Mark your calendars. BB&B 2027 is on October 30 & 31
Saturday October 3, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Marda Loop Communities Centre parking lot, 3130 – 16 St. SW
Please ensure that items are tagged with the name of the item, makers’ name or initials, product content, size & washing instructions if applicable. Tags will be available at the drop-off locations.
Posters are available HERE – please print some and share with family and friends, and post in your community.
Volunteers are required for several areas of the sales floor and greeting at the entry as well as drivers, navigators and able-bodied movers for pickup/return of our hardware in storage. (We will be renting a truck for this role). Please consider signing up in your area of interest.
Volunteer Sign up Dates:
October 1 at 8:00am – will be open to Ujamaa Grandmas Communal members. You will receive an email from the Communication Coordinator on the evening of Sept 30 with the volunteer signup link.
October 9 at 8:00am – will be open to all members on the “soon to be retired membership list”. The volunteer signup link will be available on the 9th at this link BAGS, BABIES & BEYOND | UJAMAA GRANDMAS.
We encourage you to wear your Hallowe’en attire on Saturday.
This is a reminder to sign up at https://ujamaagrandmas.getcommunal.com/memberships in order to retain your annual Ujamaa Grandmas membership. If you wish to continue receiving the monthly newsletter and other communications, please sign up today to remain part of our vibrant community. For those who do not sign up in Communal, you will no longer hold an active membership or receive any further communications starting November 1.
As our new Communal database is still relatively new, we received a question about why we felt the need to implement a membership fee, and whether this meant that we felt the many hours our members contribute as volunteers were not, in themselves, enough of a contribution. The following is in answer to that question.
We introduced a small annual membership fee (from signup date to the same date the following year) for a couple of reasons:
1. To help cover the cost of our new membership-management system.
Our new database replaces an outdated and inefficient system that required a significant amount of volunteer time to manage. Communal will help us maintain accurate membership information, including members’ interests and contact information. It also provides functionality that will allow us to reduce our reliance on, and eliminate the cost of, tools such as Eventbrite for ticket sales and SignUpGenius for volunteer shift management.
2. To help cover some of the everyday administrative and fundraising costs of running Ujamaa Grandmas.
As you know, there are many behind-the-scenes expenses involved in keeping our organization going, from our membership database and insurance to supplies, refreshments at celebrations, venue and vehicle rentals, and the costs of organizing our fundraising activities.
While some of these fundraising expenses are necessarily and justifiably covered through fundraising revenue, we believe that the money raised through our sales and other fundraising efforts should, as much as possible, go toward our mission and what brought us together in the first place: to raise awareness and funds for the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.
This is particularly important at a time when global health funding is being reduced, and the communities and programs supported through the Grandmothers Campaign continue to face significant challenges. Every dollar we can direct toward the Campaign matters. Your membership dues are therefore more than simply a way to help cover our operating costs. They are another way of helping ensure that the funds raised through your hard work, generosity, and commitment can have the greatest possible impact.
Please know that membership dues in no way diminish the enormous value of the time, talent and energy our members contribute. You are the heart of Ujamaa Grandmas, and the countless hours you give throughout the year are what make our fundraising possible. Membership dues are simply one small piece of the collective contribution each of us makes to keeping Ujamaa Grandmas strong and supporting the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. Thank you for being a member of Ujamaa Grandmas and for helping us continue this important work.
With warm regards,
Char
Further to the email you received on July 12th announcing Ujamaa Grandmas new membership database, this is a reminder to sign up at https://ujamaagrandmas.getcommunal.com/memberships in order to retain your membership.
If the $20 fee is a barrier and you wish to remain a member, please write to membership@ujamaagrandmas.com.
For any questions or support, please write to message@ujamaagrandmas.com.
Steps to follow when signing up:
The Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign
The Stephen Lewis Foundation is built on a foundation of feminism, anti-colonialism, social justice, and global solidarity. For more than 20 years, the SLF has challenged traditional power structures in international development and philanthropy by shifting funding into the hands of local communities. Twenty years ago, when Stephen Lewis was the UN Special Envoy for HIV and AIDS in Africa, he was appalled that the international community was so lethargic in their response to the AIDS pandemic, and at the same time, he was inspired by the work happening in communities. Stephen Lewis saw that communities had the knowledge and the expertise, what they were missing were the funds. The SLF has spent the last twenty years partnering with community-led organizations who are championing health and human rights in communities that continue to be affected by the HIV epidemic
On International Women’s Day in 2006, Stephen Lewis, alongside actress and activist Shirley Douglas, former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, and South African grandmothers Rose Letabwa and Lucia Mazibuko announced the launch of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.. Since 2006, more than $40 million has been raised in support of grandmothers and the community-led organizations that support them across 14 countries in Africa. In the face of discrimination based on gender, age, and HIV status, they are courageous advocates for their families and communities.
Starting with a few groups in Canada, the Grandmothers Campaign now includes 10,000 grandmothers and grandothers in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
A special celebration of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign will take place in Ottawa on October 5-7, 2026. This gathering will bring Canadian grandmothers, grandothers, allies, donors and African partners and community leaders together for an inspiring event.
Dear Grandmothers & Grandothers,
I’m pleased to share the detailed program for our 20th Anniversary Celebration, taking place October 5–7. Please find the full program details at the link below:
20th-Anniversary-Celebration-Oct-5-7-Program-Details.pdf
Please take a moment to share with your group members to review the program and the activities planned for the celebration. Looking forward to celebrating this special milestone together!
Take care,
Thushika
Thushika Rajendrakumar (she/her)hA
Development Officer – Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign
Stephen Lewis Foundation
E: trajendrakumar@stephenlewisfoundation.org
Join the Red Deer GrammaLink-Africa for their chili for a cause. Get lunch – chili, homemade bun, pumpkin cupcake, coffee or tea – served in a handmade pottery bowl for $20. Takeout is available at the door.
On Wednesday Oct 21, 11:30 until the chili runs out
At Gaetz United Church, 4758 Ross Street, Red Deer.
Please consider supporting their campaign. Tickets will be available at the door.
More details in the poster. Chili for a Cause Poster
We need more help in presenting Vested Interest! A very small team has been involved in all our shows but we desperately need more volunteers. The hosting group provides models and a few extra volunteers but we provide the Stage Manager and often a Wardrobe Mistress. These team members make the show run much more smoothly.
When a Vested Interest show is booked, we simply put out a call for specific volunteers and you respond if you are available and keen. This is a very flexible volunteer commitment nor is it a heavy-duty time commitment! If you are interested in helping out, please contact me through message@ujamaagrandmas.com
Ellen Monaghan
Children of the Street by Kwei Quartey is our second book by this author. This is a detective story that takes place in Ghana and provides a look at social issues while keeping the reader guessing as to ‘who dunnit’.
New members are always welcome. Just contact us via message@ujamaagrandmas.com