Len Goddard and the Sonshine Organization

This is a “Birds Eye View” of my story, Len Goddard

My hometown was Hamilton On. My wife and I graduated from the Salvation Army William Booth College in 1967.  We were the commissioned as Salvation Army officers. Our first posting was as the pastor of their church in Paris ON.  January 1968 we were transferred to Port Arthur to pastor their local church. I joined the local Rotary Club. While there, Port Arthur and Fort William became Thunder Bay.   Because of my connections in Rotary, I was asked to do the prayer and blessing for the new city, during the inauguration ceremony.

We were then appointed to Regent Park, an inner-city church in Toronto.  While there we developed new community programs that included four community centres and a residential camp for Inner City teens.  A local Rotary club made the first donation to the building fund for the camp.  From there we went to Calgary where we established a new church for the S.A. The North Calgary Rotary club where I was a member sent my daughter as an exchange student to Australia.  That was followed by an appointment in Windsor where I was the Ex-Director for the Social Services. Again, I was a member of Roseland Rotary.  Then off to Ottawa as the Executive Director of the Booth Centre which included a hostel, drug recovery, job training programs and used clothing stores.  Again, a Rotarian at Ottawa Club.

We resigned from the S.A. after 25 years and established Sonshine Families and then Sonshine Community Ministries. For the last 30 years they have been “Changing the World One Life at a Time” How? We are a licensed foster care and group home agency.  We also specialize in working with individuals with special needs.  This includes group homes, day programs and a residential camp.  See our web site Sonshinefamilies.ca.  Twenty-nine years ago, we established Community Christian Fellowship Church of Canada. I was the founding president and still hold that position. We have 68 clergy plus affiliate programs.  See – CCFCC.INFO

During this time, I was a charter member of the Rotary Club of Orleans serving throughout my time on the board and as President.  During that time on behalf of the club I became the Chair of the new Miracle League of Ottawa.  We raised 2.6M and erected a baseball diamond and playground designed for individuals with special needs.  I then became a charter member of our club who has been supportive of our work. (thanks).

A video of Len's presentation can be found in the video link. There are also a picture album of the new office in Ottawa and a PowerPoint presentation of Sonshine Cove.