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“AFTER more than 20 wonderful years in Kelowna,” said Teena Ree Gowdy, “I just wanted an opportunity to give back.”
She did so by choosing to honour another 20th anniversary – that of Kelowna’s Society of Hope. To raise funds for the ministry, the charismatic
singer/songwriter and independent recording artist staged ‘This is Christmas,’ November 28 at the Rotary Centre for the Arts.
Gowdy was joined by musicians Bernie Addington, Neville Bowman, Craig Thomson
and Scott Gamble. Special guests included 14 year old violinist Jana Luskts; and competitive Latin dancers Julia Gowdy-Harnett and Rufino Rodrigues from
Alberta. Also featured were vocalists Susan Dickson, Marika Haspeck, Dwayne
Schulz and Tim VanBrummelen.
All proceeds of the concert went to help the Society of Hope mark two decades of
providing affordable rental housing for single parents, women in crisis,
economically disadvantaged families and senior citizens in the Okanagan region.
According to the organization’s website, “The initial concepts of the Society of Hope began in the late 1980s. A number of
Christians in the Central Okanagan saw the growing need to provide practical
help and support for single parent families – particularly in the area of providing affordable housing.
“Since its inception in 1989, the Society has grown to become the largest
non-profit housing provider in the Interior of British Columbia.”
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The ministry has projects in Peachland, Westbank, Kelowna and Lake Country. Its
latest development is the Apple Valley Senior’s Housing Project, which will take more than a year to complete.
Contact: societyofhope.org / gowdy.ca/teenaree
January 2010
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