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Dell Marie Wergeland - Sharing the Wealth
by Faye Ferguson
Focus on Women Magazine Vol. 15, No. 4
January 2003
www.focusonwomen.org
In 1999, Dell Marie Wergeland made her first visit to a third world
country. She joined a work team of l4 people traveling to Honduras to bring aid and
relief following the devastation of hurricane Mitch. For Wergeland, it was
a life-changing experience.
She remembers many heart-wrenching incidents
from that trip but one that stands out in her memory was the
day she brought a small box of school supplies to a community school.
As she approached the school, she noticed the children were all outside.
After she presented the teacher with her small offering, the teacher rang
the school bell, summoning the children in. As they entered, the teacher
announced: "We have pencils and books, we can now have school!"
The needs of the destitute Hondurans seemed so simple. "I had never
seen poverty like that," Wergeland remembers. "To see people with
only what they had on, not having anything to change into; to see mothers
concerned that their children were growing and they didn't have clothes for
them" brought home the reality of their impoverishment. Wergeland
realized that the most basic supplies would make an immeasurable difference
to these people. She returned to Victoria
determined to help make that difference.
For a year following the trip to Honduras,
Wergeland worked with a small group of friends to collect clothing,
blankets, household items, medical and school supplies to send to the
destitute people of Honduras.
The goal was to fill a 40-foot container truck. It took a year to collect
the supplies and raise the money to send the container to Honduras.
In the course of getting that container packed and launched, Wergeland's
future began to take shape. First, a 5,000 square foot warehouse space was
donated to the cause by E.Y. Construction. More donors started to come
forward and volunteers began appearing. Wergeland knew there were plenty of
impoverished people all over the world who needed equipment and supplies
just as desperately as the people she'd met in Honduras. Although she had
started looking for paid employment, she felt herself being drawn to this
other work." Her husband was supportive, as were her two adult
daughters who told her: "Morn, you need to do this." Finally,
Wergeland realized that she had the skills and the drive to make something
important happen. The outcome was Victoria's
Compassionate Resource Warehouse.
SINCE ITS START IN 1999, THE COMPASSIONATE RESOURCE WAREHOUSE has sent 27
container-loads, each the size of a freight car, filled with supplies,
equipment, and the necessities of life, to schools, hospitals, churches and
clinics all over the Third World.
Countries that have received supplies from the Warehouse include El Salvador, Bolivia,
Nicaragua, Liberia, Kenya,
Uganda and Romania.
Donations come to the Warehouse from all over Vancouver Island, the lower
mainland, and as far away as Toronto.
The Warehouse is part of the Capital Health Region's medi-cycle program,
receiving used equipment from all hospitals in the region. The Red Cross
has also been a regular donor as have many physicians and dentists, local
businesses and schools.
In the three years since its inception, the work of the Warehouse has grown
dramatically. Three container-loads were sent from the
Warehouse in 2000, six were sent in 2001. In 2002, I8 container-loads have
gone, "It's just growing and growing," says Wergeland. The
Warehouse also packs smaller shipments which accompany relief teams going
to developing countries. A number of churches, service groups and
other charities, such as the Universal Aide Society, help foot the bills
for delivery of the huge containers.
DELL MARIE WERGELAND WORKS 60-HOUR WEEKS as co-ordinator of the Warehouse,
overseeing every aspect of its operations from donations and inventory to
management of a team of dedicated volunteers. She brings the sort of
experience and abilities that make it the perfect job for her.
Saanich Councillor Leif Wergeland is Dell Marie's brother-in-law and a
director with the Warehouse. He speaks from 25 years of experience when he
says: "Dell is a person who makes things happen, with her enthusiasm
and her love of people. She always gives 110 percent."
Raised primarily in Victoria, Wergeland
entered the Royal Jubilee Hospital's
School of Nursing in the early 70s, graduating
in 1975. In her nursing career, she worked primarily in geriatric nursing.
"I love seniors," she concedes.
