40 Years of Memories

I've had a long fruitful history with the Foodgrains Bank, so many memories and such good memories ! I served on the board for 11 years of a 3 year term and got to meet so many people with huge hearts. having that many denominations around the board table with so few disagreements on how to march toward the same goal of Ending Hunger is still amazing to me. I remember the untieing of the previously mandatory actual grain in every case moving to countries of need changing to the much more efficient ways of helping we now have ... I remember learning so much from Bruce Syvret who was my fellow board member for years, I told people I sat beside him because he was my brains, I remember being in Malawi with Kent Myers and Randy Crosman and Randy leaning over to me half way through the study tour and saying " Ray, Your eyes have changed " I remember seeing so many smiles created by the Foodgrains Bank people and actions. I remember the meeting in 2005 where the Foodgrains Bank posed the question on how to involve more urban people and churches in the Foodgrains Bank projects. Jeff Anderson and I wrote out a plan at lunch and Kernels of Hope was born that day on a serviette !... Having some real farmers get their cost of production covered by virtual farmers ( which can be anyone urban or rural that wasn't able to help with a traditional Foodgrains Bank Growing Project ) I remember the day Pugeni and I were at a CFL Blue Bomber game and he convinced me we need to show the Mennonites how to do a Kernels type program and the 2 of us going to Grant Dyck's farm ready with a big presentation and Grant cutting me off within 2 minutes saying " Ray, I'm in ! ) He had been praying for a way to help. That turned into Grow Hope which has worked in so many cases ! Being contagious in a good way is fun ! The word fun is in Fundraiser and Sol Janzen will remember the fun we had making my $2 Ugly sweater into a fundraiser that created lots of awareness and about $70,000 and this Christmas having Bugles ( snacks ) auction turn into $1000 Foodgrains Bank of donations plus radio and TV exposure for the Foodgrains Bank :) I often summarize talks this year by saying... the people we are helping aren't just numbers Every child has a Name, Every child has a dream all those children had or have parents that have a dream that things will be better for their kids than they were for them, Thank you so much to everyone on this interconnected awesome team that has had any part in the past, present or future in making some of those dreams come true. Blessings to you and yours, Ray the Grain Guy