chapteronechurch

CATHOLIC WOMEN'S LEAGUE
WEDNESDAY LADIES' CLUB

The CWL organizes a special Wednesday Ladies' Club from September to April (to coincide with the golf season according to Nancy Shank). Every Wednesday morning, anywhere from 12 to 24 ladies gather in the parish hall to work on a variety of craft and creative projects to help needy causes in the community. They have done projects to help the local schools, food banks and several other service groups. In addition, they prepare for their annual Christmas Tea and Bazaar which is held in November at the Centennial Arena in Hanmer. Each year the tea attracts over 600 people. In 2005, the Tea will be held on Sunday, November 13 from 12 noon to 3 p.m.

This year the CWL Tea and Bazaar will feature a special "Stuffed Animal" table where visitors can pick up some great cuddly little creatures for $2 to $3. All of the animals have been washed, many washed by Cecile Barriault of Valley View Cleaners, shown below. The ladies in the group above are, from the left: Aline Connors; Doris Labelle (President of the CWL); Carmen Lehto (Past President); Linda Grant; and Josephine Leblanc.

Shown below, working on decorating six Santa Claus dolls are, from the left: Ann Mount; Jean Everest; Anne Simpson, and; Aline Connors.

The kitchen crew was busy baking Christmas pies for the tea when we came in to take the photo. The picture was rushed since the buzzer went off just after the group assembled and they were worried about burning the pies. Shown from the left are: Lou Burns (Co-convenor of the Tea); Gail Collins (Co-convenor of the Tea); Sue Beaudry; Dina Farinon; Annette Banfich; Theresa Sangelais; and Pat Hinds.

Nancy Shank was busy stitching and sewing fabric together to dress up the stuffed animals.

The Wednesday morning club began around the year 1995, originally to help prepare for the Annual Christmas Tea and Bazaar. However, as Doris Labelle explained, "Everyone had such a good time that we decided to continue it all year. We get together for mass at 9 in the morning and then come into the hall to work on projects. We eat lunch together and most of us stay around until about 3 or 3:30 p.m. We miss it when we stop for the summer.

In fact, the CWL is extending an open invitation to ladies from the entire community to joint them on Wednesday mornings.

"This is a real true circle of friends that we have developed here," stated Carmen Lehto, Past President of the CWL. "This gives us a chance to spend time with other ladies who enjoy working on crafts and other projects. And you don't have to feel as if you need to be skilled to join us. If you are not handy at crafts, there are plenty of other things you can do to help out. It is just a great way to stay in touch with each other."

You do not have to belong to St. Kevin's Parish to take part in the Wednesday morning sessions. If you don't want to attend mass at 9, just come in for 10:00 a.m. There is no cost to join. But once you come, be prepared to continue for a long time, because the comraderie that is felt among these ladies is something special.

For more information, contact

Doris Labelle at 969-2077 or

Carmen Lehto at 969-4739

The coldest day of June brought back Memories of 'Summerfest 1992' for many of the organizers of the St. Kevin's Family Fun Day. During that year they woke up to snow on the ground on June 20. The 2006 event won't go down as the coldest in history, but it certainly felt cold with the strong north wind blowing and the 4 degree temperature early in the morning.

The cold didn't deter 8-year old Bailey Laforest and her brother, Blake (5) when their mother, Kim took them for a barbecue hot dog at the food tent manned by John Marcuccio and head chef, Stan Kunto seen standing behind the table.

Over by the Penny Sale table, Helen Michaud on the left and Sarah Pilon were trying desparately to stay warm while taking care of visitors who wanted to take their chances on winning a bicycle or some of the fantastic prizes on the Penny Table.

The covered yard sale was a popular spot all weekend long. Joe Warrenda, shown on the left in the photo below negotiating prices with some of his young customers, was the organizer of the Yard Sale.

A Day Of Fun In The Outdoor Kitchen For The Giroux Girls

The St. Jacques Parish St. Jean de Baptiste Annual Picnic was an excellent opportunity for the Giroux family to get in some good, quality time together. In the photo, Marie-Marthe Giroux, in the middle, is showing her daughters, Janelle on the left and Amelie on the right how to make sure those hamburgers and hot dogs are done to perfection. Hundreds of visitors enjoyed “one dollar” hot dogs and burgers in commemoration of the 100^th Anniversary of the parish.

In the photo below, J.P. Belanger, President of the Parish Council on the left, and Georges Boudreau, President of the Centennial Committee, take time to reflect upon the success of the annual picnic.

“It’s more about community-building than it is about fund-raising,” stated Belanger when discussing the picnic. “We will make a bit of money during the weekend, and that money will be put to good use for the parish, but this gives us a good opportunity to bring the parishioners together and extend an invitation to the rest of the community to join with us in celebration. We are 100 years old this year, and we have a lot of history to celebrate.”

