• The Youth for Truth & Reconciliation project is launching this October at Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre! Please see information below for information about the launch of this new program.
• The Youth for Truth & Reconciliation project is a youth led initiative that will bring together young Winnipeggers, from a diversity of backgrounds, to share their experiences while learning about Indigenous History, Truth & Reconciliation, Leadership and Civic Engagement.
• The selection of 100 youth, half Indigenous and half non-Indigenous, will attend 4 full day sessions over 4 months set to include workshops, Indigenous teachings, and opportunities for youth to build relationships and support each other through sharing their experiences. They will also have the option to join their group in 4 volunteer days within the community as well during that timeframe. The project will lead up to an exciting large 300+ youth led gathering in March 2020 that will focus on the same themes as the sessions with engaging speakers, youth stories and entertainment. We will invite youth from all over Winnipeg and Manitoba as this gathering will promote cultural inclusion and will serve as a celebration of the similarities and differences we share as Canadians. There will also be a chance to for youth to join the youth gathering committee which will plan the event.
• The Youth for Truth & Reconciliation project is for Indigenous & Non-Indigenous youth between 14-17 and 18-29 who would be interested in or could benefit from joining. Sessions will take place once a month in Oct, Nov, Jan & Feb on a Saturday in Winnipeg. We will provide honorariums, meals and rides for the youth who attend and a certificate of completion at the end.
• Registrations for this program are now open until Sept 27th and the first session begins Oct 5th.

At our June 26 lunch-time meeting, we were delighted to be visited by our former Rotary Exchange student - Joao (John) Lopez and his family.  John was a 16 year old exchange student from Brazil who was hosted by The Rotary Club of Brandon in 1983-84 when club president was Ed Jarvis (later District Governor). John attended Vincent Massey High School.  John made many lasting friends and has carried on a very long lasting communication with Will & Jane (Harding) Lamont. In fact, their friendship is a large part of John and his family’s visit back to Brandon. 

John decided to bring his family to Brandon and show them where he spent a year learning English, Canadian culture, and making life-long friends. Pam (pictured below) and Jack Stacey were one of John's host families in 1983. John told us that even after 35 years, he still gets emotional when describing his experience to his children. 

The Shelterbox program is an unbelievable program to give the opportunity to an individual or a group to be able to step up and give a huge amount of help to people in need.

For example, the Shelterbox provides sustained shelter for people dealing with disaster in the Philippines.

Shelterbox already has two response teams on the ground in the Philippines who are working with the help of Rotarians to provide emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan.

The total cost of a Shelterbox is $1,500, but you can contribute a portion which can be gathered together with other donations to make up enough to purchase a Shelterbox.

Some 90 countries have received Shelterboxes. And more than 130,000 Shelterboxes have been deployed since the Rotary Club project since 2000.

For some more info, see: http://www.shelterboxcanada.org/