Autumn 2026 E-Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Thankfulness & Gratitude
- Volunteer Recruitment
- Summer Program Highlights
- Community Support
- Comfort at Home (Recipe)
- Donation Needs
THANKFULNESS & GRATITUDE
Building daily practice for wellness
Thankfulness and gratitude are often used interchangeably. However, thankfulness is typically a response to good experiences, whereas gratitude is a state of being that is cultivated, and can sustain us in good times and bad. Both gratitude and thankfulness contribute to good health by reinforcing a more positive state of being, which provides both physical and emotional benefits.
There are many ways to “grow” gratitude – here are a few suggestions:
1) Start a gratitude journal or blog, or social media page. If using social media, you may choose to be anonymous, or you may prefer to share or collaborate.
2) Keep a gratitude jar – have a note pad or scrap paper handy. Aim to contribute daily, and set up a time to reflect on your entries (monthly, every six months, etc.). This can be an individual, family or workplace practice. If participating with others, agree on guidelines together and be sensitive to varying perspectives and needs.
3) Try meditation – mindfulness and gratitude practice go hand in hand.
4) Spend quality time with loved ones – investing in relationships creates shared memories and helps to establish a reserve of support and gratitude.
5) Give, share donate – clear clutter and un-used items for giving to others. Appreciating how much we have and understanding the positive ripples created through generosity help to deepen gratitude.
6) Volunteer – everyone has gifts that can benefit others in a multitude of ways. Find a cause you care about and a volunteer role that aligns with your values, schedule and interests.
LEARN MORE: CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION
VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT
Growing our volunteer team!
Were you aware that Willow Place volunteers contribute over 500 hours of support every year? Our volunteers include board members, shelter support volunteers and donation volunteers. We also have some specialized volunteers that help with community events and shelter program repair needs.
From September 15 until October 15 we are accepting volunteer program applications for shelter support, donation support and cultural support areas. We offer flexibility of hours and training, and volunteers must commit to 120 hours or an average of two hours weekly in their first year. Background checks required.
For info and to apply, visit our website volunteer program page:
QUESTIONS? Contact Willow Place Community Coordinator, Kimi at 204-615-0313, ext. 245
SUMMER PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Making a difference for children in shelter
his past summer, Willow Place was fortunate to access grant support from the Winnipeg Foundation’s Children and Youth Grant, as well as from Canada Summer Jobs. These amazing supports enabled Willow place to hire three summer staff including two summer day camp leads, Arafat and Berhanesh, and an HR-Admin support staff, Isabella.
Arafat and Berhanesh adeptly managed diverse needs and provided fun and educational weekday programming for school age children in shelter throughout the summer. Isabella capably assisted our HR Coordinator with a variety of document management and other important HR tasks. Isabella also organized a special staff BBQ gathering that was a big hit with our hard-working team! We are so proud of our fantastic summer staff who contributed in such meaningful ways.
Thank you to the following community donors who provided no-cost admission to local attractions for children in our day camp program: Manitoba Museum, Manitoba Children’s Museum, Goldeyes Baseball, Assiniboine Conservatory (The Zoo and The Leaf), the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, and MANSO. For many children in shelter, these were first-time experiences and left lasting impressions.
Special appreciation to Red River Coop for their timely and generous donation of $2,000 in gift cards to support Willow Place’s summer programs, including summer day camp and our healing garden project. Your generosity helped us provide adequate healthy food, treats, sunscreen and bug spray, first aid supplies, and much more!
Another summer highlight was a $2,000 grant from Aramark (University of Manitoba location) to purchase school supplies for children attending our on-site shelter school. This wonderful gift will assist children in in shelter, in grades K-8, over the next few months.
Thanks to all of these supporters and funders for making Summer 2026 a very special one for our shelter participants, including their vital assistance to Willow Place’s program staff!
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Fabulous fundraisers!
Willow Place relies upon third-party fundraising to fill funding gaps and provide many daily essentials in our busy shelter program. The following are recent supports we would like to acknowledge and celebrate – thank you for the awareness raised and for the valuable donation dollars your efforts provide:
Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and Royal LePage Dynamic $8,000 in agent commissions donations and fundraising (received in September). THANK YOU!
Kinsmen 3rd Annual 50-50 program (ongoing until December 26) Willow Place receives 25% of ticket revenue when purchaser selects Willow Place as the charity of choice. The last raffle winner received over $60,000! PURCHASE TICKETS HERE!
