SOS Women

SOS Women’s Group

SOS is an informal group of “young-at-heart” women who, in the spirit of fun and fellowship, contribute to church life and outreach projects.

Since our first get together in February 2004, we have been meeting on the second Monday evening of every month either in the church or at a member’s house. We are involved in various projects within St. Lambert United Church and in the wider community here and abroad. They are as follows:

· The Widows of Makete – this project began as a direct result of a meeting we had with Royal Orr, former head of Alliance Quebec and a well-known Quebec journalist and broadcaster. He has established ties with a group of women who have been widowed as a result of the AIDS virus in the Makete region of Tanzania, Africa. We have established a kinship with these women living under very different circumstances, yet who share similar beliefs about God and the love of family and friends. Since we first established contact with the widows of Makete, we have exchanged numerous meaningful gifts; a bible in Swahili, a traditional Tanzanian Kanga, a handmade cloth used for many purposes. SOS has also sent the women a scrapbook of various pictures of our group and a depiction of church life here in St. Lambert. We have also sent numerous greeting cards with small monetary donations to help them cope with life’s everyday needs.

· Betty Liduke and the International HIV/AIDS conference in Toronto – this past summer we raised funds to help send Betty Liduke, a tireless AIDS worker in Tanzania, to attend the International AIDS conference in Toronto. We were thrilled to receive her and her colleagues to our church in August, 2006 for a special church service and luncheon. She discussed her life as a nurse in Tanzania, the hardships that people in Africa face everyday, and inspiring stories of those of who have lost so much to AIDS and yet find the inner strength to continue living and making a difference.

· South Shore Women’s Shelter – We collect toiletry items and make financial donations for the women and children of the shelter who often must leave abusive and dangerous circumstances with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some of our members volunteer at the shelter; grocery shopping, cutting hair, talking to the women to offer support, etc. During the Christmas season, we wrap up small gifts for the women and children who stay over the holidays and deliver them to the shelter in time for Christmas.

· Christmas Basket Campaign – During the church’s anniversary dinner last November, we held a silent auction with the funds going to various charities. It was so successful that it has become a yearly event.

· Antiques, Arts and Crafts Sale – We are actively involved with this long standing sale in our church, with many SOS members serving on the Antiques, Arts and Crafts Committee, and in charge of entire departments, such as Handicrafts, the Country Kitchen, the Snack Room, Publicity, the Boutique, etc.

· Christmas Tea and Sale – After being asked by our United Church Women (UCW), we assumed responsibility for the annual Christmas Tea and Sale’s bake table. It is another way in which we can contribute to church life, as well as raise money for worthy causes, particularly Christmas baskets and the organ fund. We are grateful to the UCW for this opportunity and their faith in us.

· Fun and Fellowship – In addition to our outreach work we also make it a habit to retain the element of fun and fellowship in all we do. We originally established this group as a way to meet and spend time with women who wished to have fun and take time out of their very busy schedules to connect with others in similar circumstances. To that end, we vary the location of our meetings, holding potluck Christmas dinners, chocolate fondues for Valentine’s Day, pool parties, bowling, etc. Our group’s mandate is not about “all work and no play”. We believe in accomplishing a lot while having fun!!