Summer is in full swing and Grace Rwanda is out in the community socializing.

This weekend, come by and visit Grace Rwanda at the Langley Canada Day celebrations at Willoughby Community Park near the Langley Events Centre.

We’ll be sharing a booth again with the Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise, who have been exceptional supporters of our cause. Stop by and check out our Rwandan crafts, chat with us about what’s new or learn how you can get involved. We’d love to share our experiences with you.

The event promises to be a fun weekend, running from June 28 to July 1. Saturday and Sunday feature sporting events during the day, while Monday features a night market with music and food from around the world, which runs from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. On Canada Day, July 1, the festivities — including children’s activities, rides, live entertainment, pony rides, car show and dog show — run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and end with fireworks.

Visit Internationalfestival.ca and Langleycanadada.ca to learn more. Hope to see you there!

Elizabeth Johnson in Rwanda, 2014. Photo: Jordan Levine.

Summer’s coming, but the Grace Rwanda team isn’t on vacation. We’re hard at work preparing for upcoming projects and events.

First, a big thank you to everyone who voted for Elizabeth Johnson in the recent Canadian Immigrant Top 25 contest. The voting has now closed and the results will be announced June 24. We’re hoping Elizabeth wins the recognition she deserves!

We’ve been staying busy with community talks.

Elizabeth visited Heritage Woods Secondary School in Port Moody last week and gave a moving talk to students about her past in Rwanda, her recent visit, and the work of Grace Rwanda. If you’d like Elizabeth to speak at your school or community event please email her at elizabeth@gracerwanda.org. Take a look to at our newly revamped Toonies4Change.org web site to learn more about our school programs!

And Grace Rwanda will be out and about in the community this summer.

Look for us at the Walnut Grove Family Day event on Saturday, June 21. Stay tuned for details.

And please also come by and visit us at the Langley International Festival and Canada Day celebration from June 28-July 1. Check back for more information.

And if you’d like to get more involved in volunteering with the Grace Rwanda team this summer, please let us know. We’re having our end-of-fiscal-year board meeting on Sunday, June 1 in Langley from 4-6 p.m. New volunteers are always welcome! We gladly work with the skills you offer and the time you have. It’s a great way to get involved in your community and for students to earn school volunteering credits. Contact Elizabeth at elizabeth@gracerwanda.org to attend.

You can get regular updates by following @GraceRwanda, liking us on Facebook, adding us in your Google+ circle, and watching our videos on YouTube.