When her first daughter was born in 1978, Dell decided to stay home rather
than seek paid employment But always active, she soon started a senior's
group out of her church. The group, called SHARPS -Sincerely Happy
Association of Retired Persons- continues to this day with anywhere from 50
to 70 members. Many of them volunteer at the Warehouse.
Eventually, Wergeland was drawn to paid employment with seniors,
first through convention planning and then, in 1994, with the Seniors
Hotline, initially a call-in service which has since become a senior's
drop-in centre in Sidney.
Over the years, Wergeland has been involved with volunteers in a variety of
situations. Her knowledge of how to work effectively with volunteers has
been critical because volunteering is what it's all about at the
Compassionate Resource Warehouse. "This place is run by volunteers,"
laughs Dell.
Starting with volunteers from her senior's group,
word-of-mouth brought more volunteers. It also brought attention from some
agencies that are able to transport the containers. Now Wergeland can rely
on a crew of 50 volunteers plus support from a number of organizations.
They range in age from teens to oldsters. Everyone has a job. What sorts of
things do they do? Wergeland begins the list:
"They pack boxes and count the contents. They check everything, making
sure each item is clean and in good repair. A lot of the men are involved
in fixing things. A group of women wash and mend the clothing. Some
volunteers make things like sweaters or toys. A group of volunteers comes
down from Nanaimo
whenever there is a container truck that needs packing." Wergeland
knows she has to tailor the job to the volunteer, tapping into the talents
and interests of each person. She has a group of nurses, for example, who
sort and label surgical equipment whenever the need arises. Another
volunteer is the webrnaster for the Warehouse's website
(www.crwarehouse.ca.)
The majority of volunteers are seniors. They are, as Wergeland notes,
"from the generation that likes to fix things." They've lived
through the war and Depression and they know what it is like to have very
little. "They will find a way to make something work or useful, rather
than just throw it away," which is exactly the attitude that the
Warehouse requires. Wergeland gets great satisfaction from seeing
volunteers move from viewing the Warehouse as someone else's
"thing" to having a feeling of ownership. A sense of
common purpose has developed, aided by the fact that
everyone, including Wergeland herself, is a volunteer.
The growth and development of the volunteers is central to Wergeland:
"Some volunteers come in and know immediately how they can help and
they just move ahead. Others are more fragile, or have less of a sense of
their own self-worth. Watching them grow and blossom is one of my greatest
enjoyments."
ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS ANOTHER aspect of Wergeland's personality which is
vital to the success of the Warehouse's operation. While in Honduras,
she visited a couple of aid distribution centres and learned a few lessons
about how to send things. "I saw one container with mountains of stuff
that the people had to sort. There were shoes that didn't match. Things
weren't labeled clearly." She knew
it could be done better.
Wergeland now inventories every item that enters the Warehouse. This is a
huge time commitment, "but I don't pack every box, so it helps me know
what we have," she explains. "When I receive a phone call asking
if we can fill a certain order, I have a good idea whether we can or
not."
Wergeland also puts together the detailed list of supplies of what will go
in each container truckload. The list, which is based on the requests
coming from the particular relief organization, is
exceptionally detailed. "We are very exact," she notes,
"It's very clear what's in each box. That helps with the packing on
this end as well as on the receiving end." It also facilitates the
movement of supplies through various customs inspections along the route.
Wergeland's greatest challenge is "not enough time. I know there is a
lot to do; I could be here all the time," she says, admitting to some
workaholic tendencies. But she strives for balance and makes sure she has
time with her 22-month-old granddaughter, Jaeden Marie, her daughters,
Heidi and Cheri, and her husband, Vic.
What are Wergeland's greatest satisfactions in her work at the
Compassionate Resource Warehouse? "We are meeting a need that
otherwise could not be met. We are giving people hope. We are sending the
message that someone in the world cares."
The office walls of the Warehouse are covered with photographs of people in
far away places unpacking containers and using CRW's equipment and
supplies. The pictures remind everyone involved with the Warehouse of why
the work is so critical. Meanwhile, Wergeland harbours
a dream to one day follow one of the containers to its destination.
