Giving A Gift that Lives On

Terry and Catherine Gitzel are leaving a legacy for future generations through a gift in their Will to House of Friendship.

For Catherine and Terry Gitzel, the idea that children in their own community were hungry was shocking.

“To think that 10 minutes from our home, there are children going to school without breakfast, it just didn’t make sense,” said Catherine. “It’s not supposed to happen here.”

Catherine found this out when looking for ways to get her church, The Gathering, involved in the Chandler Mowat community. It wasn’t long before the church started a “breakfast club” for children at Chandler Mowat Community Centre, and an after-school “snack attack,” in partnership with House of Friendship.

Catherine had already been involved at the community centre years earlier, providing women’s literacy programs. This strong connection meant that it made perfect sense for The Gathering to move to Chandler Mowat when their previous meeting place was unavailable.

While it was initially a temporary move, it soon became clear that this is where the church belonged. Members began finding a new, close connection with the families living near Chandler Mowat.

“There’s something beautiful about the community knowing us, and us truly knowing the community,” said Catherine. “That’s where the good stuff happens.”

This meaningful connection to the families in their own community started Terry and Catherine thinking about the legacy they’d like to leave behind.

“If people were to talk about us, what would they say?” said Terry. “What would we be hopeful to hear?”

That’s why they have decided to leave a gift in their Will to House of Friendship to ensure that the work they have dedicated themselves to will carry forward.

“We have known abundance in our lives, and to be able to leave some of that to House of Friendship who would take those resources and add love and generosity and a sense of belonging – that feels good,” said Catherine.

We’re here to help! To learn more about making a Gift in Your Will, contact Development Manager Joanne Adair, at joannea@houseoffriendship.org or visit www.houseoffriendship.org/Wills.