Mailing Address: Westbank United Church Po Box 26082 Westbank PO West Kelowna, BC V4T 2G3
SPECIAL CHRISTMAS TREAT for West Kelowna Youth (Boys and Girls) Dec 15th. Please bring your gift (such as Cookies or Chocolate) to WUC, contact Lois Jefferis latest Dec 14th.
Feed the hungry and help those in trouble
Food Bank
A few of us from Westbank United Church have been volunteering at our local Food Bank. The kindness and generosity of all the staff and volunteers is something to behold. To actually, see the smiles, laughter and thankfulness of the clients who receive their food is so reeward.
Mission & Service
MISSIONS:
Three Students for Nepal
Dear Friends and Supporters, Namaste !
We hope despite the situation you all are in good health. Here in Nepal like anywhere in the world after very difficult one year we are again trapped by 2nd wave of Covid and things are shutting down once again, people are scared this will be a lot tougher this time.
We pray and hope that things will get better sooner than later and will have the courage to overcome this Pandemic. Our hopes are bigger than the current situation and we will together recover this.
We are very excited to share this life changing stories by three high school students- Carter Bedford, Jasmine Coffeng and India McDonald from Hongkong Academy who put together fund raiser and raised over $7000 to support over one hundred students in remote village in Solukhumbu in Everest region with gift of school bags and winter warm jackets. And they also prepared themselves over 400 washable menstrual pads for young Nepali girls. Those pads were taken to remote Himalayan district Solukhumbhu and were distributed to the young girls. Each menstrual kit contained 8pads, a soap and a leaflet about menstrual hygiene.
The Nepalese under privilege students were very happy having gift of school bags and winter warm jacket from three high school students from Hongkong. We found this project very inspiring helping by the students for the students. Off course its very important gift to them but more then that students were inspired and deeply started thinking how they can also help other students to educate the world. It’s truly lesson learning program transferring gift with many ideas, inspiration & empowerment.
Nepal is a country where talking about periods is still consider as taboo. In many places a system called Chhaupadi exists. Chhaupadi is a form of menstrual taboo which prohibits women and girls from participating in normal family activities while menstruating, as they are considered “impure” (wikipedia). Every year Nepal’s Chhaupadi system kills hundreds of women. Whether it be wild animal attacking the Chhaupadi hut or raped in hut, suffocation or winter chill the news even made many times in NY Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/09/world/asia/nepal-menstruation-taboo.html
This particular mission will benefit the girls in two major ways.
1. They will have clean healthy menstrual hygiene kit to last for over a year and will prevent them from menstrual hygiene related health issues.
2. On the other hand, they will not have to miss 4-5 days of school every month because they can easily carry the pads to school and use them while going to school during period.
With the help of three students, we distributed over 400 pads to 60 orphanage & vulnerable. Girls. Rita Rai who received said this is her very first menstrual kit otherwise she would use rugs and old clothes. Now she is comfortable, confident, and safe during her period. Samjana Gurung said this gift been really helpful for her since she does not have money to buy sanitary pads. She is very happy that these pads are reusable and will last for long time. This program was also share through the local radio station with Menstrual Hygiene education and we also broadcasted some of girl’s experience and many women from local are requested us for these kits.
The Small World started working for Menstrual awareness and education since 2018 and have reached many villages and worked with young school girls, mother’s group and community leader to bring change on this practice.
We are very thankful to three wonderful students from Hong Kong Academy who were touched by this issue and decided to put together their help. Carter Bedford Jasmine Coffeng and India McDonald
YOUTH SUPPORT: At a forum in 2013 a steering committee was established to develop strategies to help alleviate the problems experienced by our homeless and at risk youth in Westbank. This group is a coalition of people from various churches and community groups and interested individuals. Action groups concentrated their efforts on investigating housing options, transportation, the availability of social services, fund raising and the basic need for nourishing food. Westbank United Church makes a meal for the Boys and Girls Club on the first Wednesday and third Tuesday of every month.
SENIORS: About once a week, a small group of us head out to lead worship at one of four care homes in West Kelowna. We are blessed with several volunteer pianists, and welcome others who would like to be part of this ministry. This is one way that the church continues to be there for long time church members who are no longer able to attend on Sundays.
OUTREACH MINISTRIES
Hope for the Nations – www.hopeforthenations.com/
Westside Youth Centre – http://kelowna.cioc.ca/record/KNA0742
Food Banks – wcfbca@yahoo.ca www.westsidefoodbank.ca
Women’s shelter – www.kelownagospelmission.ca
United Church Mission &Service – http://www.united-church.ca/funding/msfund
Westside Community Policing – http://www.westbankchamber.com/westbank-community-profile/
Photo Gallery