"I'd love to be there when a container is opened," muses Dell
Marie; "I'd love to see the faces."
If you want to donate to or volunteer for the Compassionate Resource
Warehouse, please contact Dell Marie Wergeland at 479-9342 or
werge@telus.net.
ESQUIMALT NEWS May 19, 2004
International aid group kept busy
There’s more than
industry in the heart of Esquimalt’s industrial area – there’s a little
heart as well
Mark Browne
Esquimalt News
www.esquimaltnews.com
The Compassionate Resource Warehouse is bustling with activity these
days.
The volunteer organization collects and ships everything from school
supplies to hospital beds to the developing world. In the past few weeks,
CRW coordinator Dell Marie Wergeland says the organization's warehouse, on Devonshire Road
has been very busy.
"We've done our tenth load already this year for 2004,"
she says.
Last week, the volunteers with the organization were busy loading up
a container with school desks, blackboards and other items for a large
school in northern China.
The Red Cross will ensure the school receives items collected from
around the Capital Region, items much needed in the wake of severe floods
that hit the area last fall, Wergeland says.
"We've got a whole pile of toques, sweaters, scarves and school
supplies," says Wergeland. 'There are probably about 400 knitted
scarves and hoods that are on this load." As it currently stands, the
kids are attending school in tents, she says.
The organization recently sent a load of schoolbooks off to the Philippines.
Another load of supplies, including school desks, was also sent to
the Philippines to a
town outside the country's capital of Manila.
A local group in the town established a school for 200 children but lacked
furniture and other school supplies.
'They set up a little school- so we furnished it," says
Wergeland.
A load of medical and school supplies left Victoria
in January bound for a school and a clinic in Bolivia. In the same month, the
CRW sent a load of medical supplies to Uganda.
"And we sent a load of clothes to Belarus," adds Wergeland.
The organization recently shipped off medical supplies to Kenya
to help orphans infected with the HIV virus. The shipment included 35
bicycles to give medical aid workers some form of transportation to make
their rounds and provide assistance to the children.
The next shipment the organization is putting together consists of
medical supplies destined for the Maldives,
says Wergeland, with a shipment of supplies for Nigeria to follow.
"We're covering an awful lot of territory," says
Wergeland.
While yisiting such Central American countries as Honduras a number of
years ago, Wergeland came across some horrid situations. Those
experiences made Wergeland realize the need to establish a permanent local
organization to help those in the impoverished developing world.
The local group bases its operations out of a Devonshire Road warehouse, a project
made possible by the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries. While the latter is
an agency of its own, it is affiliated with the Church of Nazarene.
Wergeland notes the church - which has a presence in 148 countries -
provides relief shipments to those who need it in those countries.
At the same time, CRW partners with other relief agencies such as
Universal Aid in order to get relief shipments to where they are needed.
The organization has attracted help from everyone from young people to
Greater Victoria-area Rotary clubs.
Most of the relief shipments leave Victoria in forty-foot long shipping
containers.
Wergeland says organizations and residents in the Capital Region
continue to be generous with donations.
"It's fabulous. People are hearing more and more about
us," she says. "People have been very, very generous."
Still, Wergeland says the organization could always use more donations of
various items. For instance, there is always a strong need for school
supplies, including paper, pens, rulers and pencils.
"And medical supplies are always in demand," says
Wergeland.
Tools, nuts and bolts are also needed, she adds. The organization
sent nails to help build the school in the Philippines.
Wergeland says the organization is always looking for more
volunteers to help with preparing the shipments.
The Anglican Pew Magazine,
- August, 2004
Exporting
Compassion
A humanitarian project wins world acclaim
By Bill Smith
From the outside it is a nondescript building in
an industrial section on the Esquimalt-Victoria boundary, but inside the
structure an entirely different picture emerges.
