Food First (May 29th) Column:

The next issue of the Westman Journal (coming out Tuesday) will contain a lovely yellow plastic bag that is part of the Food First campaign for Brandon's Samaritan House Ministries.

Food First asks every resident of Brandon to fill the plastic bag with non-perishable food items and then set the bag outside on their front step on Saturday morning (May 29th). A veritable army of volunteers supplied by the local Lions' Clubs and Neelin High School will canvass the entire community and pick up the yellow bags and bring them back to a central location where they will be unloaded, weighed, sorted and packed into the Samaritan House truck ... right now in both Brandon and Winnipeg the Food Banks have noted a ever increasing need for FOOD. Winnipeg Harvest is down to two days of food ... Samaritan House is not far off ... the demand is outstripping the supply, and the statistics tell us the problem is worsening ...

So, as part of the publicity effort leading into Food First, my monthly column in the Westman Journal reminded readers of the centrality of food to Canadian Culture and urged them to use the yellow bags next week:

Click here to read my latest column - and if you live in Brandon don't forget to use the bag on Saturday!!!

Words on a page ...

On the wall in a quiet hallway in the Officers' Mess at CFB Shilo, hangs a simple wooden frame holding one of the most iconic pieces of poetry ever written by a Canadian ...

The words are familiar, their message timeless ...


In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
— Lt.-Col. John McCrae

Today we pause, or we should pause to REMEMBER ... places with strange names where Canadian boys who fell in battle lie in the cold ground ... if we don't remember - who will??

What I've Been Up to Lately ...

Last Wednesday, October 15th I helped to organize and run a trade show of service provider agencies and groups in Brandon that highlighted the work they do, and the supports and services they offer to the community.

Organized in conjunction with Westman Immigrant Services, the day long event brought together approximately 25 agencies from the community and offered the public the opportunity to come and learn more about them, while offering the groups and agencies the chance to sit and chat amongst themselves and engage in some vital networking opportunities that are sometimes hard to come by in our busy-ness ...

To read more about the event check out my latest contribution to The Wheat City Journal by clicking here.

A warm Rotary Welcome ...

Today in Brandon, I was privileged to be part of the Official Welcome to the City of Brandon of Ramesh Ferris a Polio survivor who is pedaling his "bike" (it's a hand cycle) across Canada to raise awareness and MONEY in the fight against Polio through his Cycle to Walk marathon.

As a member of the Brandon Rotary Club, I helped along with the Manager of the BNRC to organize the venue (City Hall) and to arrange for Mayor Dave Burgess to come and officially welcome Ramesh and his entourage to the City this morning:

Along with Ramesh and his support team, there were also a number Rotarians on hand to make a donation to his cause, and to welcome him on behalf of Brandon Rotarians, who have been champions in the global fight to eradicate Polio, through the Rotary International's Polio Plus Campaign that has helped to reduce the incidences of Polio to less than 2000 globally each year!

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A donation was made to Ramesh and his goal of Polio: eradicate, educate and rehabilitate, and President Sarah along with a good crowd of Rotarians thanked Ramesh for completing 1/3 of his journey:
To learn more about this remarkable young man and his journey, visit his website:

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Cycle to Walk.com

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And to read Ramesh's reflections on the day, check out his blog at:

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Day 59 - Brandon Manitoba - Wrap Up!

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Tomorrow Ramesh continues his journey east ... Bon Voyage, and thanks for stopping by!!

In The Media ...

I hate the idea of tooting my own horn ... but this past week, with the Press Conference by Merv Tweed MP for Brandon Souris announcing the Federal Funding from the Homelessness Partnership Initiative that is providing for the position I'm in in Brandon, I seemed to have popped up on the media here and there ...

From CKX News

From The Wheat City Journal

And from the previous week, there was an article about the March against Racism that the Community Development Coordinator of the BNRC helped organize. (click here)

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The Budget Day Images that WON'T Make the Headlines:

A soon to be gone Single Room Occupacy Hotel,

home to many who will now need to move ...

Lunchtime for many in downtown Brandon

for whom this is the one dependable meal a day:

"fresh" fruit and veggies awaiting pick up in

the food hamper line ...

I wonder if Mr Flaherty would consider sleeping HERE???

For somebody - THIS IS HOME.

AND

IT'S WRONG IN A COUNTRY OF SUCH AFFLUENCE!!

Yet, there is no money for the homeless,

and minimal amounts for the poor.

Oh well, MORE tax breaks ...

that's ALL that seems to matter.

It Ain't Tuesday - BUT ...

I know it isn't Tuesday but ... the revelation of what new path is unfolding for me has begun to seep out, so it is time to reveal all ...


The keys pictured above ARE THE KEYS TO MY NEW OFFICE IN THE CITY OF BRANDON!!!

As of Monday morning, I will officially become the Homelessness Project Co-ordinator for the City of Brandon, working out of the office of Brandon Neigbourhood Renewal Corporation.

I accepted a 13 month contract for the position this past week, and I unofficially began my new job yesterday with an all day meeting with the Homelessness Steering Committee, and I truly hit the ground running ... my first formal day will be on Monday !!!! I'm very excited by the work before me and what has been laid out by the committee and the community of Brandon.



To learn more about The Brandon Homelessness Project and Committee - click here.

To learn more about The Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation - click here.

It will be an interesting and exciting, and no doubt challenging 13 months ... but I'm looking forward to EVERY minute of it ... for the first time in since 1990, I am working outside the United Church of Canada, and it feels more than alright ... it is what ministry REALLY is !!

Thanks BE to GOD !!!