St. James In The Valley Ladies Make A Big Difference In The Community

Bea McFarlane, sitting on the left; Gail Levert, standing; and Ena Boulay on the right, are three of the over 22 active ladies who make up the St. James in the Valley United Church Women (UCW). In the photo they are shown taking care of the Penny Table and Bake Sale during Valley East Days at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre. This is always one of the most popular events of the weekend as hundreds of happy shoppers walk away with delicious treats made by the ladies. The ladies will hold their Christmas Tea on November 19 from 12 to 3. That promises to be a great afternoon for everyone. They also hold a Cookie Walk in the spring. All of the funds raised by the UCW go back into the Church to be used to help others in need.

The St. James in the Valley UCW meets once a month to talk about various projects in which they are involved. More importantly, however, they meet to keep in touch with each other and to discuss the important things that are going on in their lives and in their families. This is the type of comraderie that becomes extremely important for people of all ages and all walks of life. To be connected to a group of friends who share a common purpose and who are devoted to giving of their time and energy to help others is something to be treasured. We not only congratulate the St. James in the Valley ladies for their accomplishments, we thank you for making this town a better place to live.

The United Church Women of St. James In The Valley Are Very Pleased With The Support They Received At Their Annual Fall Bake Sale & Penny Table Sale

It was all smiles for Gail Levert on the left and Gwen McLean as they recorded names and phone numbers of people who took part in the 2006 United Church Women of St. James In The Valley Annual Fall Bake Sale & Penny Table Sale which was held at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre on September 8 and 9.

The table was filled with dozens of wonderful gifts and prizes from which to choose.

Sandy George, left, and Ena Boulay are shown above arranging the delicious baking goods that were donated by the ladies of the church. The women were constantly re-stocking the table and some even had to go home on Friday evening to bake some more for Saturday.

Sharon Miron, above, was one of the many volunteers who gave of their time during the weekend. Below, Gladyse Trites takes time to drop Penny Table tickets into the containers before beginning her "shift" behind the table on Friday morning.

Free Christmas Wrapping By Valleyview Community Church Much Appreciated By Customers At The Mall

Lou Dotto, and his wife, Bernadette, are shown in the photo at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre wrapping gifts for shoppers. This was the 4th year that the Valleyview Community Church sponsored the free wrapping session. The material is provided by the members of the church. Cash donations were not accepted for this service. Instead, if anyone wanted to donate food for the needy, then the volunteers would take that and make sure it was delivered to the food banks. Hundreds of appreciative shoppers took advantage of this wonderful act of kindness and generosity on the part of the Valleyview Community Church.

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses Provide Information Display Every Month

The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses have scheduled one weekend every month when they will be at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre with an information display and free literature for anyone who is interested in finding out more about their organization. Above, Marie and Jennifer Dawson took the first shift on Saturday, October 14, 2006, while Cassandra Porter and Linda Vincent took the second shift.

The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, located on Hwy 69North just across from Carol Richard Park in Val Caron, includes approximately 150 "members" or "publishers". Recent renovations to the structure which was built in 1990 have been completed and it is expected that Valley East Today will be taking our readers on a "Virtual Tour" of the facility in coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have any questions you would like to address to the Jehovah Witnesses or if you are interested in becoming a member, simply email Philip Dawson by clicking on his name.

Lucille & Jacques Vincent spent a bit of time at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre on April 22, 2006, providing shoppers with information about the Jehovah's Witnesses. The organization sets up in the mall every month. Different members of the religious group take turns supervising the table and greeting local residents who are interested in talking about some of the basic principles of their belief.

Le Chevaliers de Colomb #1060 Sponsor
PAROISSE STE-MARGUERITE-D'YOUVILLE
Sunday Brunch

Gerard Chartrand, of 2 on the left, was a very busy man during the morning of November 5, 2006 as he took responsibility for organizing the monthly Sunday Brunch at PAROISSE STE-MARGUERITE-D'YOUVILLE. This regular feature of the parish schedule is always a popular event for the parish as anywhere from 300 to 400 people turn out for the wonderful $5.00 brunch special.

PAROISSE STE-MARGUERITE-D'YOUVILLE is situated in Val Therese, on Highway 69 North. The parish serves over 600 families from Val Therese, Val Caron and McCrea Heights.

Norm Gauthier, one of the members of the members of Le Chevaliers de Colomb #10602, was one of the hard-working kitchen crew. Here he is making sure that the supplies are kept fresh for visitors during the morning.