The building houses the
Compassionate Resource Warehouse which serves as the local distribution centre
for a humanitarian project which is acclaimed world-wide.
Medical supplies,
furniture, school supplies and clothing are stacked almost to the ceiling
of the 5,OOO-square-foot building.
There is an aura of
Santa's workshop as volunteers work in every section of the warehouse
undertaking a myriad of tasks which will bring happiness and tears of joy
to the faces of recipients.
At the centre of the
hive of activity is Dell Marie Wergeland, described by one volunteer as a
"human dynamo." The Warehouse is a project of the Nazarene
Compassionate Ministries Canada.
Symbolizing the spirit
among the group of compassion for the less fortunate in our society is spry
"92-and-a-bit," Lily Hamilton.
"I come here every
Friday, rain or shine, to help sort clothing, wash donated items and sew
buttons on jackets, blouses and sweaters," she said during a brief
break from her work.
"It's the
highlight of my week," said the long-time Nazarene congregation
member. "It makes me feel good to think the efforts of people in the Victoria area are helping to bring joy to so many
people in Third World countries."
Elaine Seibel,
chairwoman of the seniors' volunteer group, said: "Lily is our
inspiration. She's always so cheerful. Does everything with a smile."
The group sorts
clothing into winter and summer wear as well as making necessary repairs
to the items donated by various community groups and citizens in the
Greater Victoria area.
Mrs. Seibel, who
assists with programs for seniors at the church, praised the many elderly
volunteers saying: "They put their heart and soul into helping make
the lives of others a little better."
It is not only seniors who
volunteer their time. Young people and members from Rotary clubs pitch in
and help collect and package items for huge containers which are shipped
to various developing countries on a regular basis.
The local project began
in 1999 after Mrs. Wergeland went to Honduras in the aftermath of
Hurricane Mitch, which wreaked havoc on the small Central American country.
"It was my first
trip on a relief mission. I was one of 15 people, not all from our church.
There were members of other churches and the community at large."
Astounded by the
devastation the hurricane had caused, Mrs. Wergeland, a nurse, worked at
two clinics and assisted at refugee camps.
"I used all the
supplies we had brought with us. That, and our expertise, were all we could
offer.”
She recalled sitting
down and thinking about all the items people at home throw out.
"It was then that
I knew we had to try and help people in these sorts of situations in a
major and positive way," she said. Returning to Victoria,
Mrs. Wergeland began earnestly pursuing the idea of getting the message
across of the need for people to donate items for Honduras.
Her appeal brought an
instant response as she was flooded with offers of help, and a steady
stream of donations began arriving at a building kindly donated by a contractor.
"It was a joyous
occasion when the first container was shipped a few months after our appeal
for donations," Mrs. Wergeland recalled.
There were items left
in the warehouse after the first container was shipped. It was decided
another would be packed and shipped. if enough donated items were received,
said the project director.
Last year, 33 containers were shipped.
Twenty-one have left Canada
already this year. Each container costs about $10,000,
paid for by sponsors.
"We are very unique,"
Mrs. Wergeland said. "Our uniqueness is that the loads we send
overseas are a mixture of clothing, medical equipment, school desks, textbooks
and other educational needs as well as hospital equipment. These mixed
loads work well and are received very well. We get a report on each cargo
received."
By the end of 2003, 60
container shipments had been sent to 28 different countries including Angola, Bolivia,
Cambodia, Cameroon, China,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti,
Kenya, Liberia, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Philippines, Romania, parts of the former Soviet Union, Samoa, Sudan,
Tibet and Uganda
as well as other eastern European countries.
Veteran Nazarene congregation member, Merv Black
has volunteered for more than three years and "loves every minute I
spend in the warehouse."
He credits success of
the venture to a "hard-driving" Mrs.Wergeland, volunteers,
service clubs and the generosity of the entire community.
Although parts of the
building are full almost to the ceiling nothing is turned away.
