Search KelownaNow
Kelowna residents, Tamara McLellan and Angie Lohr joined forces on Friday to host, H.O.P.E. in Her eyes - a charity event for both of their organizations.
It's the first time the two organizations have come together to raise awareness around women and children who have experienced traumatic events leading to a lack of support - both around the world and in our own backyard.
McLellan is the co-executive director for Her International, formerly known as IWEN. She and the other volunteers work in Nepal providing education opportunities and sustainable life skills to marginalized women and children.
According to McLellan, while slave labor was recently deemed illegal in Nepal, it's still a constant concern.
Lohr is the founder and president of H.O.P.E., an organization helping women who are homeless and/or sexually exploited in Kelowna.
Many attendees were deeply impacted by Lohr's message of looking past the judgment and instead, looking into the eyes of the person in front of you on the street:
"They're your sisters, your mothers, your brothers," said Lohr.
Tickets to the event sold out earlier this week and about 200 people attended.
For more information on the organizations, visit Hope-Outreach and Her International.
If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter.
If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform.