Fine work by Grandmothers

Dear editor: Re: “Help those in Canada,” by Patrick Longworth (Okanagan Weekend , Feb. 3).

We agree that there is a very real need to help Canadians and with this thought in mind a portion of the proceeds from a recent event “Caroling for a Cause” went to support the Breakfast Learning Club that provides breakfast at three local elementary schools.

We think that folks that live in our country of privilege often can afford to help both locally and internationally. We don’t see it as an either/or issue. At one of our monthly meetings, we made a chart of all the volunteering that our members do outside of Grandmothers for Africa and it was outstanding: Salvation Army, Soupeteria, Breakfast Learning Club, Meals on Wheels, St. Vincent De Paul, Hospital Coffee Shop, BC-SPCA, South Okanagan Women in Need Society, The Historic Grist Mill, Habitat for Humanity, literacy programs, and the Shatford Centre. These are just some of the organizations that individual members of the South Okanagan Grandmothers for Africa support through volunteer hours. We work for both local and global causes. We encourage our members and donors to give generously to any number of causes, but keep in mind that a 100 Rand donation $15 Canadian) can be life-changing for an African grandmother. The Stephen Lewis Foundation is always rated as one of the top 25 charities in Canada and is always worthy of your support. To learn more visit: www.stephenlewisfoundation.org. Rita Taenzer, Lynn Popoff, Anne Davidson, Penny Santosham, Laurie Allen, Marilyn Bergen, Marcia Dean, Susan Brown, Gail Kronlacher, Norma Lippa, Sally Mennel, Dale King, Hope White, Corinne Durston, Marian Dunn and many others who are traveling in the sun are temporarily away South Okanagan ßGrandmothers for Africa