Bread for Lunch

 Brenda Snowden, Director of the Banqueting Table. The Banqueting Table is a non-profit catering company serving North Vancouverand the Lower Mainland since 1998. With passion and determination The Banqueting Table delivers the highest quality food and service for all occasions. As a social enterprise, The Banqueting Table provides employment opportunities to single mothers and women who wish to re-enter the workforce.  Women learn job skills and regain self-confidence while preparing food and catering to a variety of events. Our aim is to teach food preparation and customer service while encouraging teamwork and fostering a positive work attitude.  The Banqueting Table is a launch pad, encouraging the women on our team to explore their own interests and career paths when they feel ready to take that leap.  We make educational scholarships available to our women each year. Visit their website at http://www.thebanquetingtable.ca/

Kamal Dhillon is an author, an inspirational speaker, a domestic violence counselor and a recent recipient of the Courage to Come Back Award. Her book, Black & Blue Sari, is a harrowing autobiography of the abuse and torment she suffered through by the hands of her husband after her marriage. Her story and message is one that will affect you, disturb you, enrage you and will open your eyes to the reality and severity of domestic violence.
After an arranged marriage into an influential and wealthy family, the life of a young South Asian girl is drastically changed for the worse. Married in her late teens into a very wealthy and influential family, Kamal dreamed of a life as a princess. This dream soon faded and Kamal realized the harsh reality of her new life.  With promises of a fairy tale life echoing in her ears, she is thrown into a world of abuse, violence and torture. Afraid for the lives of her family and children, she constantly looked death in the face but survived to tell her story.
Black and Blue Sari is a true story about the cost of leaving a toxic relationship and how the transition can empower you and those around you. Domestic violence is an epidemic that leaves no community unaffected; one in every four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.
Since the release of her book in late November 2009, Dhillon has made appearances on both radio and TV and she has been the speaker and workshop facilitator at numerous venues including high schools, community events and places of worship.
Kamal is a mother of four and has two grandchildren. She has been described as an individual with powerhouse ability to encourage men and women. She shares her story both locally and abroad. She continues to be  a voice to the voiceless. Through her presentations she hopes to empower men, women and children to live life to the fullest potential. Visit the website at http://www.blackandbluesari.com/
Black and Blue Sari will be available to purchase at the event

The Province Article CLICK HERE  

What is Young Professionals’ Fellowship?

A monthly venue where young professionals between the ages of 20’s to early 40’s can meet, network and encourage one another in these unpredictable and transient times in their lives. Being young professionals ourselves, we have always found it difficult to find a venue that provided us with the opportunity to meet with our peers regularly so that we could develop strong relationships and networks that will encourage us as we move along in our individual journeys. We are social beings and in order to keep going in our journeys we need support from others.

Therefore, we are starting a monthly fellowship called the “Young Professionals Fellowship.” A monthly gathering where young professionals not only come together to meet and encourage one another but to engage with seasoned leaders to discuss their life challenges and impart some wisdom that we can treasure for ourselves. These seasoned leaders will host and facilitate a casual dialogue where everyone is given the opportunity to be an encouragement for one another with “intentional connection.” For updates on upcoming speakers and locations, please either join our Facebook Group by clicking HERE or contact us to be included on our e-mail list.

We hope to see you there!