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Mission Statement
Blessings Coffee Break has committed to fulfilling the destiny we
beleive we have been called to, that is; we are born blessed to be a blessing to others. To that end all our profits go to
charity. We also believe that the greatest blessing will be yours and you will receive many more blessings. Because of your
generosity and thoughtfulness your gift will multiply a blessing many times over!
Hello Everyone and a very Happy Easter to all of you! Fresh
roast coffee is in stock now and a lovely spring season is upon us and I am looking forward to seeing flowers and green leaves
on the trees when we get back to town. Our next coffee order deadline date is April 23 so please place your orders soon. Lots
happening this month so let's get to it...
New Products: Something new this year is our flavourful green Chai tea
- makes a great and refreshing iced drink for the warm weather we are now having. Try our new chocolate covered almonds or chocolate
covered coffee beans - you will love them. All proceeds to Donna's Collections Website for local children living in shelters.
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Events: World Vision Coffee House
Join us for a night of coffee, dessert, and music as we share about
the work of World Vision. Fair trade items will be available for purchase. There will also be a draw for door prizes. The
proceeds generated will be used to fund events that promote child sponsorship in the London and surrounding area.
Saturday April 24th, 2010 7:00-9:00p.m.
St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church,
397 Springbank Drive (free parking)
Tickets $500
(Ticket cost covers beverages and desserts for the night. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at
the door)
For more information or to RSVP, please contact
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As Chair of our Sarnia Lambton Group I will be attending the Poverty Reduction Committee Meeting on Friday, April 30
and will report the results from that meeting.
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I encourage everyone in our group to read this report:
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities released yesterday
an important new report – Mending Canada’s frayed social safety net: The role of municipal governments.
“The report reveals a destructive dynamic in which poverty—aggravated
by the growth of vulnerable groups—combines with shrinking federal and provincial support for social services to increase
demands on limited municipal resources. This dynamic creates an urban environment where substantial numbers of people are
disadvantaged, despite generally positive (until recently) economic conditions.” This report makes a welcome contribution to thought about the roles all levels of government, as
well as the private sector and civil society, must play to effectively combat poverty and inequality in Canada. For
the full report, a background document and facts and figures: http://www.fcm.ca/english/View.asp?mp=1&x=1297
Rob Rainer Executive Director / Directeur executif CANADA WITHOUT POVERTY / CANADA SANS PAUVRETÉ
rob@cwp-csp.ca; www.cwp-csp.ca; www.dignityforall.ca
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The YMCA International Development Group is looking for new members! Those who are interested
in joining with a great group of people for Education, Events and Fundraising can contact Tracey Bolzon Coordinator International
Development P: 519-336-5950 x243 tbolzon@ymcacomsoc.org for more information.
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Upcoming
Events: International Brews Cruise aboard the Duc D'Orleans. June 10 - 7 pm. Contact Wendy or Tracey for ticket information.
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CCSVI
in MS: As many of you know I have MS and am fundraising for the cure! I am trying to raise $1000.00 or more
for the END MS Campaign in Canada who are actively pursuing research into all areas of MS treatments and a cure. I will be
pursuing personally CCSVI testing and treatment this year which OHIP does not cover at this time and appreciate your help
and support. Please purchase T-shirts, products or My MS Cookbook and help me fund my cure! You can find my website at My MS Cookbook Website. Thanks & Blessings Wendy
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To
All My Faithful Readers:This will be my last newsletter as the time and effort it takes is getting to be
too much. I thank everyone who has been reading and supporting me. You can follow MY BLOG or find me on facebook or twitter. Thanks & Blessings To All!
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Thanks
& Blessings
Wendy
& Gus
NOTICE: Blessings Coffee Break is not open during March Break. Please contact Wendy by email if you
require product and I will do my best to make pickup & delivery arrangements for you. Email:swansongw@netscape.ca.
NNext coffee order deadline is March 20 for April delivery. Please check
your stock for Easter visitors and order supplies soon.
