Saturday night’s Art of Sound music festival was amazing. And although we didn’t raise what we had hoped, we did manage to raise just over a thousand dollars for The Freeway (and some more for Haiti as well), which is totally amazing. The musicians were all top-notch this year… really good line-up. And the people who came really seemed to enjoy themselves.

A few BIG THANK-YOU’S:

• To all the musicians and our amazing DJ who shared their talent with us. Your music was inspiring and beautiful. Thank you for giving your time and energy to help support the coffee house. Can’t wait to see you perform again soon.
• To all the folks who helped clean the coffee house, prepare for the festival, and then clean again, thank you so much. I am always amazed at what amazing volunteers we have at The Freeway.
• To all our fine baristas and other coffee house leaders who worked so hard before, during, and after the event, thank you so much for all your work. We definitely have the best baristas anywhere in the world… and people notice.
• To the sound technicians who made the job of the musicians so much easier, thank you. And to the DWL Group, thank you for providing the sound gear for our lower level stage.
• To everyone who came to support The Freeway and local music, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I really can’t wait until next year… and I hope to see you all at the coffee house supporting local artists and our community commons soon.

I sit staring at a blank screen, thinking of what to write.  But there are no words. None.

My response will instead be one of prayer and giving. And I hope you’ll join thousands of others who are also praying and donating – we can all afford to be generous.

If you’re wondering how to help, The Globe & Mail recently posted this list of groups accepting donations toward work in Haiti:

• Médecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders) is taking online donations here or by phone.
• World Vision Canada is taking online donations here or by phone at 1‑800‑817‑7790.
• The Canadian Red Cross is accepting online donations here, by phone, or at any Red Cross office.
• Save the Children is accepting online donations here.
• The Mennonite Central Committee is accepting donations, click here to donate or by phone.
• The Salvation Army in Canada is accepting donations here, by phone, by texting the word HAITI to 45678 from any Rogers Wireless or Bell Mobility phone, or in person at any of its locations.
• Unicef Canada is accepting online donations here or by phone.
• The Humanitarian Coalition, which is a joint effort between Save the Children Canada, CARE, Oxfam Canada and Oxfam Quebec, is accepting online donations here.
• The Center for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI) is accepting online donations here or by phone.
• Development and Peace accepts donations here or by phone.
• Plan Canada has been active in Haiti for 40 years. Donations can be made here or by phone.
• The United Jewish Appeal is accepting online donations here or by phone.
• Mission Aviation Fellowship of Canada, which has operated in Haiti since 1986, is taking online donations here.
• Ve’ahavta: The Canadian Jewish Humanitarian and Relief Committee is accepting online donations here.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has compiled a guide designed to help the public avoid scams and ensure their donations are of maximum value.  The Canadian government will match monetary donations to support relief efforts in Haiti, to a total of $50-million. This means that donating $50 will result in a $100 contribution.  Read more information about the program here.

Please, be generous.

And beyond today, continue to pray and donate and work for Haiti.  There is long-term work to be done in response to not only the current destruction, but decades of injustice in Haiti. 

Pray for swift and effective relief.  Pray for healing.  Pray for safety.  Pray for justice.

The Freeway is part of an initiative called the “Good Food Box.” Every month we order boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables from a great organization, called Food Share, for folks in our community. Here’s what the Food Share website says about the Good Food Box initiative:

The Good Food Box makes top-quality, fresh food available in a way that does not stigmatize people, fosters community development and promotes healthy eating.

The Good Food Boxes that we order cost $15 each and provide approximately $30-$40 dollars worth of produce. Not too shabby. If you want more information, drop us a line.

( Good Food Box )

You should come.