI has found successful is reflected in their first community immediately adjacent to Semiahmoo House which is called Chorus. There developmentally disabled people live in harmony with others: retired folks, new Canadians and students; folks who need below market housing in our community. There they find common goals, mutual support, safety, security and friendship.

     It goes with out saying that our eldest daughter would be so excited to be one of the lucky folks to live in Harmony. She could live alone or with a room-mate, safe in the knowledge that support would be there for her, should she need it, anytime, and at a monthly rental cost that she could afford. It truly would be a dream come true! However the demand is high, the list is long and there is no telling what tomorrow may bring. In the meantime, she will walk with her friends and advocate for this place called Harmony because she has to. That's what friends do....

If you want to help, please donate here:

 https://giving.uniti4all.com/-/NJTBXBSQ

Harmony 2

       Ever since our daughter was old enough to put it into words and action, she has been doing one thing: saving her money. First she was saving for a purple Mini Cooper and then when epilepsy made driving impossible, she kept working hard and is now saving for a home, saving for her future. Our daughter has an intellectual disability which means that she would need to live in a very special place; a place that was affordable, accessible and supportive. A place like Harmony. 
     Unless you have a relative with a disability you probably do not realize how lucky we are to live in Surrey. Here we are fortunate enough to have UNITI. According to the website: "UNITI is the partnership of the three affiliated societies that have provided important community services for decades. Semiahmoo House Society provides quality services and supports to people with disabilities and their families in Surrey and White Rock. Peninsula Estates Housing Society provides affordable and inclusive housing that reflects the diversity of our community. The Semiahmoo Foundation ensures that UNITI has the recognition, relationships and resources to support an inclusive community." This combination of these three vital organizations in our community makes us unique. 

     Since she is now an adult, our daughter realizes that she will not always live with us, her parents. We are already older than most of her peers' parents so time is important. Every day is an opportunity for our daughter to add to her skill set and knowledge base in order to become more independent. Disabled folks like her have the right to live independently in a community that lifts them up and supports them. And as their literature explains, Harmony is a 91 rental home, 6-storey inclusive building which will be affordable and inclusive housing for the life of the building. It will house families, seniors, people with disabilities and others. 

     Please support Harmony's latest fundraiser and UNITI. Our daughter is counting on it!

Four

      Four people get off of a plane in January, 1960. Actually it was a mother, a father, a little girl and a baby boy. They arrived from London, England and landed at Dorval Airport in Quebec. After that time that mother and father had two more children, a boy and a girl and adopted a fifth child. Over the course of their lives they lived in Trois-Rivieres, Chateauguay and Pierrefonds, Quebec. Then they lived in Marion, Ohio for a few years. And they returned to Canada and lived in Beaconsfield, Quebec, and then Calgary and  De Winton, Alberta and then Lumsden, Saskatchewan before finally settling in White Rock and Surrey, B.C.. Their children married and eventually had ten children who in turn now have over ten children of their own. They all have lived in many different homes in many different places and have owned many, many dogs and even some chickens and ducks. They all have worked a great deal and vacationed less than they worked. They all have had innumerable happy moments and some hard times too. What brought them all together yesterday, on a hot and sunny day in August was an appreciation of the fact that four people got off a plane in January, 1960. And the certain knowledge that that was just the beginning....

Sex

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Pride

      Hayley and I had the pleasure of representing The Church of the Holy Trinity at the White Rock Family Pride Day last Saturday. We were glad to see our new tent set up, brightly decorated with the colourful sun catchers our Children’s Chapel had recently made. We had Holy Trinity bags, lanyards, cards and bookmarks to hand out as well as sun catchers and the children’s hand-painted rocks that were so popular at our Christmas Market. So many people were thrilled with our offerings. It was a very happy, upbeat day festooned with balloons, bubbles, music and singing. We encouraged everyone who passed by our table to take “a bag for your swag” as fellow volunteer Cindy so smartly put it and most folks did. Many people stopped and chatted and some thanked us for being there, specifically as a church organization, one of the only two there. 
     Hayley and Stella made the rounds of the other tables and were impressed with the generosity and community spirit on display. I was so delighted by the outpouring of volunteer support from our own parishioners who represented our church and epitomized the love of Jesus Christ by showing love for all our neighbours regardless of “race, age, culture, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, previous religious affiliation, or socioeconomic status”. Everyone was truly welcome and I was so proud to be part of this experience. It was a day for children and families and one my family was happy to share.