HHappy April! We hope you are not too bogged down in the snow and that you will see your first Robin soon! We saw
two the second day we arrived in Florida and I had fun talking to them on the golf course. I told them to come your way soon!
We are enjoying ourselves immensely but miss you all so much. Wish we could have the best of both worlds. Lots of news to
tell so let`s grab a cup of Fair Trade Coffee and read on...
HHelp me fund a cure for MS! - Please support my efforts to donate to new MS Research
which will change my life within the next two years. I have produced a Fair Trade & Organic cookbook along with a healthy
living food package which will greatly benefit anyone who is looking for healthy recipes and products to cook with. You can
order securely online at this link: My MS Cookbook. Thanks for your support.
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MAKE POVERTY HISTORY SARNIA LAMBTON GROUP:
From Ontario Association of Foodbanks: Community Harvest Ontario
Increase the quantity and quality
of fresh and nutritious food provided through Ontario’s food banks by developing new and innovative methods of acquiring
local food.
- Improve the infrastructure, skills, and resources required for Ontario’s food banks to receive, manage,
and distribute perishable local foods.
- Increase the number of volunteers participating in meaningful and memorable agricultural initiatives to benefit
Ontario’s food banks.
- Build and nurture a knowledgeable, connected community of stakeholders dedicated to supporting local agriculture
and food banks.
- Increase environmental sustainability of food bank acquisition and distribution efforts across the province.
WWant to get your company involved? Email to renee@oafb.ca. For program planning and delivery information, contact
todd@oafb.ca
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www.dignityforall.ca: CAW
Local 27 held a successful Dinner for Dignity event in London on February 15th. The London event featured
several speakers including Ed Holder (Conservative MP), Carolyn Bennett (Liberal MP) and Irene Mathyssen (NDP MP). About
70 people attended including a good mix of persons in poverty, social justice representatives, and politicians (federal, provincial,
municipal). The event appears to have stimulated interest in stronger local organizing to help combat poverty at the
municipal to federal levels. To find out more about how you can organize a community
event and to become part of Dignity For All Campaign, contact:Rob Rainer, CANADA WITHOUT POVERTY 1-800-810-1076, email:rob@cwp-csp.ca.
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S Sarnia Justice Film Festival will be offering its fourth and fifth films of the season, "Addicted
to Plastic and Waterlife on Saturday, March 20th at 7pm at Sarnia Public Library Auditorium. Two award-winning films
that deal with two critical issues in our world today and in the Lambton-County area. Addicted to Plastic reveals the
history and worldwide scope of plastics pollution, investigates its toxicity and explores solutions. A great, well-made film
for all ages, that should help people think twice about their plastic habit. Waterlife is a documentary about the state
of the Great Lakes that follows the flow of the lakes’ water from the Nipigon River to the Atlantic Ocean. Using both
documentary actuality and computer imaging the film follows the water examining how the greatest body of fresh water on Earth
transforms the societies it passes through and is transformed by them. The film’s goal is to take viewers on a tour
of an incredibly beautiful ecosystem that is facing complex challenges. The hope is that Waterlife will bring viewers a visceral
understanding of water that is so integral to all of our lives.
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www.25in5.ca: Recent pre-budget submission to the Standing Committee on Finance reminded government that cutting program spending now,
when economic recovery is fragile, is the wrong move to deal with the deficit. In our presentation to the pre-budget
committee on February 1, we argued that the better way forward is to set the foundation for recovery through strategic investments
in Ontario’s social safety net: child benefits, action on social assistance, affordable housing and early learning and
care, a strategy for good jobs and for communities who are disproportionately poor. In that vein, 25 in 5 also made a series
of recommendations for steps government could take to improve Ontario’s social assistance programs now, as a concrete
step to make sure a Social Assistance Review hits the ground running in the spring. Read the entire submission, as well
as 25 in 5’s Blueprint for Economic Recovery and Poverty Reduction, here: http://25in5.ca/stepping-up-for-ontarians-staying-the-course-on-poverty-reduction-commitments/. Find out more about other poverty initiatives and what you can do to make a difference here at the website.
