Why I Believe in Teaching People to Fish
Hi, I’m Brennan. If you’ve read a POGI update or seen one of our gala graphics, there’s a good chance it crossed my desk first. I’ve been part of the POGI team for years, and I got here the way a lot of us did: through Buena. Buena’s heart for these kids is contagious. Once you catch it, it’s hard to walk away.
But I want to tell you why I stay.
By day, I work in higher education. I’ve watched students show up on campus unsure of themselves, then walk across the stage a few years later ready for something bigger. Sure, they leave with skills for a career. But they also leave with something harder to measure. They’ve learned how to think, how to show up for people, how to keep going when life gets hard. Education doesn’t just prepare you for a job. It prepares you for life.
That’s why “teach a person to fish” isn’t a cliché to me. A meal matters. Relief matters, especially in a crisis. But a meal is gone by tomorrow. An education keeps feeding a family for decades.
You can see it in Shillong, India right now. This year, four young adults who grew up at God’s Dream Home Centre earned degrees from Martin Luther Christian University, two of them master’s degrees. Think about what that means. A social worker who will spend a career caring for others. Business grads who can build something and hire their neighbours. Those degrees don’t stay with one person. They ripple out to siblings, to future kids, to whole communities.
That’s the kind of transformation I believe in.
Today, 126 children in Shillong and Odisha are still on that journey. Each one has a dream of his/her own, and each one needs people in their corner.
I’d love for you to be one of them.
Join Us at the Gratitude Gala
As Christmas approaches, celebrate the lives being transformed, hear what’s ahead, and spend an evening with people who care about the same things you do.
Date: Dec. 13, 2026, 6:00–9:30 PM
Venue: Fleetwood Community Centre Studio (15996 84 Ave)
Click here to get your ticket today: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/gratitude-gala--2026
Email us back if you’d like to participate as a donor or sponsor.
Auction items are welcome!
With gratitude,
Brennan Lee
Marketing Manager
People of Grace International Foundation
Ways to Give
Online: bit.ly/pogigift
Cheques to ICMS: Please include a "separate" note – For People of Grace International
Contact: 604-240-5096 or peopleofgraceintl@gmail.com
Donations in the US and Canada are tax receipted by ICMS (International Christian Mission Services).
2026 Goals
People of Grace International complies with CRA/IRS guidelines for non-profits through our relationship with International Christian Mission Services (ICMS). ICMS has direction and control of the resources donated to ICMS on behalf of our ministry and holds us accountable for the work we do.
