Ending Poverty Together

with guest Lindsay Machona, Executive Director at Expand Hope

Here, they ached to help in a meaningful way. There, they ached for better schools. So, when two communities—at first foreign to each other—came together with a common goal, who stood to benefit the most? 

Lindsey Machona, the Executive Director of Expand Hope, shares how mutual transformation and lasting change is possible and happening today through the partnership between a community of Canadians at Expand Hope and a community in rural Guatemala. 

Learn how the lives of Guatemalans and Canadians alike are changing for the better by walking together and focusing on quality education.

Recommended Resources:

Expand Hope - website

FH's work in Guatemala - webpage

Episode hosted by Shelaine.

with guest Melissa Giles of BC Rent Bank.

Rental prices are a hot topic of conversation these days. With increased cost of living and housing shortages, everyone is feeling the pressure. For those living in a low to moderate income bracket, paying the rent can be challenging at the best of times—then when a crisis hits, it can become near impossible. This is where rent banks, an eviction prevention and housing stability resource for renters, can step into the gap.

Melissa Giles, Managing Director at BC Rent Bank, explains what rent banks do, who is eligible to access them, and why they can be a critical resource for many Canadians who are struggling to pay rent due to a crisis or change in their situation. Learn how BC Rent Bank helps residents stay in their homes through an empathetic and dignifying process.

with guest Jonathan Papoulidis, VP of External Engagement at Food for the Hungry.

Can communities in the world’s most fragile regions, despite constant challenges, not only survive but thrive? In this episode, we’re joined by Jonathan Papoulidis, Vice President of External Engagement at Food for the Hungry, to dive into the power of resilience. 

Jonathan shares how resilience—through absorptive, adaptive, and transformative strategies—can turn the tide in the fight against poverty. FH partner communities facing instability are building stronger futures, even in the face of crises. Tune in to discover how resilience is the game-changer in ending poverty.

Recommended Resources:

FH and Resilience - webpage

Episode hosted by Shelaine.

with guest Kenzie Watson, Pastor of Children’s Ministries at Lambrick Park Church

Have you talked to your kids about poverty? Of all the things to teach children, this may be far down your list—too complicated, too jarring for their young minds, and too uncomfortable a topic. But poverty, in your neighbourhood or around the world, is simply unavoidable and we should not shirk helping our kids navigate what they see and hear and experience.

Kenzie Watson, Pastor of Children’s Ministries at Lambrick Park Church, shares how we adults often needlessly complicate our responses or avoid talking with kids about poverty. Rather, Kenzie pushes us to start the conversation by sharing with kids why facing poverty is important—it's rooted in our call to generously love our neighbors as Jesus does. Kids get this, and their perspectives can be powerful. You may be surprised at how a child will address solutions to poverty.

Recommended Resources:

Poverty—No Kidding - curriculum for children

Lambrick Park Church - website

Episode hosted by Shelaine.

with guest Amie Gartner, a team member of Mission to Many.

Do you think it’s better to focus on helping here at home or across borders? Maybe you know this as the “local versus global” debate. Amie Gartner believes we can do both! 

Amie Gartner, a team member of Mission to Many, an interdenominational church collaboration from southern Alberta, has seen how one focus doesn’t mean ignoring the other. Through Mission to Many’s decade-long partnership with the community of Acul, Guatemala, Amie has seen its families move from being stuck in poverty to having hope for their futures. But it’s also been a reciprocal relationship! Their part in the partnership has deeply impacted herself, their Canadian team, and how they go about helping here in Canada, too.

Amie also reflects on how to better "do photography" when on a trip. She experienced the power of putting cameras and phones away while visiting  the community and how this opened up opportunities for even deeper, more meaningful connections.

Recommended Resources:

Partnership with a community - webpage

Episode hosted by Shelaine.

with guest Jo Swinney of A Rocha International, and author of "A Place at the Table: Faith, Hope and Hospitality".

Talking about creation care and the state of the environment can feel heavy—we’re often left with doom and gloom and no real way forward. But fear not! Jo Swinney, Director of Communications at A Rocha International, is here to inject hope into the discussion. 

