Vancouver Men’s Welsh Choir Support Hope in Shadows Women

The Vancouver Mens Welsh Choir has invited Hope in Shadows women to sell the calendar and book at their upcoming concerts, The Sound of Christmas.

Join them this Friday and Saturday to hear beautiful festive music and support the Hope in Shadows' women. The Friday night concert is at 8 pm at the First Baptist Church (969 Burrard) and Saturday evening at Shaugnessy Heights (1550 West 33rd.) Visit their website for more details.

"We've found that selling the calendar on the street is not viable option for all women," says women's sales organizer Carolyn Wong. "This year we've obtained a few indoor sites including Granville Island where women will be selling calendars, although I encourage the public to support any of the licensed street sellers - male or female."

Women sellers, including Josette ("Joe") Mangatal, are participating in the women's program. See a recent news clip with Peter Grainger of CTV for more info.

Joe is a 46-year-old Downtown Eastside mom, contest winner and calendar seller also featured in the Hope in Shadows book. For Joe, the extra income at Christmas time has meant a lot. She and her partner Russ work as a team and are often found on the south-west corner of Granville and Broadway. "We've been able to give gifts to our five children and nine grandchildren," says Joe who hopes to put this year's earnings towards purchasing a car. Moreover, Joe says the sales experiences has helped her gain confidence and communicate better. "It makes me feel good because people are coming up to you on a one-to-one basis and they are treating you nice. We've had people from all over the world buy it."

Another seller, Skyla Sund, is a past contest winner and has been selling the calendar for several years. Her personal story is also featured in the recently published Hope in Shadows book, which was awarded the Vancouver City Book Award this month. "It's given me self-esteem," says Skyla about her Hope in Shadows experiences. "It's actually gotten me to writing my own life stories".