Ending Poverty Together

You may have heard the buzz that bees play a crucial role when it comes to biodiversity in our interconnected world, but did you know that these tiny insects are having a life-changing impact on farmers in Bwira, Rwanda? 

In celebration of International Bee Day, Leon Mugisha, Asset Creation Specialist at FH Rwanda, shares how beekeeping impacts farmers' livelihoods by providing economic opportunities that fund important needs like education and healthcare for families. Discover the interconnected systems approach that's helping vulnerable communities thrive as they turn honey and beeswax into sustainable livelihoods.

For many of us, a cup of coffee is part of a regular morning ritual. But how often do we think about the person or people behind that cup of coffee? For countless smallholder farmers around the world, coffee is their livelihood. Yet, with limited land, fluctuating market prices, and changing climates, these farmers often still live below the poverty line. 

In this episode Mike Janz shares about how fair trade coffee makes its long journey from seed to our cups, exploring the realities that farmers face, and how the Better Coffee, Better Lives project in Guatemala is equipping farming with the knowledge and resources to improve their yields, access fair markets, and see hope-filled futures.

Tune in to learn how a better cup of coffee starts with empowering those who grow it—and how you can be part of that change!

Would you be surprised to learn that fair trade involves much more than simply fair wages? That, at its core, it’s actually about relationships that foster dignity, sustainability, and economic empowerment? 

Heidi Harms, Manager at Ten Thousand Villages, Abbotsford unpacks what fair trade really means, how it works, and who stands to benefit from it. Explore the power that your dollar has to inspire hope and transform lives, and how small choices—like the coffee you drink—can have lasting and life-changing impact!

What‘s your response to the term “harm reduction”? Do you realize that you participate in harm reduction daily? Things like, strapping on a seatbelt, using railings on staircases, or scrubbing your hands with hot, soapy water all attempt to minimize risk in some way. Yet, perhaps your reaction to harm reduction feels a little different when it comes to drugs. So, why?

Dr. Meera Grover challenges us to take a deep look at our beliefs surrounding substance use and harm reduction. Are they rooted in a stigma or in cultural views of those who struggle with substance use and misuse? Are they rooted in a love for God’s people that reflects His heart?  

Dr. Grover is a physician and a Christian with a background in theology. She began her career in international development and later transitioned to working on the front lines of the opioid crisis in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and Calgary. With the highest level of addiction medicine training in Canada, Dr. Grover has grappled with the complex ethical questions surrounding substance use, harm reduction, and the true meaning of hope.

Tune in for part 2 of this important conversation as we talk about addiction, faith, and the power of being present.

What if the opposite of addiction isn’t freedom or sobriety, but connection?

Drug addiction is devastating, affecting communities worldwide. But is addiction the problem to be solved, or is there something deeper at play?

Dr. Meera Grover, is a Christian and a physician. She started her work in international development and has most recently spent years working on the front lines of the opioid crisis in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and Calgary. With the highest level of addiction medicine training in Canada—and a background in theology—she’s wrestled with the complex ethical questions surrounding substance use, harm reduction, and what it means to offer true hope.

In this episode, Dr. Grover shares how her beliefs have been shaped by working in supervised consumption sites and building relationships with those experiencing poverty and addiction. Through these experiences, she’s come to see addiction not as the problem itself, but as a symptom of something deeper: poverty, disconnection, and a longing for belonging.

Tune in for part 1 of this eye-opening conversation as we explore addiction, personal faith, and the sacredness found in unexpected places.

with guest Patty-Leigh Thielmann from Food for the Hungry Canada

Turn on your faucet at home. Aren’t you astounded by how water is instantly at your fingertips? How that happens every time you go to the sink? How it’s fresh and clean? How that water doesn’t run dry or make your family sick? It’s actually incredible! Yet, for too many families around the world, access to safe water is still not a reality. Yet, in FH partner communities, the tide is turning!

Patty-Leigh Thielmann, VP of International Programs at Food for the Hungry (FH) Canada, highlights how access to clean water can transform lives in profound (and sometimes unexpected!) ways. Clean water is not only essential for health but also foundational for offering hope to families trapped in poverty. While it may seem obvious that clean water sparks a ripple effect of positive change, the details might surprise you. Discover how safe water is creating lasting impact and bringing waves of hope to generations.

For more, check out FH Canada's wholistic work - water included! - at fhcanada.org.

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.