Beyond Housing

06/03/2026

A big thank you to the volunteers from Creekside Church who spent part of their Saturday helping Sprucelawn Apartments for Seniors bloom!

As part of The Big Serve, volunteers weeded, mulched, and planted flowers in tenants’ gardens and around the property. Their generosity also included a gift to Sprucelawn's tenant-led social committee to help purchase a lightweight leaf blower for shared outdoor spaces.

Thank you for helping make Sprucelawn an even more welcoming place to call home. ❤️

06/03/2026

The momentum is building for Out-Spok’n XVI! 🚲

Thanks to the incredible generosity of riders, donors, and sponsors, fundraising is already making a real difference as we work toward creating more safe, affordable homes in Waterloo Region.

Have you checked the leaderboard yet? Look at Martin's total! Thanks to your support, he's closing in on $113,000, the number that will push him to his $500,000 lifetime goal!

See who else is climbing the ranks, cheer on your favourite riders, and help push the totals even higher before ride day on June 13: https://bit.ly/3PZzbz5

06/02/2026

What happens when someone discovers that administration is their spiritual gift?

For 87-year-old , that calling led to a lifetime of community building, poverty reduction and affordable housing. In a recent article for Canadian Mennonite, Martin reflects on how his faith shaped his work, from leading House of Friendship, to helping establish The Food Bank of Waterloo Region to founding MennoHomes, now Beyond Housing.

This year, Martin is putting that calling into action one more time as he takes part in his final Out-Spok'n bike-a-thon on June 13.

Funds raised through Out-Spok'n will help create more safe, affordable homes in Waterloo Region, including our planned 30-unit accessible apartment building in Elmira.

Please consider sponsoring his final fundraising ride. (https://beyondhousing.ca/news-events/out-spokn-bike-a-thon/)

-Spok’n2026

06/02/2026

What happens when someone discovers that administration is their spiritual gift?

For 87-year-old , that calling led to a lifetime of community building, poverty reduction, and affordable housing. In a recent article for Canadian Mennonite, Martin reflects on how his faith shaped his work, from helping establish The Food Bank of Waterloo Region to founding MennoHomes, now Beyond Housing. (canadianmennonite.org)

This year, Martin is putting that calling into action one more time as he takes part in his final Out-Spok'n bike-a-thon on June 13.

Funds raised through Out-Spok'n will help create more safe, affordable homes in Waterloo Region, including our planned 30-unit accessible apartment building in Elmira.

Read Martin's story, then consider sponsoring his final fundraising ride. (Link in comments.)

Read the article: https://canadianmennonite.org/called-to-administration/

-Spok’n2026

I grew up in Oakbank and New Bothwell, Manitoba. We were nine children, but I was the second youngest surviving child. I looked forward to holiday meal celebrations when my siblings came home.

06/02/2026

What happens when someone discovers that administration is their spiritual gift?

For 87-year-old Martin Buhr, that calling led to a lifetime of community building, poverty reduction, and affordable housing. In a recent article for Canadian Mennonite, Martin reflects on how his faith shaped his work, from helping establish The Food Bank of Waterloo Region to founding MennoHomes, now Beyond Housing.

This year, Martin is putting that calling into action one more time as he takes part in his final Out-Spok'n bike-a-thon on June 13.

Funds raised through Out-Spok'n will help create more safe, affordable homes in Waterloo Region, including our planned 30-unit accessible apartment building in Elmira.

Read Martin's story, then consider sponsoring his final fundraising ride. (Link in comments below.)

Read the article: https://canadianmennonite.org/called-to-administration/

-Spok’n2026

I grew up in Oakbank and New Bothwell, Manitoba. We were nine children, but I was the second youngest surviving child. I looked forward to holiday meal celebrations when my siblings came home.

06/01/2026

A huge thank you to our 2026 Out-Spok’n sponsors: Kindred Credit Union, Zehr Group, VCT Group and Josslin Insurance.❤️

Their generous support helps cover event costs and all credit card processing fees, meaning 100% of funds raised through donations go directly toward creating safe, affordable homes in Waterloo Region.

We’re grateful for community partners who help make this work possible. Thank you for riding alongside us.

05/29/2026

Are you going to the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale this weekend? Why not drop by our booth and say hello? We'd love to see you and share what we're working on!

05/28/2026

Yesterday, volunteers Phyllis, Gloria and Marlene packed bags of chocolates to celebrate Beyond Housing’s 25th anniversary and spread the word about our anniversary bus tour this October. Thank you, ladies! ❤️

You can pick up your chocolates and learn more about the tour at the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale this weekend.

05/27/2026

See this photo? It was taken this morning.

This is the brick-and-mortar impact that your support makes possible.

Funds raised through last year’s Out-Spok’n bike-a-thon helped support the construction of New Beginnings, Beyond Housing’s 20-unit affordable housing project on Frederick Street in Kitchener.

This fall, families — including women and children leaving domestic violence — will move into safe, affordable homes because generous people like you chose to ride, donate and care.

🚲 Join us again on Saturday, June 13 for Out-Spok’n XVI and help create more homes like these.

Register, donate, or sponsor a rider: https://bit.ly/4dPmrmD

05/25/2026

As we celebrate 25 years of Beyond Housing, we’re sharing snapshots from our history throughout the year.

On May 25, 2020, shortly after the first COVID-19 lockdown lifted, construction began at 544 Bridgeport Road East in Kitchener. It marked the start of a remarkable project that would become a 48-unit, barrier-free apartment building, created through a partnership between St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Parents For Community Living and MennoHomes (now Beyond Housing).

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, our community stepped up, helping us meet our $5-million campaign goal. With the help of VanDel Construction and Edge Architects, the building was completed in June 2021.

Today, the building continues to house St. Paul’s and Parents for Community Living on the main floor, along with office space for Beyond Housing’s Community Nurse and Community Support Worker. And with a mix of tenants of various ages and backgrounds, 544 Bridgeport has become a welcoming and supportive community.