Author Richie Norton observed that, “Every sunrise begins with new eyes.”
For some of us, we’ve been seeing lots of new sunrises lately as kids transition into back-to-school routines and as the daylight shrinks.
As the seasons begin to shift and we start to think about fall weather, as well as wonderful celebrations like Thanksgiving and (my favourite) Christmas, I’ve been thinking about new beginnings. Not just the ones we plan for, but also the ones that arrive unexpectedly. The ones that stretch us, invite us to reimagine, and challenge us to grow.
In our work at Lionhearts Inc., new beginnings are more than calendar events. New beginnings are sacred spaces. They’re where courage meets hope. They’re the heartbeat of what we do.
Every Student Food Box and Student Education Box we ship, every time we welcome a guest in our shelter, and every time we meet someone Saturday night at The Embassy in Kingston is an opportunity to move someone towards the next chapter in their story. Maybe they just came to us seeking a bit of relief from a hard world, but our hope is always that they find more than that.
There’s a quiet power in beginnings. They might arrive softly through a conversation, a spark of an idea, or a question that someone hasn’t been asked before. Sometimes they come roaring in with a shift in funding, a community crisis, or a global event that reshapes how we live and serve. While people sometimes say they don’t like change, I bet most of us would be OK with winning the lottery despite all the ‘change’ it might bring to our lives. They come with challenges, but also with opportunities.
Behind each one of those new stories being written is you - our volunteers, staff, and donors -making space for hope to take root. So, as we start to think more about all that we have to be thankful for, here’s an early thank you for all the ways you contribute to our mission year-round.
With gratitude and hope,
Travis Blackmore
Founder and CEO, Lionhearts Inc.
Kingston
Stand United
Congratulations to the United Way Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington on another successful campaign launch! This year's fundraising goal is $4,085,000, with the campaign underway now until late November. We're a United Way-supported agency and grateful for their continued partnership.
Be Our Guest
Nutritious. Delicious. Affordable. And oh so pretty! Our kitchen team regularly prepares meals for local frontline agencies through our Community Nutrition program. These meals are then provided by these agencies to their clients. The team includes professional chefs as well as participants in our vocational retraining program, which helps to restore hope and dignity by preparing the participants for employment. Want to try some of this delicious food for yourself? Consider hiring our kitchen team to cater your next small event! Proceeds are reinvested into our work.
Ottawa
We're Open!
Thank you to all who joined us at our September Open House! Visitors were treated to treats from COBS Bread and coffee from September Coffee Co., as well as a free BBQ.
We're thankful to the 100 friends new and old who checked out our space, learned more about what we do, and pledged their support this past Wednesday.
Say Bye!
You might think volunteering with Lionhearts is lots of hard work but...well...sometimes our volunteers have fun. Shocking, we know! They even get to meet Dwayne The Rock Johnson...sort of. We recently said thank you and farewell to several summer volunteers, as well as our Canada Summer Jobs interns. Thank you for your many contributions to our work, on behalf of the vulnerable neighbours and valuable frontline agencies we serve!
London
It's Hammer Time!
In addition to the wonderful support we've received from the St. Thomas Amazon warehouse, we've now started collecting surplus food and household goods from the Hamilton Amazon warehouse.
We recently collected 5,100 kilograms worth of items - everything from coffee to makeup to phone cases and more - and we look forward to distributing them soon!
Let's Get to Work!
We're pleased to announce our first hire in London: Emma Nisenboym!
Emma is a third-year student at Western University and has been working with Gateway Church, one of our key London partners. As our London Administrator, she'll be joining our team to help coordinate packing parties and oversee our storage space. Welcome, Emma!
