Women building a solid faith foundation
By Meggie Hoegler, The Catholic Register
Gina Valle鱿鱼视频app two teenage sons did not believe her when she told them she was going to build houses.
On Oct. 26, women from across the Greater Toronto Area came together as part of Habitat for Humanity鱿鱼视频app Women of Faith Build. Valle, a Catholic, was one of 44 women from Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu faiths who worked on the 140 Pinery Trail housing project in Scarborough. This is the third faith build this year. A collaboration between Habitat for Humanity GTA and Cardus as part of their Faith in Canada 150 project, the builds celebrate the role of faith in Canada鱿鱼视频app past, present and future development.
鈥淲e had a build for faith leaders and one for people of faith in general, so we thought this would be a great opportunity to bring women together while promoting women in faith as well,鈥� said Hayley Lockrem, development coordinator with Cardus. The Women鱿鱼视频app Build encourages interfaith dialogue and bonding for women of all religious beliefs.
鈥淲e鈥檙e women, it doesn鈥檛 take too long for us to get talking! We share stories about our kids, our families and our faith,鈥� said Judy Csillag, a Jewish woman and organizer. 鈥淎 lot of bonding happens, especially because we have a lot of young people here today. There are eight 16-year-olds here who probably don鈥檛 have much experience with interfaith work so there鱿鱼视频app a lot of wisdom to be shared.鈥�
Ten of the volunteers were students from Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in Toronto, including Noor Baloch, Karishma Faizi and Ambreen Khan, all of whom belong to the Muslim faith. The three women worked together laying topsoil at completed homes.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app awesome to meet people from other faiths and build those friendships,鈥� said Khan, 16. 鈥淥ur faith teaches us to help others so it鱿鱼视频app great to be a part of something that does that.鈥�
The Women in Faith Build was inspired by a group of women who began interfaith community outreach in 2008.
鈥淚t was the most incredible bonding experience,鈥� said Csillag. 鈥淲e still meet to this day. Collectively, we are sponsoring a Syrian refugee who will be staying with one of us while she adjusts to her new home. Today鱿鱼视频app build in particular is dedicated to Tanya Khan. She built with us in 2008 and died of a brain haemorrhage in 2013 at age 38. She said to us on that day that coming together as women of faith is a holy thing to do. She said working together was like praying together.鈥�
As they hammered in a wall foundation, women spoke to each other. Valle told Marilyn Grace, a fellow Catholic and volunteer with the Mary Ward Centre, about her deceased father鱿鱼视频app passion for building.
鈥淚 feel like he is here with me today,鈥� said Valle, who belongs to Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Toronto. 鈥淚f he could see me now he would probably say 鈥榃hat? My daughter is building a house? She doesn鈥檛 even know how to hold a hammer!鈥� Which I didn鈥檛 when I came here but I am learning.鈥�
Grace and Valle talked about their families; about everything from biker safety (Grace鱿鱼视频app daughter is a kindergarten teacher who bikes to work) to coping with the death of a parent.
The build is about more than building homes and making friends, said Valle. It takes a hit at the stereotypes surrounding women鱿鱼视频app charitable events.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app not all luncheons and fundraisers anymore,鈥� said Valle. 鈥淲e still do those, but activities like this are just as important. It鱿鱼视频app still out of the norm to have women on a construction site. I am proud that we are breaking away from that stereotype.鈥�
鈥淲omen aren鈥檛 afraid of hard labour or getting their hands dirty,鈥� said Csillag. 鈥淓specially when it is for such a good cause.鈥�
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