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Picture Source: besafe.ma (Read "Chaplain's Corner: Our Living Hope") I first joined JOHS to make a meaningful impact on the workplace. I appreciate that the JOHS committee is most effective when the JOHS members care about their colleagues. In our 119 location, clientele is diverse and comes from many walks of life. Often, we work closely with individuals who have a history of substance use or criminal histories, thus putting our staff in situations with heightened risk. Not only does the JOHS committee become an integral part of maintaining staff safety concerns, but it is also a presence that provides comfort to staff. Our JOHS committee is safe and confidential, and we let staff know they are welcome to file concerns anonymously. It provides an avenue for staff to express concerns without feeling like they are confronting management. JOHS has seen quite a few changes since I joined. I think the most noticeable change is the participation of JOHS members. We have worked hard to foster an environment that allows JOHS members to have accountability, which has motivated them to be more active. Some safety items we address include ensuring staff arrangements align with safety best practices, improving air quality, and adding additional safety features and policies in the building. In my opinion, the best way staff can support JOHS is to understand that we are all one big team. If an issue is affecting you, it most likely is affecting others! --- Josiah, Co-Chair of TSA 119 JOHS Committee (Union Representative) I joined the JOHS committee to learn how to support the staff better and contribute to a safer work environment and gain valuable learning experience. As the DTES can be an unpredictable and potentially volatile area to work in, I want to make sure that we are all prepared and knowledgeable in our safety plans. A JOHS committee allows us to have a productive collaborative team that helps maintain a safe work environment. I also believe it contributes to the company culture around safety as it gives our staff piece of mind that things will always be addressed as needed. If staff would like to contribute to the health & safety of the workplace, staff are always welcome to bring repairs or safety concerns to the JOHS! -- Steve, Co-Chair of TSA 108 JOHS Committee (Employer Representative)

Picture by: Cindy Cheung, Community Engagement Coordinator When we reflect on the Easter story—Jesus’ death and resurrection—we are drawn into the deep mystery of God’s love and grace poured out for the whole world. As we sing worship songs on Sunday morning, Thursday evening, or Friday night, we’re invited to ask an important question: Do these lyrics become more than words on a screen or a melody in the air? Do they shape our faith, stir our memory, and lead us toward surrender? Derek Johnson, writing on his blog, offers a powerful reflection on the song Living Hope: “If worship is warfare and our songs can be weapons, then Living Hope is an absolute barrage of artillery—tanks, planes, and battleships. There’s a lot in Christian worship music today that promotes an attitude of me-first thinking. Living Hope begins with a scene of desperation; it depicts the place you and I were in when we were dead in our sin. It’s a place that is real. It’s separation. It’s loss. It’s, in many ways, hopeless—a stark contrast that is brilliantly shattered by the Living Hope. I love that writers Phil Wickham and Brian Johnson take us back to that place. Worship is a place of remembrance, reminding ourselves that Christ has saved us from something truly devastating—something so great it would have separated us from God, had we not turned toward Christ.” In worship, we remember not only what Christ has done, but what we have been saved from. And in that remembering, hope is reborn. I’ve been practicing the vocation of worship leader for over ten years. In the beginning, I was focused on playing the music, learning the songs, getting the chords right, and leading confidently. What I didn’t always do was slow down and consider what those lyrics were forming in the hearts of the congregation. For a long time, I assumed that songs with a strong “me-focused” message where simply what worship was about. Over time, I’ve come to realize how incomplete that understanding was. I was mistaken. Leading worship is not about drawing attention to ourselves or our experiences. It is about guiding people into remembrance—remembering who God is, what Christ has done, and the hope we now live in because of Him. True worship turns our eyes away from ourselves and back toward Jesus, our living hope. Living Hope is more than just a song we sing on a Sunday morning. It is centered on the gospel message of redemption—transforming despair into hope through Christ’s resurrection. The song highlights the immense chasm between humanity and God, a gap bridged solely by Jesus’ death and resurrection, emphasizing salvation through grace and mercy. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” — 1 Peter 1:3 — Robbie Alberts, VHL Music Chaplain Source: i More Than A Song - Living Hope by Phil Wickham-Derek Johnson Blog

Our Easter Brunch is coming up on April 6th, Easter Monday. We prepared 300+ meals of delicious omelettes, sausages, waffle, hot cross buns and of course dessert! You will be greeted by our welcoming team and volunteers as you enter, meet others in the community, and find Easter goodies at the exit. Meal times are 11-12pm at 119 E Cordova St. Join us as we celebrate the renewal and hope Jesus gave us when he died on the cross 2000+ years ago with music, food and good company. See you there! — Cindy Cheung, Community Engagement Coordinator