Local and National Humanitarian Initiatives
The Doukhobor Cultural Interpreteive Society ... a proud supporter of our local community
Easter Seal House, Vancouver, British Columbia
A Cultural Interpretive Society Charitable Donation
By Lola Sherstobitoff
Easter Seal House in Vancouver is a welcoming home away from home where out-of-town families stay while their children undergo medical treatment in Vancouver. Easter Seal House is not subsidized by the government and relies on many charitable events and public donations.
It was my privilege to fill our small car with the hand made quilts and afghans lovingly sewn by Pauline Weinhert, Polly Podmorow, Anne Gretchen, Viola Hallock, Irene Mallow, Laverna D'Andrea and others and deliver them to Easter Seal House where they were gratefully received by the Manager. Many quilts were delivered previously by Polly Podmorow and many more will be donated in the future,
I had the privilege of meeting a young boy of 12 and his mom at Easter Seal House, and when I offered him a choice of quilts, his smile filled the room. It was so heartwarming to have this first hand experience seeing where our charity quilts go. This young boy and his mom were on their way home that day, and as he turned around, wrapped in his new blanket, he asked me to thank the ladies for this wonderful quilt.
Photos - Welcome Bear at the Easter Seal House
Easter Seal Staff accepting CIS blanket donation.
People Loving People, Trail, British Columbia
Over the past eight years, People Loving People, a charity organization in Trail, accepted many quilts and pillows from the USCC Cultural Interpretive Society. The Mennonite Central Committee in Abbotsford, the Global Emergency Mission Society in Langley and the Alberta Disaster Relief Association in Edmonton are the recipients of our contributions. They in turn send the quilts and pillows on to the lower mainland as well as Mali, Romania, Moldovia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Guatemala, Philippines, India, Mexico, Central America, and Peru and other countries as the need arises.
Colombian Refugee Committee
In 2002-2003, three CIS members were USCC representatives on the Nelson Refugee Committee.
A refugee family from Colombia, South America was brought to the Kootenay area through the initiative of the Refugee Committee. The CIS assisted in collecting furnishings, bedding, dishes and some clothing to help the young mother and her two children begin their new life in Canada.
