Okanagan Commandery Update: Activities for 2024 and 2025

 

2024 was a year of Commandery building and we welcomed 3 new members to our team.  Dame Shauna Naka, Dame Marie Schmidt and Chevalier Nathan Flavel have already rolled up their sleeves and are contributing members on our Revenue Development Committee and are positioned to assume roles of greater responsibility in our Commandery.  Marie Schmidt is currently training with Secretary Randall Fairey anticipating a future role as Commandery Secretary.

 

Our Okanagan members have continued to make significant contributions of time and resources to projects in our community including:

 

  • Gateway Program Endowment Fund:

Our Commandery was very excited to establish a $10,000 endowment in support of the Gateway Program, a partnership between Okanagan College and Central High School in Kelowna.  The program provides trades training for at-risk senior high school students living with multiple challenges including poverty, mental health issues and complex learning needs.

 

  • “Dames Dishing It Up” Dinner;

Several of our members hosted a gourmet dinner in Kelowna, as an initiative to raise funds for our community as well as raise awareness of our Commandery’s mission.

 

2025 is off to a good start and began with a very successful January Social where most of our members were in attendance to ring in the New Year.

 

Our Revenue Development Committee is planning for our major fundraiser, “Summer Solstice In The Vines” June 21, 2025.  Funds will be raised for 2 organizations doing valuable work in the community including,

  • Elevation Outdoors:

The mission of this organization is to enhance the lives of vulnerable youth who face financial, social and mental health barriers.  Through specially designed outdoor programs, Elevation Outdoors’ primary focus is to mentor vulnerable youth and steer them out of harm’s way into a life of good health, productivity and fulfilment.

 

  • InVincible Housing:

We have also chosen to support InVincible Housing, a special project of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.  The program is intended to prevent the instability, financial disaster, ill health, social dysfunction and despair homelessness creates.  InVincible Housing provides rent support and assistance through small one-time grants.

 

Past Activities

2023…The Okanagan Commandery chose two projects to support: financial support to “The Bridge” Youth and Family Services, a charitable non-profit organization which offers programs addressing addiction and recovery, and works with youth who are marginalized, street entrenched, and disenfranchised in Kelowna and other communities of the Central Okanagan. The Commandery chose to support a specific program entitled “Beyond the Blues” – the donated funding permitted this program to be offered for at least a year. “Beyond the Blues” addresses the very serious issue of identifying and relieving post-partum depression. To raise funds, the Commandery Revenue and Development team held a very successful outdoor music performance in Commander Martin’s vineyard entitled “Rocking in the Vines.” The funds raised ($28,380) when combined with grants from the Stober Foundation of Kelowna resulted in a total gift to The Bridge, of just over $58,000. A second project in 2023 was to support “Julia’s Junction” – an inclusive playground project in West Kelowna accommodating children with special needs. Specialized playground equipment was purchased with funds totaling $12,500. This sum was made possible because of the final gift from a generous multi-year 50% matching grant from former Commander Lynda-May Vexo, now a Dame in the Commandery of Dagmar in the Grand Priory of Europe.

2022…The Commandery selected New Opportunities for Women (NOW) Canada as the primary major gift organization for 2021/22.  The grant will provide a playground for children at a new housing development.  NOW provides support for women and youth suffering from addiction, abuse or exploitation. C$20k was donated in 2021 and the remaining nearly C$24k is planned to be contributed by September 2022.  The Okanagan Commandery is a small, but mighty, group of incredibly dedicated SOSJ members who are passionate about helping the sick and poor in our communities.

2021…Commandery members have agreed to pursue a major gift to New Opportunities for Women (NOW) Canada. The project involves funding a children’s playground as part of the large NOW Canada housing development in Glenmore, Kelowna.  Commander Debra Martin has established a steering committee to move forward with this exciting project, which will continue into 2022.

2020…As with many commanderies, 2020 proved to be a difficult year to raise funds and carry on with the important work of supporting those who are ill in our communities.  Despite this, the commandery was still active.  In 2020, the Commandery partnered with the Vancouver Commandery in the grants made to the Kalein Hospice Centre Society ($2000) and to the 100 Mile House Hospice Society ($1000). The Commandery Foundation has been so grateful to partner with former Commander, Dame Lynda-May Vexo (O’Brien) to use matching funds and has fully committed for this generous partnership.

2019…The Commandery raised a total of $59,779 in 2019 and the money was used to complete the projects started in 2018.  Firstly, at Joe Anna’s House, a home was built for families to stay while relatives are receiving treatment at Kelowna General Hospital where the Sovereign Order partnered with the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation to support its construction.  Secondly, the Commandery funded the remodel and rebuild of the kitchen at the Moog and Friends Hospice House. The fundraising for this included two very successful ‘Art & Wine’ fundraisers, which would not have been possible without the tireless dedication of the late Chevalier Harry McWatters.  His presence is missed by the commandery, but we feel so grateful he was able to steward these fundraisers, and his dedication has left a tremendous legacy.

2018…Moog and Friends Hospice House: With the ever-growing need for hospice, and a shortage of hospice beds in purpose-built facilities, Moog and Friends anticipated their existing kitchen would require significant upgrading. The Okanagan Commandery committed to raising $80,000 to have the current kitchen area closed off and renovated, with access being limited to staff and volunteers preparing meals both for in-patients and hospice patients who are being helped in their own homes.  A second kitchen area would be accessed by families and volunteers who wish to make themselves a beverage or a small snack.  For more information on Moog and Friends, visit the website: http://www.pentictonhospice.com/