PAROISSE STE-MARGUERITE-D'YOUVILLE
SPAGHETTI DINNER DRAWS A CROWD OF CLOSE TO 500

PERE DENIS SAVIGNAC, on the left front of the photo, enjoys a hearty spaghetti dinner with some of the parishioners of PAROISSE STE-MARGUERITE-D'YOUVILLE during the Annual Chevaliers de Colomb Spaghetti Dinner which was held on Sunday, October 29, 2006. Sitting beside PERE SAVIGNAC is long-time Montreal Canadian's fan, Pat Labelle. He and PERE SAVIGNAC had some great debates during the dinner since PERE SAVIGNAC is a die-hard fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Beside Pat is Ghislaine Deschesne who was staying out of the hockey debate. This is always a popular event for the parish and as usual close to 500 people took advantage of the excellent dinner opportunity.

PAROISSE STE-MARGUERITE-D'YOUVILLE is situated in Val Therese, on Highway 69 North. The parish serves over 600 families from Val Therese, Val Caron and McCrea Heights.

In addition to the Spaghetti Dinner, the Chevaliers de Colomb #10602 also sponsors a Sunday Brunch on the first Sunday of every month. The next Sunday Brunch will be held on November 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Adults are only $5; children between the ages of 5 and 13, $3; and children under the age of five free. The Sunday Brunch is open to everyone in the community, so drop in if you happen to be in the neighbourhood.

Valley Pentecostal Church Provides Local Food Banks With Windfall That Will Go A Long Way To Help Those In Need This Year

Anne Unwin, on the far left, could hardly contain her joy and appreciation when she met Pastor Steve Gudrie and his family at the Valley Pentecostal Church in Hanmer this past week. Pastor Steve is shown standing at the back with his wife, Esther and their children, Curtis (in the red) and Trevor. The group is standing in front of sixteen skids of food that happened to find their way to the basement of the church. The shipment was recently received by the Valley Pentecostal Church for distribution to area food banks.

The Gudries arrived in Hanmer almost a year ago and have been extremely active in the community. Curtis is the Youth Pastor at the church and is doing remarkable work with young people of all denominations in the area. Trevor, is entering Grade 9 at Confederation Secondary School and will be playing on the Line with the Confederation Secondary School Varsity Football Chargers this year. In fact, it is a total family affair since both Steve and Curtis are assistant coaches with the team.

The Good Neighbours Valley East Food Bank, opened its doors to the public in January 1994 when the Valley East Fire Department moved to the new fire hall on Highway 69N. Since then, Anne Unwin, Chair of the Good Neighbours Valley East Food Bank Board of Directors, has dedicated her life to providing emergency assistance to people from all walks of life and from all age groups.

So when Pastor Steve showed her the boxes and boxes of food that his parish had arranged to have delivered to Valley Pentecostal, she was thrilled. Pastor Steve knows someone in Southern Ontario who picks up surplus food from a variety of places in the south. This food is then given free of charge to distribution points who will see to it that it gets into the hands of the needy. About three or four times a year, Valley Pentecostal Church expects to receive similar shipments which will then be distributed to local food banks and organizations for use in helping their clients.

Anne selected as much food as she could handle and it was loaded into the Valley East Food Bank Van and then transported to the Good Neighbours Food Bank.

As Pastor Steve pointed out, "We are glad to help out in any way we can. It is always one of our goals to become as actively involved in the community as possible in order to help improve the quality of life of our neighbours. This is our mission and it should be the mission of all people. When our parish found out that all we had to do was pay for the shipping of the food in order to get it here, we decided that this was a great investment to make for our community. We are extremely happy to work with Anne and all of the other Food Banks in the area to make sure that the food gets into the hands of those who need it the most."

With over 100 people being served through the Good Neighbours Food Bank each month, Anne Unwin states that many volunteers find it difficult to understand how in a country like Canada there can be so many people in need. Food Banks have become part of a community support network that includes other organizations such as the churches, the Lion's Club, the Knights of Columbus and the Kin Club of Valley East. When a person is having a difficult time in life, and if that person cannot get support from family members, then someone has to be there to help out.

While the Food Bank is intended to be a short term emergency assistance, there are some who are on disability pensions or on low company pensions who find it almost impossible to get through the last couple of weeks of the month until their cheques come in. That is why Good Neighbours decided to open during the last two Wednesdays every month just in case someone is in need of a few days of food to get over the difficult days.

Anne finds that the most important challenge for anyone coming to the food bank is that many find it very humiliating and their pride is terribly hurt. However, the staff is well experienced to help clients overcome their feelings and to understand that everyone needs support sometimes. That is why we are a community.

Anne is happy to help the people who come to the Good Neighbours Food Bank. But she worries about the people who have not come up with enough courage to reach out for their assistance. She fears that there are many homes where food is scarce and pride is keeping them away. If you know of anyone who needs their assistance, please give Anne a call and find out how help can be offered. Anne can be reached at 566-1283. You can also visit their web site by clicking here>>>>

If you would like to contact the Valley East Pentecostal Church, please ask to speak to Esther at 969-7940.