A joint project is bringing hope to families in need by filling requests for things such as furniture and school supplies.

Just last spring, Kathy Boschmann, an administrator with One Heart Winnipeg, embarked on a project to help children in need find supplies that government workers cannot supply them with.

A new website called CarePortal is being tested in Winnipeg and is seeing success. The US-based company connects churches and social workers to fulfill requests for things the government cannot supply.

"We are interested in supporting families so that have all that they need," Boschmann says. She says requests from on the CarePortal are for "whatever needs they might have as a family that they cannot provide for themselves or that a child-serving agency cannot provide."

A social worker will identify a need, and enter it into the system, The social worker then becomes a point person between the church volunteers and the family in need of assistance.

"Sometimes it is challenging. Right now because of the coronavirus it is hard for social workers because they are also trying to work and home and they are not necessarily as able to respond because their workload has increased."

Boschmann says 72 children were served last year. Originally starting with three Winnipeg churches, the number of churches wanting to help has now jumped to 13.

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"We are showing God's love in a very practical way and trying to make a relational connection to show them that God's love is real and is wanting them to be in community with him and the church," Boschmann says."

They have received 48 requests so far and have been able to fulfill 40 of those requests.

Just last week, Boschmann herself was able to witness how quickly someone can be helped. A notice appeared on CarePortal about a young mother and a student at Red River College who is forced to do her work at home due to the pandemic. The mother needed a scanner to send work in, and Boshmann discovered her own sister had one to spare. 

"From seeing the notification to actually bringing (the scanner) it took about a week," Boschmann says.

Boschmann has also seen how churches can work to help provide a family with furniture.

A family who had immigrated to Canada had no furniture and desperately needed some to be able to properly care for their children. 

Volunteers gathered to find the family furniture and help them bring it inside despite the pandemic. Taking precautions, the family was able to have furniture in their home.