"We find a space
for it somewhere in this clutter," Mr. Black said. "For example,
a few days ago we had a call that James Bay Lodge wanted a home for 75 beds
and mattresses because they were buying new ones. It was a tight fit but we
found space for them. We will find a new home very quickly for these
items." Connections are made with agencies and groups in Third World countries who need the items collected
here.
"The aid agencies
work together. We stay away from dealing one-on-one with governments
because of the possibility of corruption. "
Mr. Black, one of about
80 volunteers at the warehouse, spends what spare time he has, repairing
old computers so they can be included in future shipments. "One gets
real joy...a deep sense of fulfillment giving of one's time to such a
wonderful project." he added.
During the interview,
there is a sudden rush to the warehouse driveway where an old Red Cross
van has arrived.
There is an eager sense
of anticipation as the volunteers watch Red Cross employees Steve Bingham
and Norm Trustwell open the rear door.
Inside are a variety of
items that volunteers eagerly carry inside. "I know where some of
these items are going. I have a location picked out for some of them
already," Mrs. Wergeland chortled.
People wanting to
volunteer must be over 16. Anyone wanting to donate clothing, school
supplies, hospital equipment, blankets, linens, textbooks or surgical
supplies can contact Mrs. Wergeland at the Church of the Nazarene; Tel:
479-1733
Meanwhile, tradesmen
from Greater Victoria have been in Trujillo, Honduras,
recently building a new school for teenage girls.
Carpenters,
electricians and bricklayers paid their own expenses and helped raise
$60,000 towards construction equipment. The project is being carried out
under the umbrella of the Christian
Ministries of Central
America.
Shipping a little hope
Warehouse brims with donations destined for
tsunami victims in south Asia
Mark Browne
Esquimalt News
January 17,
2005
www.esquimaltnews.com
The Compassionate Resource Warehouse
continues to bustle with activity in the wake of recent Asian tsunami.
"We're very busy - we're just flying," .said Dell Marie
Wergeland, director of the Esquimalt-based non-profit agency that collects
and donates containers of various supplies for the impoverished
developing world. On Thursday afternoon, dozens of volunteers packed into
the organization's warehouse on Devonshire
Road, sorting and packing clothing, blankets,
medical supplies and other donations destined for the Maldives.
That shipment left Victoria yesterday, and now
volunteers begin work on a shipment destined for India.
Global Cargo Services in Surrey
offered free shipping for the India-bound container, but only if volunteers
can have the container filled and ready by the weekend. 'Then well be doing
one for Sri Lanka,"
Wergeland said.
Wergeland praised Greater Victoria
residents for their generosity and kindness, apparent not only by the
large amount of donated supplies gathered from throughout the Capital
Region but also from the comments of people making the donations.
"What I'm hearing is that people are
just so glad to do something themselves," Wergeland said.
People have been donating items that
they don't particularly need or they have doubles of, she said.
'They feel like they're
actually doing something to help someone over there in a tangible way,
which is a little bit different than just cash. They feel like they're giving
part of themselves,"
The Compassionate Resource Warehouse is
essentially a project made possible by the Nazarene Compassionate
Ministries. While an agency of its own, the Compassionate Resource
Warehouse affiliates with the Church of Nazarene, since the church - which
has a presence in 148 countries - provides assistance in getting relief
shipments to those who need it in those countries.
The group also partners with other
relief agencies such as Universal Aid, thus ensuring delivery of relief
shipments to areas recovering from war or natural disasters. The agency
sends much of its relief shipments out in 13-metre-long containers.
Medical supplies, hospital linen,
clothing, household linen, school supplies are among the items collected by
the organization for victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami.
.
"People have been fabulous," Wergeland said.
. More of such supplies are needed to
help the survivors in the tsunami-stricken regions of South and Southeast Asia where more than 150,000 people have died
as a result of the disaster.
The Esquimalt-based agency has garnered help from
a number of local businesses as well McDonald's Restaurants will match the
donation of all new toys and school supplies dropped-off at any McDonalds
in Greater Victoria, and will also donate $1 for every deli sandwich sold in Greater Victoria on
Jan. 22 and 23.
