Donors
Living Generously
John and Ruth Haak consider themselves blessed. They have a wonderful, close-knit family that includes children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren whom they dearly love. They have had meaningful careers and have been fully enjoying their retirement. Being part of a faith community enriches their lives. For all of this they are deeply grateful and it is out of this sense of gratitude that they seek ways to give back.
“We often think of the verse from Luke 12, where Jesus says that ‘from those who have been given much, much will be asked,’” Ruth says. “We take that responsibility seriously.”
Generosity was modelled to both John and Ruth in their families. Ruth’s mother came to Canada as a refugee and when Ruth was a child, their family opened up their home to refugees as well. John remembers his father sponsoring his brother’s family from Germany. He also reflects on how hard-working his parents were.
“My dad worked two jobs. We had a farm in Mt. Lehman (in Abbotsford) and he worked for the railway,” John remembers. “My parents were hard-working people.”
These experiences shaped their lives. The couple also farmed in the Okanagan where Ruth ran a bed and breakfast. John took care of the orchard and also worked as a teacher. When they retired and moved back to Abbotsford to be closer to family, they chose to volunteer in various ways both in community and through their church. When they look back on their lives so far, they are filled with gratitude.
“We are so richly blessed,” Ruth says.
John agrees, adding that what is important for him is to give with the right motivation.
“I never want to give out of guilt or obligation,” he explains. “I know that we have been blessed and it’s out of that blessing that I want to give freely. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like very much but ‘little is much, when God is in it.’”
Giving of their resources is another way that John and Ruth express their gratitude. As partners in marriage, they make decisions about their giving together. Several things direct their choices: giving local, giving to faith-based organizations, and the way an organization manages its funds are all important considerations.
Having a personal connection also influences their decisions. When their granddaughter, Jessie Fefchak, began as an intern and then as an employee at Communitas, the couple took an interest in the work of the organization.
“Through Jessie, we learned more about the work Communitas does,” Ruth says. “We also realized that there are others in our church who work at Communitas. That shows us that caring people work here and we can see how the work makes a difference in the lives of people.”
The legacy of modelling generosity has deeply impacted their granddaughter. Jessie says her grandparents have been generous to her in countless ways. The form of that generosity evolved as she grew and her needs changed.
As a little girl, they gave Jessie their time, taking her berry picking, hiking, or on day trips to fun places. As a teenager, they never missed a game or recital in which Jessie participated. As an adult, their generosity continues in the form of warm meals and encouraging words.
“What they’ve shown me is that generosity doesn’t have to be about grand gestures,” Jessie says. “It’s about taking what you have, your time, passions, or skills, and offering it freely to bless others. Throughout every stage of my life, they’ve done just that and more.”
These gestures are simply a part of who John and Ruth have become; an extension of the generosity modelled for them as children, embodied in their life as a couple, and shared both with family and with strangers. It is simply a way of living that continues to be passed on.
“Their example has shaped so much of who I am and how I understand what it means to live generously,” Jessie says.
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