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mMAKING A DIFFERENCE
IN OUR COMMUNITY, OUR COUNTRY AND ALL AROUND THE WORLD!
Hello everyone Happy Valentines  Day! Hope you get lots of and spread lots of this month! The earthquake in Haiti has made me realize once again how short our lives are and how much meaning we need to
put into our everyday living. The present is all we have but we can certainly learn from the past and look ahead to a brighter
future. The people of Haiti are in our prayers along with all people who endure hardship but persevere to create a better
world in the end. Lots happening this month so let's get to it.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Feb 1 - April 30 Lori Thomas will be the coffee coordinator for Blessings Coffee
Break. Email:swansongw@netscape.ca for order requests. NEXT ORDER DEADLINE DATE IS:FEBRUARY 22, 2010. Place your order to
receive Fresh Roast Organic & Fair Trade Coffee.
World Vision:
Hearts for Haiti Campaign:
We raised over $500.00 at our World Vision Coffee House Event in London for Haiti! The entertainment
was superb as always and the coffee & desserts were delicious. Thanks to Matt, Maggie & Meridyan for volunteering
their time at the Blessings Coffee Break table. If you are interested in volunteering for future events please contact
Wendy Swanson, Life Change Network Volunteer, (London) World Vision Canada.
We are selling $2 Valentine Hearts for Haiti this month.
Order your purchase for Valentines Day for your sweetheart along with a Zazubean or Just Us chocolate bar $6.00 or Chocolate
Covered Coffee Beans $6.50 ea. You can also donate online securely at: World Vision Emergency Relief.
WHAT COULD YOUR SPONSORED CHILD BECOME?
Thirty Hour Famine:
Many youth groups & high schools participate in the Thirty Hour Famine Event each year. In
2010 the weekend is April 16-17. Participants collect donations, then go 30 hours with little to eat in order to experience
hunger first hand. You will also take part in a variety of activities to help learn about hunger and what you can do to positively
impact those who suffer. Life Change Volunteers can help set up a Thirty Hour Famine Event, supply you with take
home information, table displays, speakers, videos and more. Contact:Wendy Swanson Life Change Network Volunteer for more
information.
Child Sponsors Connect:
We are planning on having a Sponsor Appreciation Night as one of our future events
for current Child Sponsors. Please submit your name, email address and country where your child is from if you wish to participate.
Information will be sent out to all who respond. Thanks for changing the life of a child!
Life Change Volunteer: Visit Your Sponsored Child
If you are a 18 or older, sponsor a child and would like to visit them or you are interested
in becoming a volunteer to advocate for Child Sponsorship at events like Stars On Ice, Starfield concerts, Film Festivals,
Coffee Houses and more, please contact Wendy Swanson, Life Change Network Volunteer, World Vision Canada.
Wendy Swanson Life Change Network Volunteer (London) World Vision Canada
519-336-2877 Email:swansongw@netscape.ca
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
HEARTS FOR HAITI:
The Lambton Youth Choir, Victoria Playhouse
Petrolia (VPP) and YMCA International/YMCA Petrolia Skills Link are teaming up on Tuesday,
February 9 @ 7pm at the VPP in Petrolia for a benefit concert, titled ‘Have A Heart For Haiti’. Concert
by the LYC, silent auction, bake sale will highlight the event. Come on out and support this great cause!
Make Poverty History
Sarnia Lambton Group:Next Meeting will be in May. Date TBA. Elections, Stand Up Against Poverty Community Rally plans,G8,
G20 plans and Election possibility plans.
All are welcome to join and help us make a difference
in our community, our country and all around the world.
YMCA International Development Committee:
is hosting the International Brews Cruise
aboard the Duc D'Orleans Thursday, June 10, 2010. Tickets wil be available soon through Tracey Bolzon,
519-336-5950 ext 243. All proceeds to the YMCA Guatemala.