Donated supplies may be
dropped off at the following locations across Greater Victoria: Dodd’s
Furniture (715 Finlayson St.),
Target Storage (747 Princess
St.), Mayfair Mall, Church of the Nazarene (4277 Quadra St.)
and the Langford Fire Department. For more information, call 381-4483.
Earthquake victims aided by local relief agency Mark Browne Esquimalt News,
November 23, 2005 Earthquake victims in Pakistan are continuing to get some
help, thanks to the Compassionate Resource Warehouse. During the last two
weeks, the Esquimalt-based humanitarian agency sent two container loads of
supplies to the country that was hit by an earthquake in October. The last
load of supplies was shipped off to Pakistan last Friday. .
Household linens, winter clothing, basic first aid supplies and school supplies
are among the items sent to the country, said Dell Wergeland, director of
the Compassionate Resource Warehouse. "We're just trying to replace
some of the things that they've lost," she said. As winter is on its
way, Wergeland said there is an emphasis on sending supplies - particularly
winter clothing - to the earthquake victims. "The people in Victoria have responded incredibly well to Pakistan,"
she said. Many people have donated traditional clothing warn by people in Pakistan,
she noted. "It's been amazing... It's just so wonderful that they're
getting some of their traditional clothing." The agency (located on Devonshire Road
in Esquimalt) has also been busy sending
relief shipments to other countries in the developing world. "We did
one for Ethiopia, one
for the floods in Guatemala
and we did one for the floods in Europe,"
Wergeland said. Another two shipments of school supplies and desks are
slated to be sent to Malawi
during the next two weeks. The supplies for that country will help six
schools for orphans suffering from AIDS. "So we're pretty busy,"
Wergeland added. Plans are in the works to send supplies to the Congo
sometime in December. The volunteer-run organization could always use more
donations of various supplies. Personal hygiene items, stuffed toys, nails
and screws and tools are needed, Wergeland said. Upcoming projects the
agency is involved in involve carpentry and mechanical workshops for boys
in the developing world, she pointed out. "They are trying to teach
them a trade. So if people have extra screws, nails, hand tools and nuts
and bolts ... we would love to get a good supply," Wergeland said.
When the tsunami hit south and south-eastern Asia
in late December 2004, the Compassionate Resource Warehouse came through
with supplies for the victims of that disaster. The Compassionate Resource
Warehouse is essentially a project that was made possible by the Nazarene
Compassionate Ministries. While the latter is an agency of its own it is
affiliated with the Church of Nazarene as the church - which has a presence
in 150 countries - provides assistance in getting relief shipments to those
who need it in those countries. At the same time, the Compassionate
Resource Warehouse has partnerships with other relief agencies such as
Universal Aid in order to get relief shipments to where they are needed.
The agency sends much of its relief shipments out in forty-foot long containers.
For information on how to make donations, call the Compassionate Resource
Warehouse at 381-4483.stan, she noted. "It's been amazing... It's just
so wonderful that they're getting some of their traditional clothing."
The agency located on Devonshire
Road in Esquimalt)
has also been busy sending relief shipments to other countries in the
developing world. "We did one for Ethiopia,
one for the floods in Guatemala
and we did one for the floods in Europe,"
Wergeland said. Another two shipments of school supplies and desks are
slated to be sent to Malawi
during the next two weeks. The supplies for that country will help six
schools for orphans suffering from AIDS. "So we're pretty busy,"
Wergeland added. Plans are in the works to send supplies to the Congo
sometime in December. The volunteer-run organization could always use more
donations of various supplies. Personal hygiene items, stuffed toys, nails
and screws and tools are needed, Wergeland said. Upcoming projects the
agency is involved in involve carpentry and mechanical workshops for boys
in the developing world, she pointed out. "They trying to teach them a
trade. So if people have extra screws, nails, hand tools and nuts and bolts
... we would love to get a good supply," Wergeland said. When the
tsunami hit south and soutl1eastern Asia
in late December 2004 the Compassionate Resource Warehouse came through
with supplies for the victims of that disaster. The Compassionate Resource
Warehouse is essentially a project that was made possible by the Nazarene
Compassionate Ministries. While the latter is an agency of its own it is
affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene as the church - which) has a
presence in 135 countries - provides assistance in getting relief shipments
to those who need it in those countries. At the same time, the Compassionate
Resource Warehouse has partnerships with other relief agencies such as
Universal Aid in order to get relief shipments to where they are needed.
