Events

Kelly is Executive Director of Inasmuch Community Society. She is the daughter of two Rotarians; niece of a Rotarian and was niece and granddaughter to long time Rotarians who have passed away. Kelly grew up hearing the slogan of “service before self” and has put this into practice during her 20+ years in the Not-for-Profit sector. Kelly grew up in Abbotsford and loves this community. She is looking is excited about and forward to sharing with the club, about the people she has the joy of serving.

Doris has served this club as president during the  last year. June 30th marks her term-end, so she will give her assessment of this past year's club activities and provide us with a personal challenge as we move into the next year.

Our in-coming president, Deanna, will provide the club with her inaugural address, complete with a personal challenge and laying out her agenda for the coming year.

Hieke Morton is a wife and mom to 4 grown children. She is a highschool Foods teacher and a 'Red Seal' chef.  Hieke has a heart for families struggling with food insecurity and she recently opened the Fraser Valley's first non-profit grocery market.

Nothing robs people of their dignity quite like standing in a line to receive a handout of food that they have no choice or say in. As a parent who struggled to provide for her own children in the past, she knows firsthand the importance of dignity around accessing food. Hieke recently opened a non-profit grocery market called Gathering Markit to address food insecurity in Abbotsford in a way that provides dignity, choice and convenience. Hieke wants to challenge the way we think about food insecurity and all the issues that arise with this difficult reality.

Nurse Next Door has been providing home care services in the Vancouver area for 20 years.  Kristina started this franchise in 2021 as the demand for in-home care increased during the pandemic.  She operates a growing business, with more than 50 caregivers and nurses providing compassionate care to people in Langley and Abbotsford. 

Ken Funk is a member of Rotary International's Rotoplast Board. Over the course of his years as a Rotarian, Ken has been on over 20 Rotoplast missions around the world.

Bio: Barb is a long-time member of the Abbotsford community and has recently joined the Tourism Abbotsford team. You may know Barb from her work with the City of Abbotsford. In her capacity with the City, Barb worked collaboratively with the community on their event plans as well as with film location managers, always striving to find innovative and creative solutions to challenges that support success and happiness. She is well known for not only leading and coordinating special events, but for developing strong partnerships and fostering long-lasting relationships throughout the whole community.

Tourism Abbotsford is a Destination Marketing Organization that delivers tourism marketing on behalf of over 300 marketing partners. Tourism Abbotsford also leads the delivery of Visitor services. As we look out at the local, regional, national and global tourism landscape, we see there is pent-up demand to get out and experience things and to rebuild connections we’ve all be missing the past two years.

"Vineetha is the Education Coordinator at The Center for Epilepsy & Seizure Education in BC, a non-profit organization and a member of the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance. The center provides direct and indirect support for those living with seizure disorders and seek to educate and raise awareness about seizures through interactive presentations to groups. Vineetha has experience working with special needs individuals over the years and now brings her passion to support those with seizures and epilepsy by raising awareness through education."

Bruce Shaw is a barrister, living in the city of Yarra, Victoria, Australia, who practises mainly in employment/discrimination law.  Prior to his career in Law, Bruce worked directly in industrial relations in the building and construction and public transport industries. Bruce has been a Rotarian since 1997.

Bruce will share about how a small Rotary Club on the other side of the world conducts its activities, and how it involves itself in serving the needs of its community.

Karen has worked at Archway Community Services in the Senior Services Department for 25+ years.  She has been the coordinator of the ‘Better at Home’ program for the past 9 years since it began in Abbotsford.

Karen will share about the history of the program, the kinds of services provided, funding sources, and how one would apply for the Better at Home program.

Rhonda Davison is Western Canada Partner Engagement Lead for Food for the Hungry (FH) Canada.

Malnutrition rates across Guatemala are shockingly high. Fifty percent of Guatemalan children under the age of five suffer from delayed growth. Among the indigenous population specifically, 58 percent of children are stunted. Access to clean water is limited. Over 90 percent of Guatemala’s indigenous survive on an income well below the poverty line. Children struggle in school, and parents struggle to see the point of an education when the needs at home are so great. 

FH started operating in Guatemala in 1976. FH Canada was formed in 1994 and very quickly joined in the fight to end poverty for families in Guatemala, especially for those suffering the consequences of civil war and political oppression.

Today, FH Canada is walking with 12 communities in the Quiché region—8 within San Juan Cotzal and 4 within Nebaj.  It has been a joy to see communities move out of stuck and into thriving. To date we have celebrated the graduation of 10 communities since 1994.