Celebrating Twenty Shipping Containers to Paraguay! Over the last thirteen years, the Fraser Valley Gleaners have partnered with Global Aid Network (GAiN) to send dehydrated vegetables to Paraguay.  This past year, we were privileged to celebrate the 20th shipping container travelling to Paraguay, totaling over 20 million servings of dehydrated vegetables!  Once the dehydrated vegetables arrive in Paraguay, they are distributed throughout 500 community centers around the country and are used as part of a nutritious meal for children.  Approximately 25,000 children attend the community centers each week, sometimes multiple times per week.  Alongside the nutritious meal, the children participate in children’s ministry and are introduced to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.  In 2020, many families in rural Paraguay experienced financial hardship due to the onset of Covid-19.  Life for these families became increasingly more difficult.  As a result, GAiN’s local partner in Paraguay opened 75 temporary soup kitchens around the country to support these families during the economic downturn.  We are honored to also partner with Global Aid Network in this endeavor. Over the last thirteen years of partnership with GAiN, lives have truly been transformed in Paraguay through both the provision of a nutritious meal, and thousands of children coming to know Jesus personally.  We praise God for the ways that He continues to be at work both in Canada and around the world!  Monique Lieuwen   - Project Manager - Relief and development - Global Aid Network (GAiN) Canada

The ‘Covid 19’ Pandemic of 2020/21 has caused global disruptions to transport systems and links between countries with food security and humanitarian aid.  Hunger is still a widespread problem throughout the world; with additional requests for Gleaners soup mix we have more applications than we can fill.  From the reports we have received from our distribution partners, the need is great as countries are dealing with food security, political unrest, drought and weather-related disasters, poverty and the worldwide pandemic.  Hunger is rising in many regions and the effects may be long term. We have been blessed with a steady group of volunteers, cutting up vegetables and putting together soup mix.  We are still limited to 30 people due to FVG’s protocols and will continue to follow provincial guidelines with our small group of seniors. We are thankful for our faithful donors for their financial support, prayers and encouragement.  We have had a steady supply of fresh vegetables throughout this past year.  We would welcome more frozen vegetable donations. Dried legumes like peas, beans and lentils add protein to the soup mix and we are always looking for more protein.  It takes many people working as a TEAM to see this Gleaners Project in its full scope.   We have felt God’s leading and guidance during this time when there were so many uncertainties in our province and country.    Carl Goosen, Manager  

The Women’s Center is thrilled to announce that the Agricultural Land Commission has given us permission for continued use of Patricia House. In 2019, we were informed that we did not conform to farm use. At that time, we were given two years to vacate, as an acknowledgement of our valued community
work. As the time drew closer, and after several meetings with Mayor Braun, MLAs and many others, we began looking for another facility. Unfortunately, there were none in Abbotsford that permitted our supportive recovery use. In August 2020, after yet another very arduous process, we purchased a 6400 sq. foot 20 bed facility in Surrey. It was previously owned by a Christian Recovery Ministry. In October 2020, the Land Commission granted our 2nd appeal and as such, we now have two homes for the restoration and transformation of women’s lives. Interestingly, our 2nd appeal entailed providing a historical reference of the many supportive recovery uses of the women’s center property – support to troubled youth, disabled persons and more. We believe that
God highlighted as only He can, that what He begins, He carries on to completion. Praise to the Lord for His faithfulness and goodness.
The Surrey home, named Patricia Hope House will be used for our one-year program. We are awaiting final approvals from the BC Assisted Living Registry, which requires all recovery homes to be registered and regulated. We continue to pray that this will happen soon, since we have been waiting since August 2020. The women in our program are eager to settle into their new home, and many more are on our intake waitlist where having the doors open to this new facility can mean life or death. Please pray for this approval to be completed soon!
Our Abbotsford Center (Patricia House) will be used as a home for our graduates so that they may continue under the care and umbrella of our program and staff supports. As well, we will offer accommodation to a few community women in need of care. We will also be able to provide non-residential recovery groups to our community, and more. We’ll keep you posted. We are deeply thankful to the Fraser Valley Gleaners for their tremendous support over the years. They have been relentless prayer warriors and faithful supporters of our ministry. We certainly couldn’t have done this without them
Angie Appenheimer,
Regional Director, Adult & Teen Challenge Society of BC

* We are currently open Monday to Friday – 8:30 am to noon.  Limit 30 people per day. Sign up mandatory.  Phone for a reservation.

* Proposed AGM date: To Be Announced. 

* Plant closed for Family Day, February 15th and Easter Weekend April 2nd to 5th. 

* Thank you to the many volunteers who faithfully support the Gleaners.  28,000 volunteer hours were logged in 2020 at our plant! 

* Pray for God to give direction for the 2021 Year at Fraser Valley Gleaners.

* Pray for donations of beans, lentils and peas (already dried) to add protein to the soup mix.  For our Saskatchewan Rep contact Mike Wonnick at #306-251-1588 for more info. For BC & Alberta contact Carl at 1-866-772-7070.