Sowing Seeds of Gratitude: Celebrating Our Harvest Festival Together
Harvest Festival this year was truly so memorable. Miraculously the weather held up for us and all the partners/ stakeholders, veggie contestants and local artisans made it out to support us, including 48 volunteers!! We had hundreds of families come out to the event and yet again a huge success! Thank you Sally Dennis from Aboriginal Health Society for your beautiful Land Acknowledgement opening.
This year was the 18th year of the harvest festival and I must say it has developed beautifully over the years. Blessed visions of the event are still engrained in my mind to this day. I reflect on images of happiness, bursts of laughter, sincere loving hugs and good wishes, smiles of gratitude, and community energy, from the families, children, service providers, artists, volunteers and the entertainers. A food survey was conducted to learn more of the needs and in result heartfelt conversations. My heart was full and once again I am reminded that I’m in the right place, fulfilling the purpose of community service and development. Its the rich meaningful connections that grows our hearts fonder.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C–2oCbS6YB/?igsh=NGQzcDk2ZmNocXRv
I want to thank our partners and stakeholders for their valuable time promoting their agencies beneficial resources to the community and thankful to those that had stopped by to say Hi! It meant so much! Representation of Food Security initiated agencies, Family Resources and Literacy, including information and orientation on many other resources were available to everyone in the community.
Below is a list of the many partners but not limited to:
https://hastingssunrisecpc.com/
https://bcndpcaucus.ca/mla/niki-sharma/
https://www.eastvillagevancouver.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/SeasonsOfFoodHCC/
http://www.villagevancouver.ca/main
https://www.vancouverfruittree.com/
https://www.vahs.life/aboriginal-supported-childhood-development-program
https://www.vch.ca/en/location/robert-lily-lee-family-community-health-centre
https://www.vch.ca/en/location/evergreen-community-health-centre
https://www.vpl.ca/program/bibliobike
https://www.unitedforliteracy.ca/About/News/2024-Reading-Tents-Highlights
https://www.kiwassa.ca/market/
https://www.vancouverfoodrunners.com/
https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/community-grants.aspx
Watch video of a short capture of happiness and joy https://www.instagram.com/reel/C–7yi7SaIE/?igsh=MTM5dWN3bjJjNG1udQ==
I have so much gratitude for our local artisans selling their incredibly beautiful handmade crafts, whether it was gorgeous detailed beaded earrings, stylish decorated candles, handmade totes and pouches from a variety of patterns and material, knitted flowers, crochet and the seniors knitting club or even a sketched self portrait and of course a variety of locally made hot sauce to choose from!! Oh yes, and home made popsicles too! In addition thanks to Laura Cisneros for her divine Art table ” Mandala of Dreams and Nature Together“. I’m definitely adherent in believing in our dreams♥
And I want to give a huge standing ovation to our dedicated volunteers, I just don’t know what would we have done without them as they unloaded all the tables and chairs from our rental truck, set up all around the grounds, the tents went up, chairs set up, the decorations, the kids corner, the veggie contest area, the stage for musicians and the veggie and seed give away station was out standing! Our stellar staff team of 25 was incredible at directing them all especially our volunteer engagement coordinator Chio. As Hastings Sunrise Community Food Network forces were brought together and CityReach Care Society who is one of our biggest supporters, rolls ip in a huge truck, my jaw dropped! They brought pallets and pallets of fruit and vegetables and snacks from the warehouse! I was in awe not only to their huge support to the community but to the way the volunteers just stepped right in and organized the donations, truly amazing. Thank you both, Thank you City Reach for feeding approximately 100 families that morning-what a blessing it was to all. I love being a part of the HSCFN team!
The veggie contest in itself is always hilarious and so unique for each year it looks absolutely different never know what to expect. This year we had 23 contestants and their marvelous proud veggies were judged by Don Dyke from Pacific Grace MB Church. Thank you Don for coming into our lives on such a short notice and do a magnificent job at Judging! Not n easy task yet so much fun, you were great!! Prizes were generously donated to us form Laughing Bean Cafe, Roundel Cafe, Rio Friendly Meats, Columbus Meat Market and Vancouver Canadian Baseball tickets. Thank you local businesses for supporting the Famous Veggie Contest prize winners and many thanks to Emily for outreaching and soliciting donations from our dear local merchants.
The musicians as always are the best! Their music feels my heart with joy. Elijah Oz, Shawn Bullshields, Carnival Band, and ending with Toto Berriel on percussions and of course NOEL POOLE on his squeeze box entertaining us with music and stories. Thank you Noel for always being there for us and happy birthday on your 90th year! There were hands clapping along, moving hips, happy feet dancing together- bubbly spirited memories of the day. I know for myself I cannot help but want to move along with the music. Thank you to all the musicians for making it out that day and providing us with your soul talents.
Please view this links for more insights from Frog Hollow Creates! https://www.instagram.com/p/C_UQK8wP4td/?igsh=MW8xamRzbDVnamlkNg==https://www.facebook.com/share/r/jfDmQgVdcVLnF1Jd/?mibextid=UalRPS
This video is a Credit to one of our most loveliest participant Evelyn, thank you Evelyn for your support and heart. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/jfDmQgVdcVLnF1Jd/?mibextid=UalRPS.
Thank you to all of you and for reading my post. Bye for now!
Stay tuned for more community info coming soon💜!