Strategic Partnership with International Teams Canada

Philip Chester and Neil Ostrander

Philip Chester, CEO of Careforce International (CFI), and Neil Ostrander, CEO of International Teams Canada (ITCA), are excited to announce a strategic partnership that will benefit both organizations as they work together to care for those in need in Canada and around the world.

Effective September 29, 2011, this partnership represents a bold next step for the International Teams partnership strategy, and one that will help ensure the long-term future of Careforce International. The agreement sets out a path where ITCA will run all the back-office functions, with a special emphasis on Online Services, while CFI continues as a separate charitable organization. CFI and ITCA will partner in program delivery and both organizations are expected to see an increase in participation and donor support over 12 months.

Philip says that the partnership will not only allow CFI to focus on the initiatives that are at the heart of who they are as an organization – providing resources to project partners, and sending short-term teams to assist those partners in the work they are doing – but will also assist in growing their constituency of supporters and establishing new programs. “Our research shows that sharing our resources will enable us to maximize and improve impact for our partners through increased efficiency in our operations. Biblically-based collaboration with ITCA will allow Careforce to transfer and share, to the benefit of both organizations. This will mean that Careforce and ITCA will be able to invest a greater percentage of donations directly to the programs and projects.”

Neil and the Board of Directors of ITCA have leveraged their experience, gained from ITCA’s other partnerships, to identify a number of benefits to this unique arrangement. “Nothing is being lost. In fact, we all have a lot to gain through increased efficiency. Partnering with Careforce allows ITCA to increase our program and operational capacity further and faster. Together, we will help more churches who in turn help more widows, orphans and refugees.”

Both Neil and Philip are confident that the future of Careforce programs, partners, teams and overall vision is solid, thanks to a sustainable operational model that will be focused, lean and effective. They are available for more in-depth discussion of this partnership and encourage supporters of either organization to contact them directly with any questions.

Philip Chester
CEO, Careforce International
philip@careforceinternational.ca
905.639.8525

Neil Ostrander
CEO, International Teams Canada
neil.ostrander@iteams.org
519.669.8844

Careforce plan’s for the summer

After the snowy winter and the wet spring Careforce is getting ready for the summer. On May 16th we are hosting a lunch and learn/fund raiser for CFPC, a vocational training project run by Roger and Chris Bast, former Careforce board members. This will be at Golf’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant in Kitchener. See our website for details and how you can buy your tickets. Then on June 4th we will participate in the “Moon in June” run. If you are interested in being part of the Careforce running team, please contact us via our website or phone us on 905 639 8525. Over the months of July and August we will be holding BBQ’s and other social events so as to share stories about what is happening in our projects. Please keep checking out our website at www.careforceinternational.ca

Pastor Michel Speaks This Sunday at Chartwell Baptist – Clarkson

This Sunday, April 17th at 10am, Pastor Michel will be preaching on the gospel of Matthew at Chartwell Baptist Church – Clarkson.  If you have not heard Pastor Michel deliver a sermon, I can promise you that it will be unlike any you have heard before!  Come and join us!

Meet and Greet with Pastor Michel and Lydia

Now that Pastor Michel and Lydia are here, we’ve been swarmed with requests to have them speak at or visit certain places in the GTA.  We have a couple of opportunities this weekend for you to hang out with Pastor Michel and Lydia, so please join us if you can!

Saturday April 9th – We are having a Fundraiser Dinner at the home of Careforce board member Wayne and Karen Cheng.  5pm @ 52 Voisin Court, St. Clements, ON, N0B2Mo.  Phone 519-699-9314 for more information or just show up for dinner and fellowship!

Sunday April 10th – Pastor Michel will speaking at both the 9am and 11am services at Wilmot Centre Missionary Church and all are welcome to come!  2463 Bleams Road, Petersburg, ON, N0B2Ho.  Sunday evening Pastor Michel and Lydia will be speaking with the young adults group at Flamborough Baptist Church in Waterdown as well.  If you’re a young adult and want to visit Burkina on a team, be there!

Hope to see you this weekend!

Visa granted for Pastor Michel and Lydia’s visit – they arrival April 6th

We’ve been sweating a bit concerning the visas for Pastor Michel and his wife Lydia who are due to make a fund raising visit to Canada in April. Canadian officials in Burkina Faso now rely on the embassy in Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire. If you’ve been following the news, there has been civil unrest in Cote d’Ivoire so the processing has been moved to Dakar in Senegal. All this to say that it’s taken much longer for Pastor Michel and Lydia to get the visa’s approved.

We also heard today that there has been increased unrest in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso and that the military have instituted a 9pm to 6am curfew. Our folks on the ground just outside Ouagadougou have shared this news with us but also that there is no impact on them or any of the Careforce supported projects and programmes.

We will be publishing the itinerary for Pastor Michel and Lydia on our website on Tuesday next week. Please take a look and figure when you will be joining us to share the news of what’s going on at the Village of Hope.

Former board member and new project partner Roger Bast visiting Canada this May

Many of you will remember Roger and Chris Bast from past Careforce teams to Burkina Faso and from Careforce fund raising events here in Canada. In September of 2010 Roger and Chris left Canada to go live in Burkina Faso to set up a vocational training school in part for children graduating from the Village of Hope. (click here to read full story).

Roger and Chris have spent the intervening months building the school and getting ready for the first intake of students arriving this coming fall. If you want to hear more on “The Adventures of Roger and Chris,” please keep an eye open on the Careforce International website where we will be sharing their speaking engagements. In the meantime, here’s the first definite date you can consider blocking into your calendar. On May 18th, Roger and Chris will be hosting a lunch for those who want to come and hear about the trials and tribulations (adventures and laughs too) of building the school. The venue will be in the Kitchener/Waterloo area and lunch will be available for about $30. This is a fund raising event so if you intend to come, bring your check books

Pastor Michel from the Village of Hope visiting Canada

Careforce International has invited the founder of the Village of Hope in Burkina Faso, Pastor Michel and his wife Lydia, to visit Canada. Keep track of where and when you can see Pastor Michel by following us on the Careforce website or on our facebook or twitter accounts. More news to follow.