Jo grew up talking about the environment, gardening, and all things green around the dinner table; her parents were the founders of A Rocha, a Christian, environmental stewardship organization. She has experienced the intricate connection between creation care and the Christian faith. In this episode, Jo shares personal stories from her childhood in Portugal, illustrating the importance of community, hospitality, and how creation care is an act of worship. Jo also touches on the pressing issue of how environmental degradation disproportionately affects the poor, underscoring the need for responsible stewardship. 

Join the conversation as we explore the vital connections between faith, conservation, and community through Jo's inspiring journey and insights.

Recommended Resources:

A Rocha Canada - website

A Place at the Table: Faith, Hope and Hospitality - buy the book

Episode hosted by Shelaine.

with guest Veasna Pin, Program Operation Director from FH Cambodia.

What do delicious barista-made drinks, sharp haircuts, and a finely tuned engine all have in common?

By Grade 6 or 7, many Cambodian children from vulnerable families drop out of school. While kids in Canada are learning about the solar system, too many kids in Cambodia are working in the fields or on construction sites sacrificing their education to help their families survive. But that’s not the end of their story.

In this episode, Veasna Pin, Program Operation Director from FH Cambodia, shares how a new youth vocational training program is opening up a world of possibilities for these vulnerable youth. With pivotal mentorship, lifeskills training, and business development, youth who had given up on education are now pursuing their dreams, starting their own businesses, and supporting their families in ways they never imagined.

So, what do delicious drinks, haircuts, and an engine have in common? These are just a few of the skills now expertly offered by the youth in this program! Tune in to discover the full story!

Recommended Resources:

Partnership in Cambodia - webpage

Episode hosted by Shelaine.

with guest Andrey Sawchenko, International Justice Mission (IJM)

From the shirts in our closets to the TVs in our living rooms, do you really know where these products came from? Trying to track the supply chain that produced your blender is enough to make your head spin, especially when each piece may have come from a different country. It’s no wonder we feel overwhelmed when trying to figure out if a product has been made under fair working conditions before we buy it.

In this episode, Andrey Sawchenko of International Justice Mission (IJM) delves into the harsh realities of forced labor lurking behind many consumer goods. Despite the intricacies of supply chains, Andrey poses thought-provoking questions that challenge our understanding of ethical consumerism. Join us as we explore how to become more conscious consumers in such a complex world.

Related Resources:

Episode hosted by Shelaine.

with special guest, Raskey Samnang, a student and debate champion from FH partner communities in Cambodia.

While on-site in Cambodia, host Shelaine sat down with Raskey Samnang, a remarkable young woman sparking positive change in her community. As the sole female member of a debate team that has gone on to compete at the Cambodian national level, Raskey is no stranger to hard work. She also knows what it takes to succeed.

Raskey’s journey hasn’t been without adversity. At a young age, Raskey faced pressures to drop out of school and help support her family, but she knew education had the power to shape not only her future, but the futures of other young people in her community. 

Meet Raskey and hear her story of resilience and self-confidence, and see her vision for how a younger generation can build a thriving future for their communities.

Recommended Resources:

FH Canada's partnerships in Cambodia - webpage

Episode hosted by Shelaine.

with guest AHM Zaman of FH Bangladesh and Jenny Gutzmann of FH Canada

Climate change might be a loaded word, but no matter where you stand on the topic, for many areas of the world it’s a very ugly reality. Vulnerable communities on the coast of Bangladesh are being hit with rising sea levels and extreme weather events like never before, to name a few.

AHM Zaman, Senior Manager of Program Quality and Resource Development at FH Bangladesh, along with Jenny Gutzmann, Senior Program Officer at FH Canada, share how FH is helping communities prepare for shocks due to unprecedented environmental changes and increase resilience when calamity hits. Families in Bangladesh are preparing for futures where they can break away from reacting and surviving, and can instead focus on flourishing.

Recommended Resources:

FH Canada partnership in Bangladesh - webpage

Episode hosted by Shelaine.