As a business owner I am invested in our community. A community that is thriving is good for business after all. As a mother, I am committed to modelling values of love and kindness to my children. Earlier this year, my son Dayton and I decided to do a fundraiser golf tournament because honestly, in a world still plagued by sexism and racism we wanted to do something positive.
Months ago we came up with the idea of helping support two humanitarian charities that have had tremendous impact, both locally and globally – while offering a fun, team-oriented, family-friendly golf event for everyone in the Okanagan to enjoy.
The event benefits two local charities: HOPE Outreach and Safe House (HOPE) and the Central Okanagan Refugee Committee (CORC).
These organizations are grass roots and the money goes directly to the people – both are almost totally volunteer run.
HOPE provides a nightly downtown outreach for women on Kelowna’s downtown streets, offering information about community resources, basic hygiene and health supplies, harm reduction kits to combat the overdose crisis, emotional support, and community connections. HOPE provides a safe house for women wanting to exit the trauma and exploitation of the street lifestyle. The House of HOPE provides a supportive atmosphere for recovery, counselling, and the pursuit of educational and career goals to empower women to change the direction of their lives.
One of the women told me that the house “changed my life - I have my children back, have my own business, and now am a volunteer with HOPE.”
Central Okanagan Refugee Committee (CORC), is a consortium working together to sponsor refugees in partnership with Canadian Immigration. My friend Mohammad told me the story about his family fleeing Syria while tanks rolled through their neighbourhood killing people. He is so happy to be in Canada. He said that being in Canada makes his family “feel that we are human.” It is so incredible to me that there was a time they felt less than human.
Alongside Little House Contracting, numerous community business sponsors have stepped up to ensure the event is enjoyable for all and features lots of fun games and prizes. TD Wealth Management, Outland Landscape Design, House of Floors, Touchstone Law Group, Jensen Contracting, Odlum Brown Limited, and ESD Simulation Training are all proud to be supporters of these initiatives that help change the lives of so many – both those impacted by the charities and the children and teens looking for ways to make a difference towards positive change.
The Golf Tournament will be held at Gallagher’s Canyon on Saturday, September 23rd. Teams start at 3:00 p.m. shotgun at the Pinnacle Course, and the tournament includes lots of fun games and prizes, plus a dinner to follow. Speakers from HOPE Outreach and the Central Okanagan Refugee Committee will share with us during dinner - it will be a great opportunity to learn about people that we might not otherwise get the chance to meet.
PLEASE CONSIDER REGISTERING! The more people that come out, the more money we can raise: https://gallagherscanyon.golfems2.com/event/little-house-contracting-community-golf-tournament
This blog post was written by Tara Tschritter in collaboration with Joanna Cockerline, B.A., M.A. Writer, Editor, and Publicist