In 1955, God’s Lake Narrows was a small, isolated, poor Aboriginal Cree community located in northern Manitoba. Many of the homes were dilapidated shacks without hydro, tap water or indoor toilets. Sound familiar? Charles Catto was a recently ordained minister who served this community and he was troubled and challenged by these miserable conditions.
In 1964 Charles helped establish an organization called Operation Beaver to address decent and affordable housing in Native communities. The work is still going strong, now under the auspices of Frontier Foundation. He is proud that many of the homes they built are still sturdy and habitable after decades, unlike many constructed by the Canadian government. Now the goal is to train aboriginal young people in the skills for construction. http://frontiersfoundation.ca/chetwynd-video Frontiers is also involved in Haiti and Bolivia.
I have known Charles since I was a kid, as he was friends with my minister father. Charles continues to work with Frontiers even though he is well into his eighties. In 1979 Charles received the Order of Canada for his work, and it is well deserved.
This year our Sunday School is supporting Frontiers Foundation and Operation Beaver through Lent. To my mind it is an excellent project. I hope you get on board with your quarters -- 40 days of Lent, ten bucks. It fits with the admonition in Isaiah 58 that a true fast isn't just about show, it is about justice: "is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house?"
Thoughts?
2 comments:
Well deserved, indeed.
It was great to find a grassroots,"local" organization that partners with fellow Canadians to improve their living conditions.
In talking to your friend Charles,from Frontiers Foundation, he was describing the portable sawmills they take into communities. I thought it a neat concept that these communities create their own lumber from nearby trees and then work with Frontier Foundation volunteers together to improve their homes.
Another project under Operation Beaver sends volunteers north to work in the aboriginal schools.
These concepts of partnership, personal investment, education and skill improvement seem to make so much sense... limited only by available funding.
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