Last night, thunder and lightning plus a torrential rain cleared the sultry air. Today’s television keeps us informed daily and prepared for nature on the rampage.

Whirlwinds, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, hailstorms, and wildfires are all too familiar to us. In Canada we witness the year-round impact of unexpected storms, be it wind, water snow or fire.

Modern atmospheric technology usually warns about the threats and gives us a heads up, allowing us to take measures to defend life and limb. Worldwide, we witness many political and economic storms and we feel apprehensive about causing instability and unrest.

There are also storms of unexpected changes or experiences of health in our daily life. At times, these issues develop beyond our normal expectations and can be damaging storms. It takes an adjustment in our personal understanding of our own characteristics to deal with the storms in such situations.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to bring a substantial donation from our Reinders Foundation outreach program to an organization called 541 – Eatery located in downtown Hamilton. It is a charitable restaurant where people who find themselves living in difficult situations, be it on the streets, on drugs, having mental or emotional problems going through storms in life, can pay for their meals with buttons donated by generous patrons, while young volunteers serve and reach out as required.

It is very gratifying to witness the direct benefits from the profit-sharing funds from our projects, in calming some of the impacts of social storms.

We are privileged to know that the efforts during the 50 years of our Maple Reinders company operations not only help us grow personally but can provide meaning and perspective in our life as a work community.

May God bless us in overcoming and reaching out in the storms we face in our working and community life.

– Fred J. Reinders, Chairman