Thanks & Blessings To All
Wendy & Gus!
Hello everyone Happy Valentines  Day! Hope you get lots of and spread lots of this month! The earthquake in Haiti has made me realize once again how short our lives are and how much meaning we need to
put into our everyday living. The present is all we have but we can certainly learn from the past and look ahead to a brighter
future. The people of Haiti are in our prayers along with all people who endure hardship but persevere to create a better
world in the end. Lots happening this month so let's get to it.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Feb 1 - April 30 Lori Thomas will be the coffee coordinator for Blessings Coffee
Break. Email:swansongw@netscape.ca for order requests. NEXT ORDER DEADLINE DATE IS:FEBRUARY 22, 2010. Place your order to
receive Fresh Roast Organic & Fair Trade Coffee.
World Vision:
Hearts for Haiti Campaign:
We raised over $500.00 at our World Vision Coffee House Event in London for Haiti! The entertainment
was superb as always and the coffee & desserts were delicious. Thanks to Matt, Maggie & Meridyan for volunteering
their time at the Blessings Coffee Break table. If you are interested in volunteering for future events please contact
Wendy Swanson, Life Change Network Volunteer, (London) World Vision Canada.
We are selling $2 Valentine Hearts for Haiti this month.
Order your purchase for Valentines Day for your sweetheart along with a Zazubean or Just Us chocolate bar $6.00 or Chocolate
Covered Coffee Beans $6.50 ea. You can also donate online securely at: World Vision Emergency Relief.
WHAT COULD YOUR SPONSORED CHILD BECOME?
Thirty Hour Famine:
Many youth groups & high schools participate in the Thirty Hour Famine Event each year. In
2010 the weekend is April 16-17. Participants collect donations, then go 30 hours with little to eat in order to experience
hunger first hand. You will also take part in a variety of activities to help learn about hunger and what you can do to positively
impact those who suffer. Life Change Volunteers can help set up a Thirty Hour Famine Event, supply you with take
home information, table displays, speakers, videos and more. Contact:Wendy Swanson Life Change Network Volunteer for more
information.
Child Sponsors Connect:
We are planning on having a Sponsor Appreciation Night as one of our future events
for current Child Sponsors. Please submit your name, email address and country where your child is from if you wish to participate.
Information will be sent out to all who respond. Thanks for changing the life of a child!
Life Change Volunteer: Visit Your Sponsored Child
If you are a 18 or older, sponsor a child and would like to visit them or you are interested
in becoming a volunteer to advocate for Child Sponsorship at events like Stars On Ice, Starfield concerts, Film Festivals,
Coffee Houses and more, please contact Wendy Swanson, Life Change Network Volunteer, World Vision Canada.
Wendy Swanson Life Change Network Volunteer (London) World Vision Canada
519-336-2877 Email:swansongw@netscape.ca
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
HEARTS FOR HAITI:
The Lambton Youth Choir, Victoria Playhouse
Petrolia (VPP) and YMCA International/YMCA Petrolia Skills Link are teaming up on Tuesday,
February 9 @ 7pm at the VPP in Petrolia for a benefit concert, titled ‘Have A Heart For Haiti’. Concert
by the LYC, silent auction, bake sale will highlight the event. Come on out and support this great cause!
Make Poverty History
Sarnia Lambton Group:Next Meeting will be in May. Date TBA. Elections, Stand Up Against Poverty Community Rally plans,G8,
G20 plans and Election possibility plans.
All are welcome to join and help us make a difference
in our community, our country and all around the world.
YMCA International Development Committee:
is hosting the International Brews Cruise
aboard the Duc D'Orleans Thursday, June 10, 2010. Tickets wil be available soon through Tracey Bolzon,
519-336-5950 ext 243. All proceeds to the YMCA Guatemala.
Thanks & Blessings To All
Wendy & Gus!
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