Lower Mainland, BC Chapter
Get in touch with our Lower Mainland team by:
lower-mainland@safefamilies.ca
Safe Families Canada | Lower Mainland – launched in July 2023. We could not be more thrilled and encouraged by the support and encouragement of the local church, our amazing volunteers, and the people in our communities. What a blessing! We currently serve families in Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Langley, hoping to expand throughout the Lower Mainland in the months and years to come. We are excited to serve our community by keeping children safe and families together while ultimately pointing them to Jesus, where true hope and healing are found. We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we love and care for families in their time of need.
Chapter Director – Jennifer Gamache
Jennifer began with Safe Families Lower Canada in July 2023, passionate about seeing vulnerable children safe and families together. Adopted as a baby and then experiencing a difficult childhood, Jennifer experienced firsthand the life-changing impact of a compassionate community that walked alongside her and her family in a time of crisis. It is through loving Christian people reaching out and providing support that her family found Jesus, and it was the beginning of a complete transformation in the lives of her family. Jennifer desires to see others’ lives changed through radically compassionate communities. God has placed a deep love and care for the vulnerable in Jennifer’s heart with a desire to advocate for families. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as the Lower Mainland Chapter Director and is excited to see all that God will do in the lives of families here in BC.
Jennifer graduated from Trinity Western University in Elementary Education and Psychology. She has worked with children for over 15 years in the classroom and church settings. Jennifer loves building one-on-one relationships and journeying life’s ups and downs with others. Jennifer has been happily married to her husband, Jeff, for 27 years, and they have three grown children. They live on a small Christmas tree farm in the Fraser Valley and enjoy adventuring outdoors together. Jennifer loves spending time with family, playing games and reading a good book with a warm cup of tea.
Family Coach Supervisor – Jessica Van ReesJess lives with her husband, Adam, and loves serving in her local church, being active, drinking coffee, baking sourdough, and watching a good movie.
Family Placement Coordinator – Claire Maljaars
Claire is very passionate about working with the whole family unit. Before starting with Safe Families Canada, she worked as a child protection social worker for seven years. She has seen the world’s brokenness and God’s redemption as a social worker. She is so excited to be able to serve families in our community and hopefully lead them to God in their healing journey. Claire loves meeting new people and getting to know their stories.
Claire recently got married and moved from the city to a dairy farm. She has adapted well to this lifestyle and now has chickens and ducks. Her world revolves around God, her four-year-old son, her 11-year-old stepdaughter and her husband. She is eager to grow Safe Families Canada in Langley, Abbotsford and Chilliwack.
Community Engagement Coordinator – Aly Sawatzky
Aly is a wife and mom/foster mom to 3 very active little boys. She and her husband, Aaron, foster through Vancouver Aboriginal Children and Families. She was introduced to Safe Families Lower Mainland (Winter 2023) and knew immediately that she wanted to be involved in some capacity. Aly was hired in August 2023 as our Community Engagement coordinator who works to build relationships with churches, hosts info nights and manages our social media accounts.
Aly’s unique skill set stems from education, training and lived experience. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology. She has worked for 15+ years with children with special needs & trauma. She comes from a family of 8 kids with a blend of biological, adopted and foster siblings. Aly was fortunate to grow up in the Church and feels passionate about seeing churches surrounding families in crisis and being the hands and feet of Jesus. She is committed to playing her part in keeping families strong and keeping children safe and supported, wherever possible, and out of foster care.
Leadership Council Members
Jules Van Woerden-Treasurer Steve VanDelf Kathleen Snyder
Danielle Kampen- Secretary Marcia Wildeboer Sylvia Welfing