Harmony for Hope 2015

Winkler Community Male Choir and Eastman Male Choir are again teaming up to sing.  These two choirs will be collaborating to present a message of hope, healing and community.

Eastman Male Choir

 
Ed Hildebrand is the director for the Eastman Male Choir and in addition is an accomplished pianist and music arranger.  Ray Giesbrecht directs the Winkler Community Male Choir and is a performing soloist.  They'll be collaborating on a little something as part of the performances. 

Winkler Community Male Choir

These two choirs are joining to present not one, but two evenings of music.  The first concert is on Saturday April 25th at 7 pm at Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church.  The second concert will be on Sunday April 26th at 7 pm at Steinbach Mennonite Church.

The work of Eden Foundation is to engage the community in the work of Eden Health Care Services.  That means in part, that we are asking for financial engagement in order that a particular goal or dream that the community has identified can become a reality.  The needs that we are being reminded of over and over again, is for good affordable housing and the sense of community that results from having a decent place to live.  That's what the goal is for these concerts.

The reason that Eden is in the business of housing, is that to maintain a good mental health balance there is a need for a number of other realities of life to be present, not the least of which is housing.  To have a safe, warm and decent place to go home to everyday is a huge part of having peace of mind and as a result continued good mental health.

There are currently two housing projects that are taking shape.  One project is a collaboration between Eden, a group of partners in Steinbach and then another project that is taking shape which is a collaboration between Eden and a group of partners in Morden.  In both projects, we have the privilege of having the provincial government as one of those collaborating partners.

The government of Manitoba in turn recognizes the value of our contribution to these housing projects in that we as the people who live in these communities are showing in very real and practical terms that we consider these projects to be important and that we are engaged and care.  That does not go unheeded by the government that we have collectively elected.

So when we come together in events like these two Harmony for Hope concerts, we are speaking not only into the lives of those whom we will eventually help find a new place that can be called ‘home’, we are also speaking clearly and loudly to our government. We are telling them that we the citizens living here consider this work important and here is the proof.  Please come work with us.

You are invited you to come to the Harmony for Hope concerts.  You will hear good male choir singing.  You will hear a report on the work of Eden Health Care Services and the further developments of these partnerships. You will have opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people dealing with issues surrounding mental health.