This November is JKCS’ Awareness and Fundraising month for Journey Home Community (JHC). With our Biblical mandate to welcome and be hospitable to strangers (Matthew 25:34-45; Hebrews 13:2), we are partnering with JHC, a local organization that helps refugee claimants arriving in New Westminster and the Lower Mainland. These families have fled from danger and persecution in their home countries and arrive in Canada in great need of welcome and love. We want to actively participate in welcoming these families into our neighbourhood.
We are praying that November Awareness and Fundraising month will awaken our students’ hearts to provide hope and refuge, in practical ways, to these families as they become part of our community. Here are some of the activities happening this month:
– An Education Walk-through has been set up in the Student Commons that encourages students to imagine what a refugee faces.
– Students from each class will be involved in a Fitness Challenge Fundraiser as homeroom classes compete in categories of fitness, team spirit and fundraising.
– A Journey Home refugee claimant will be speaking during our November 23 Chapel.
– We continue to make Soup SACS on a monthly basis for 30 refugees living in our neighbourhood. JKCS students who help make soups will receive volunteer hours.
– We will be hosting a Christmas Festival with 250 guests, all past or present refugee families. JKCS students who volunteer will receive volunteer hours.
– We will be fundraising for Journey Home Community so that they have resources to provide housing, food, and claimant services to newly arrived refugee families.
If you would like to donate or help your child fund raise, please do so online at https://www.journeyhomecommunity.ca/. When you click the JKCS logo at the bottom left of the page, this will take you to the donation page. Please be sure to add in your child’s name and homeroom. Donations can also be made by cash or cheque to Journey Home Community. Send these donations with your student in a labelled ziplock bag with your child’s name and homeroom on it.
Thank you for joining JKCS to welcome and bless new refugee families in our community.
Hebrews 13:2 “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers for by so doing some have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Jeyne Lund
Missions and Outreach Coordinator