Shopper’s Drug Mart Giving Shelter campaign (September 15 – October 9 in seven Winnipeg locations) staff promotions to collect community donations (average of $10,000 – $15,000 yearly). Amazing!
Urban Barn – Blanket the Country campaign (ongoing) matching program to provide donations and new blankets for our shelter program. Visit your local Urban Barn for details and to donate: 1585 Kenaston Boulevard, or 1594 Regent Avenue in Winnipeg.
If you are interested in third-party fundraising, please contact Pam at 204-615-0313, ext. 237 or Kimi at 204-615-0313, ext. 245. THANK YOU for supporting Willow Place!
COMFORT AT HOME
Heart-warming soup recipe
horter days and cooler temperatures are here, and what is better than a cozy meal at home? We hope you will try our Spicy Vegetable Soup recipe – it is easy to prepare and tastes amazing!
SPICY VEGETABLE SOUP
Hearty & healthy vegetarian recipe
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp – 30 ml olive or canola oil
1.5-2 cups – 375-500 ml diced cooking onion
2 ribs diced celery
3 bay leaves
2 – 3 cloves minced garlic
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
3 – 4 medium tomatoes, blanched, peeled and diced (or small can diced tomatoes)
1 tsp – 5 ml sea salt (or to taste)
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp – 5 ml crushed chilies (or to taste)
1-½ tsp – 7.5 ml ground cinnamon
1 tsp – 5 ml ground turmeric
1 – 2 Tbsp – 15-30 ml paprika
5 cups – 1.25 L vegetable broth (or vegetable bouillon mixed with water)
1.5 cups (750 ml) cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained (canned work great also!)
1 medium-large sweet potato (about 1.5 cups – 2 cups – 375-500 ml) peeled and cubed
½ cup – 125 ml chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp – 5 ml, dried basil)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
METHOD:
Heat oil over medium-low temperature in a large stock pot. Add in chopped onion, salt, bay leaves, celery. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring often. Add in garlic and cook another 3-5 minutes. Add bell pepper and tomatoes, along with chilies, black pepper, cinnamon, turmeric and paprika. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, adding half the broth midway. Add in the chickpeas and sweet potatoes along with the remaining broth and the basil. Increase heat to medium-high to bring to a slow boil. Reduce, heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are at the desired softness. Add water as needed to suit your preferred consistency. Add in chopped parsley, optional, and serve. YIELD: 6 servings
TIP: add 1/4 tsp – 1.25 ml of baking soda and 1 tsp – 5 ml of sugar to tomatoes before adding to the soup – stir in and set aside. The soda neutralizes the acidity and the sugar enhances the bright tomato flavour. Especially helpful if you are using canned tomatoes.
NOTE: This soup is easy to customize – great add-ins include a few cut green beans, or some chopped zucchini, diced carrot or sliced mushrooms. If using carrots, add them with the celery in the early stages of cooking. Beans, zucchini or mushrooms can be added with bell pepper and tomatoes. Spicy Vegetable Soup can be portioned and frozen for later use. Enjoy!
DONATION NEEDS
Ways to support Willow Place
URGENT NEEDS!
Our busy shelter program currently needs pajamas for children and women, new underwear for children and women, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, and non-perishable food items (e.g., breakfast cereal, juice boxes, coffee, tea and canned goods). We are also seeking donations of candy, craft kits, costumes and accessories for Safe Halloween activities and food or monetary sponsorship for Thanksgiving meals and activities.
REPLACEMENT – SHELTER PROGRAM
Due to the high numbers of people we support yearly, we need to repair or replace items from time to time. Current replacement needs include:$1,000 to repair our commercial dishwasher and $1,000 to replace two bed frames.
IN-KIND DONATIONS
Always needed items include gently-used or new towels, blankets and single size fitted sheets; infant diapers size 5 and 6, Winnipeg Transit tickets (women, children and youth), and miscellaneous gift cards (for groceries, medical needs, outing and program supplies – e.g., Walmart, Dollarama, Shoppers, Tim Hortons).
MONETARY DONATIONS
Monetary gifts are always appreciated. Send cheque or bank draft payable to “Willow Place” to P.O. Box 1786, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 2Z9, or donate online using Canada Helps.
DONATE ON CANADA HELPS
A safe way to donate to Canadian charities online as a one-time donor, or as a monthly subscriber.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE!
Donation questions? Contact our Community Team staff (weekdays, daytime hours)
Pam: 204-615-0313, ext. 237
Kimi: 204-615-0313, ext. 245