The agency sends much of its relief shipments out in forty-foot long containers.
For information on how to make donations, call the Compassionate Resource
Warehouse at 381-4483. mbrowne@vinewsgroup.com
Bear Comfort
by The
Reverend Ken Gray
Published in
the March 2006 Diocesan Post
by the British Columbia Diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada
http://www.diocesanpost.com/
Since 1998 approximately one hundred
men and women, mostly located in the
Western Communities,
have produced over 26,500 bears for children in over 50
countries
around the world.
It’s worth pausing for a moment
to consider this momentous statistic. Biblical
miracles
employ equally large numbers. Four thousand or five thousand men, women
and children
were fed from loaves and fishes, with twelve baskets left afterward. Here
is a miracle
of compassion happening right here in our own back yard, facilitated by
men and
women for children.
26,500 bears have been
produced in eight years through the industry of
around
one hundred men and women scattered throughout Canada. Amazing!
Some of the
26,500 Bears that have been produced
in just eight
years by volunteers! Amazing!
Founder
Melody McQuitty got the ball rolling in partnership with Christian Blind
Mission
International to distribute emblems of hope and love to children in need.
In
recent years
it has been Sylvia Hatfield who has carried the torch for youth in need.
Joined by
her husband Don, Sylvia gathers with members of the Church of the Advent,
folks from
other local churches and some with no church connection at all. They all
see
a need and
want to respond.
The morning I visited a dozen or
so volunteers worked busily at cutting
and sorting
fabric. The project of the day was bears for Pakistan,
especially
for the northern emergency camps where stories of children
facing
amputation without anaesthesia stretch the realm of reality.
Busy volunteers serged and sewed
bright coloured fabric. Some wrapped medical
bandages.
Others sorted and sized and secured decorative elements to each product.
Still more
placed Canadian flags in highly visible places on each item going out from
this factory
dubbed by some ‘Sylvia’s Sweatshop’.
The stuffed bears are carefully
assembled and finished as if each one was destined
for a
relative. All these however go to strangers. The attention to detail is
impressive.
They are designed with the
special needs of recipients in mind. For
victims of
landmines care is given to the strings that bind the bag
carrying the
bear. Where only one hand is available, special design is
required.
Where the recipient is blind the face must be tactile and the
fabric
varied to the touch. For those who can see facial expressions must
be encouraging,
happy and full of love.
In the short span of seven years
Canada Comforts (first called Bears and Bags) has
switched
distribution away from CBMI and now utilizes the Compassionate Warehouse
in Victoria, a special ministry
associated with the Church of the Nazarene. With other
non-profit
organizations, they are able to package and transport the bears to local
organizations
in afflicted regions of the world. This eliminates the possibility of black
market
abuse, theft
or destruction of these specially crafted items.
Destinations over the years have
included Afghanistan, Uganda, the Philippines,
Guatemala,
China, former Soviet
bloc countries and El
Salvador.
A final note. I picked up a
colourful toque. I noticed the careful stitching, assembled
and finished
with love. I would have been proud to give it to my own children when
younger. It
was for an AIDS baby. I knew where the clothing had come from. I knew
where it was
destined. I knew why it was made. I felt good. Something was working out in
the midst of
global tragedy. People working together can and do make a difference!
For more
information on this wonderful project please contact Sylvia Hatfield
through
the Church of the Advent in Colwood at 250.474.3031.
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