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The Voice of North Grenville
Reaching by direct mail 8,500 homes and businesses in North Grenville www.ngtimes.ca
February 27, 2025
Vol. 13 No. 7
A Hand Up, Not a Handout: The Power of Community Collaboration
by Talia Hreljac Have you ever wondered how a community comes together to support one another? How organizations make do with the limited funds they have to help those in need? I can tell you how – it’s because there are organizations out there filled with the most dedicated and compassionate individuals you could ever meet. On Friday, February 20th, many of those people were brought together in hopes of making the world a little brighter. Friday’s topic was a heavy one, revolving around poverty. Although it may not always be visible, many people in our community are struggling. During a powerful presentation by the House of Lazarus, we participated
February 27, 2025
United Way, which highlighted all the programs they offer to help those who, as one speaker beautifully put it, “need a hand up, not a hand out.” In times when we often live in our own bubbles, it was a humbling reminder that many of our neighbours are struggling, and it’s up to us to stand up and do our part. One moment that really stood out to me was when Janne Ritskes, founder of Shalom Homes, said, “Talking about these problems is all well and good – but what are we going to do about it? Let’s find the solutions now that we know the problem.” From that, beautiful collaborations and conversations began. Organizations started offering what they could, saying things like, “We have this, and I think it will help
in an exercise called “Fork in the Road,” which helped us understand the challenges faced by a gentleman with a disability. He is unable to work but must budget solely with the basic Ontario Disability Support Program he receives—a scary reality many people face, especially as they grow older. We also learned that the House of Lazarus provides at least 40 kids with backpacks full of food every week, in North Grenville and another 250 in surrounding areas, ensuring they don’t go hungry over the weekend. It was an eye-opening presentation that reminded us to show kindness to those around us because we may not always know what someone is going through. We also heard an inspiring presentation from the
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you,” or “We offer free tax services for those under a certain income level – let me tell you about it.” It blossomed into a powerful moment where you could truly feel the good being done. The conversation is far from over, and the next community forum will continue to focus on how we can alleviate poverty in our community. Everyone is welcome to join the next Community Forum on March 27, further details in the next issue of the NGTimes. Normally these forums run every 2 months or so, but due to the overwhelming enthusiasm at the gathering, everyone agreed to bring the next meeting forward.
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