Ignorance is bliss: the difference between Qualicum and Coquitlam, B.C.

By Emily Cain

One of the best parts of my job is hearing from people across the country who want to do something about global hunger. One of the worst parts is, well, I’ll get to that in a moment — but let’s just say it involves a bit of ignorance about Canadian geography.

As I talk to people from my office in Winnipeg, I am connected to the best that Canada has to offer: a 13-year-old who donates his birthday money to help alleviate hunger; a youth group pickling and selling cucumbers; a church planting potatoes in a cemetery; a woman knitting socks to raise funds; school groups holding bake sales; and students scrubbing toilets.

While the ideas are all different, one thing I hear over and over from supporters is that since they have been blessed, they want to bless others.

Last summer, I got such a call from Shannon Willey. She and her church, Christian Fellowship Centre, were moved by the food crisis on the Horn of Africa and wanted to do something about it. They decided to take seriously Jesus’ call to sell your possessions and give to the poor.

Their idea was to hold an open market and garage sale where people from the community could set up booths and sell things to raise money. There was also going to be music and food and a silent auction.

As I listened to Shannon I thought it was a great idea: creative and passionate people pooling their talents and time to help others.

What Shannon wanted from the Foodgrains Bank was some information about how we were responding to the food crisis in East Africa, and perhaps someone from our organization to be present at the event to answer questions.

“Is there someone who can make the trip?” asked Shannon, “I could put them up at the lodge I manage. It’s right on the ocean.”

And this is where ignorance enters the story.

While Shannon was saying “Qualicum Beach,” I was hearing “Coquitlam” — a place I had heard of before and which was also squarely in beautiful British Columbia. And not only that, Coquitlam is very close to Abbotsford, where Clarence and Jenny Tuin, voluntary co-ordinators for the Foodgrains Bank, live.

I called Clarence and Jenny right away to see if they would be willing to attend the event.

“Of course” said Clarence, noting that Coquitlam is only 45 minutes from his home.

Instead of being tipped off by the whole ocean-side accommodations thing, I was feeling very pleased with how everything was coming together. I called Shannon back, enthusiastically telling her that Clarence and Jenny wouldn’t miss the event for the world.

A few days later my phone rang. It was Clarence. He had just talked to Shannon about this event taking place in Coquitlam. Of course, confusion ensued.

Eventually they realized it was not them — it was me who didn’t know what I was talking about. And now Clarence was on the other end of the line laughing at me and explaining that Quailcum Beach was at least a day’s travel from Abbotsford, when you figured in the ferry schedules.

But, he said, he would still go. He was impressed with the plans that were being made, and he wanted to support the event.

The day before the event, Clarence and Jenny woke at the break of dawn (something they are familiar with after years in the dairy industry) and drove to the ferry crossing, made their way to Qualicum Beach and set up a booth to collect donations on behalf of Foodgrains Bank and answer any questions about the work being done in East Africa.

The next day people flooded the market. Buying and selling goods, listening to great music, and enjoying food and company.

Shannon Willey, was “blown away” by the support they received.

“People donated all kinds of high quality goods and services,” she says.

“People brought whatever they could,” says Clarence. “One woman brought $55 worth of coins in a ziplock bag — all her tips from that day.”

In all, $30,000 was raised at the market to help alleviate hunger in the horn of Africa. About half went to support Canadian Foodgrains Bank supported projects in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

“I was really impressed to see how the community came together and how generous people were,” says Clarence. “It was wonderful to be part of the day and to make connections with people who want to make the world a better place.”

In the end, it turned out that my geographical mistake was a blessing in disguise — but that doesn’t mean that Clarence is ever going to let me forget the time I mixed up Qualicum Beach and Coquitlam. I guess it will keep me humble.

But that type of humbling has nothing on how humbled I am to work with people like the folks in Qualicum Beach, who give of themselves, their time, and talent to answer God’s call to feed the hungry.

Cain is communications co-ordinator at Canadian Foodgrains Bank. She lives in Winnipeg.