The Raw Carrot makes soup and provides jobs, human dignity to people with disabilities

Andrea Draijer of Victoria, B.C. knows how challenging it is for people with disabilities to find a job.

 

That’s why the mother of two children with developmental disabilities, ages 22 and 19, was glad to learn about The Raw Carrot, a Canadian church-based social enterprise that employs people with disabilities to make handcrafted soups and breakfast products. 

 

“The primary driver is to do something tangible for people who need a job, to give them the dignity of work,” says Rebecca Sherbino, who started the social enterprise in 2014.

 

In October, Draijer opened a Raw Carrot in Victoria through Sanctuary Youth Centre, the faith-based ministry where she works. It is one of ten that operate across the country.

Photo above: Caleb and Toni, two workers at The Raw Carrot in Victoria.

 

Read my story about the Raw Carrot in Canadian Affairs.

Secret to aging well during "forest years" is gratitude and forgiveness, new book says

 

Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but lately books about spirituality and aging have started to appeal to me. Like Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years by Father Ron Rolheiser. (Originally from Cactus Lake, SK.)

The book references the Hindu tradition of Ashrama, or the four stages of life starting with Brahmacharya, or student stage; Grihastha, or householder stage; and Vanaprastha, or forest dwelling stage—a time we call retirement today, a time of leaving a life of work and gently disengaging from that former world, a time of expressing gratitude and engaging in forgiveness of others and, importantly, yourself.

That is preparation for the final stage, called Sannyasa, or sage, a time before death when people become “insane for the light” of spiritual liberation. 

Read more in my recent column in the Free Press.

 

When it comes to being prepared for any emergency, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are ready

 

Last month, the British government issued a warning that hasn’t been heard in that country since the Second World War: stock up on food. 

The warning came from environment minister Angela Eagle when she was talking about the impact this year’s El Niño could have on food supplies in the United Kingdom. 

“If you’ve got a store of a bit of food that can keep you going for a while before the emergency services can get to you, you’re going to be a lot better off than if you haven’t,” Eagle said. 

Many people in the U.K. might have been shocked by that statement. But not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in that country or elsewhere; they already enough food for a year stored up in their homes.

Read about this practice, and why they do it, in my recent Free Press column.

Winnipeg mayoral candidates respond to questions about how they will engage the faith community

Winnipeg has a civic election on Oct. 28. In advance of the vote. I queried leading mayoral candidates about how they would work with the faith community if elected to that office. I asked them the following questions.  

1. As mayor, what will you do to recognize and support the efforts of Manitoba faith groups that serve the most vulnerable in the province? 

2. Churches in Winnipeg are exploring ways to convert their buildings into affordable housing. But they face challenges such as funding and dealing with regulations regarding variances and zoning. As mayor, what will you do to help churches use their buildings to address this pressing need for affordable housing? For example, what the city of Edmonton has done by creating a $2 million fund for churches through its Faith Lands Affordable Housing Incentive program. 

3. The Halo Project estimates that Winnipeg's 307 places of worship provide over $443 million of benefits to the community through things like hosting addictions programs, food banks, programs for youth and seniors, job training, support for refugees, hosting concerts, etc. This is money the city would have to provide if these places of worship ceased to exist. What will you do as mayor to see and support places of worship as community assets? 

4. The rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia makes members of those faith groups worry about safety and security. What will you do as mayor to address this concern? 

5. As you know, city hall can be hard for individuals and organizations, such as faith groups, to navigate. The city of Toronto adopted a motion in June 2026 specifically asking the city to examine how it could improve faith communities' access to information about space bookings, permits, parking exemptions and transportation, as well as community safety and inclusion. As mayor, would you be open to doing the same to help faith groups in Winnipeg access services, advice and support? 

Find answers from current mayor Scott Gillingham and challengers Kevin Klein and Mike Vogiatzakis in my recent Free Press faith column.

Three years after Oct. 7, no statement on Gaza from Canada’s largest church council

 

It has been nearly three years since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. More than 80,000 Israelis and Palestinians have died in the ensuing conflict and more than 174,000 Palestinians have been wounded in Gaza. 

And still, the Canadian Council of Churches, which represents about 85 per cent of Canadian Christians, is struggling to issue its first collective statement on the war. 

“I think it’s a tragedy that we have not been able to speak to the situation in Gaza, Israel, Palestine,” outgoing Canadian Council of Churches general secretary Peter Noteboom told Canadian Affairs.

Read Michael’s story in Canadian Affairs.

Religion and voting: What can faith communities say about municipal elections?

We have an election coming up in Winnipeg. With that in mind, the Free Press asked some columnists to write about it. What, they were asked, are the challenges ahead and how the city can become better? 

They mentioned things like how candidates will pay for their many promises, take seriously the concerns of inner city residents, tend to our relationship with Indigenous people, and offer people a vision for the future. 

What could a faith columnist say about the election? I wondered what faith communities in other Canadian cities have done, or are doing, during municipal elections—in places like Vancouver, Toronto, Alberta and Ottawa. 

And I was reminded of what Christian author and philosopher G. K. Chesterton wrote over 100 years ago about a horrible slum in London called Pimlico—about the need to love a place before trying to fix it. 

Read more in my latest column in the Free Press.

 

Catholics and coffee, Buddhists and tea: What's the connection between religion and these favourite beverages?

What’s the relationship between coffee and religion? That question occurred to me this summer when I was an instructor at a week-long event for aspiring Catholic journalists in Toronto. Whenever journalists gather, there will be conversation — and coffee. Lots of coffee. 

In that case, it was Catholic coffee. 

“Catholic coffee?” you ask. “What is that?” 

Catholic Coffee is the name of a small family business in Charlotte, N.C. Its goal is to use a daily habit of drinking coffee, especially in the morning, to focus attention on God through devotion and prayer. For decades, peacekeeping has been part of Canada’s identity — internationally and at home. 

Read more about Catholic coffee, and its tie to religion and ritual, with a bonus look at spirituality and tea, in my most recent column.