She's known simply as Grandma and she's been serving the women of the Downtown Eastside for many years now, on the streets of Vancouver and on the Sunshine Coast through the retreat space offered by Linwood House Ministries (LHM).
At 98 years old, Grandma (Linda Marie Grant) is also a dynamite baker and cook. She has freely passed on her wisdom to guests that she learned from years of cooking for a family of six, including her daughter, Gwen McVicker, founder of Linwood House.
Grandma's skill has inspired a cookbook, Linwood Family Recipes, to be sold hot off the press this Sunday, Aug. 21 during the fifth annual Linwood Art Experience on the grounds of the lovely mansion in Roberts Creek.
The Art Experience is an important fundraiser for LHM and last year generated more than $10,000 from its 400 to 500 visitors. The Coast's art community can take a lot of the credit as this year's 19 invited artists will display their work on site and once again contribute 30 per cent of their sales to the cause. The art experience has been organized by Sechelt artist Yzabelle Delisle Milton whose iconic painting of a woman in reverie is on this year's poster and was donated as last year's raffle prize. This year the raffle winner will take home a colourful poppy painting by Doris Biddle. Other painters who will have their work for sale are: Ed Cleave, Kim and Carol LaFave, Donna Swain, Diana Starbuck, Doug Rae, Ann Willsie and Dru Vaughn. Potters Darcy Margesson, Jack Ploesser, Liz Debeer and Jose Ventura will show and sell their work as well as jeweller Nancy Gatland, stained glass artist Susan Furze, wood-turner Robert Milton and stone carvers Jesse Whitford and Jan Hooley.
There's a special feature this year -Sechelt artist Rogest (Ron Steven) will be at Linwood House in advance of Sunday's event to lead a group of friends from the Downtown Eastside in an art workshop. The resulting creations will be auctioned at 3 p.m. at the Art Experience.
Also new this year is a second raffle draw. For every $200 spent, buyers can enter their names in a draw for a donated vacation in Hawaii. A silent auction of items donated by businesses and artists offers affordable gift baskets and art. Musicians will be along to entertain: Maureen Bodie on harp and the vocal group of In Good Company, plus Vancouver's Lonnie Delisle on the piano. Of course, Sunday afternoon tea will be served along with lemonade and some of that famous baking.
"We've had lots of requests for dishes visitors have tried at Linwood," said Patricia Bekke, volunteer and self-described galley slave at Linwood. The scones, light and mouthwatering, are offered during the Art Experience and their recipe will be in the book along with salmon muffins, a luncheon treat, popular lemon squares plus ethnic dishes such as Thai lemongrass soup. Whimsical artwork is by Henry Bekke. The recipe book is available for $20 and all funds go towards the ministry to help provide retreat space and a journey of healing.
Linwood directors describe how many women are trapped in a lifestyle of drugs, crime and prostitution. Statistics indicate that many of them have been abused from an early age, and most live without family support or any real sense of functional community. A retreat stay at Linwood is all about passing on the message: "you are loved, you are worthy, you are beautiful." The retreat time has been a healing experience for those who then move out to touch the world through ongoing connections in the Downtown Eastside.
The Art Experience runs Sunday, Aug. 21 from 1 to 5 p.m. at 3144 Linwood Road, Roberts Creek (off upper Roberts Creek Road). Parking is on Day Road with a short walk to Linwood, or via a shuttle bus for those who need it. There's no admission charge and plenty to see. For more, check out: www.linwoodhouseministries.org.
