Two Countries One World couldn’t exist without our volunteers and supporters. This page highlights some of the volunteers who make up the organizing committee.
Lillian Carvalho (she/her)
Lillian became involved with the TCOW program in 2014 as a youth participant. She was a member of the Nicaragua 2015 and Colombia 2017 groups, giving her the opportunity to explore her faith, desire for intentional travel and social justice! She has been a member of the committee since 2018 with a focus on the program’s social media.
Lillian is a full-time University of Waterloo/St Jerome’s University student, majoring in Gender and Social Justice and completing a minor in Sexuality, Marriage and Family Studies. She was inspired to explore this field because of her TCOW experience. Lillian is involved with leadership initiatives on campus and has maintained a connection to service learning through SJU, with travels to Peru.
It is because of the positive experiences and growth she experienced through TCOW that Lillian has stayed involved with the program and hopes to remain connected with the TCOW committee, our partners, alumni, and future participants!
Elizabeth Eberhart-Moffat
(she/her)
After 34 years of United Church ministry in a clergy team with partner, Peter Moffat, Elizabeth continues in retirement to enjoy her relationship with TCOW.
As one of the originators, once looking for a way to engage youth in their own ministries, Elizabeth celebrates the legacy of service and global consciousness written in the lives and careers of well over a hundred young adults who look back to TCOW as a pivotal point in their calling and commitment.
This legacy is made possible by the energy and leadership of the TCOW team being shared through these biographies. Elizabeth sees her current role with TCOW as supporting the work of this excellent team.
Other passions in retirement include sponsorship work with Syrian families and time with her grandchildren.
Arthur Hills (he/him)
Arthur Hills is the treasurer for TCOW, looking after the receiving of funds from the participants and paying the bills. He is a member of Emmanuel United Church in Waterloo and a member of the Covenant Commission of Western Ontario Waterways Region United Church of Canada. Previously I was on the Finance Committee of Waterloo Presbytery and Hamilton Conference.
As of 2020, he has been active with TCOW for 4 years.
Kelly Moores (she/her):
Kelly joined the TCOW committee in 2014 as a leader for the 2014-15 program, and continued as a leader in 2016-17. She has accompanied groups to Nicaragua and Colombia. Kelly loves to foster leadership among youth, and is particularly passionate about the environmental aspect of global citizenship. Kelly holds two jobs working with children and youth, one as an Interpretive Program Guide with the Grand River Conservation Authority, and the other as the Children’s Ministry Coordinator at Trinity United Church in Elmira. She is also the mom of the youngest TCOW committee member Rosa.
Debbie Siertsema (she/her)
Debbie is very pleased to be connected again with TCOW. In 2004, Debbie was lucky enough to have been one of the leaders of the initial TCOW trip to Nicaragua.
Through this and since then in other cultural exposure trips to El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Haiti and Zambia she has come to understand how deep the needs are around the world. The needs for water, food equity, education and safe & just government.
Beyond these trips, Debbie worked in hospitality and within the United Church of Canada on multiple General Councils, and National Aboriginal Spiritual Gatherings. My last roles at the General Council office was with The Healing Fund and within National Aboriginal Ministries. Debbie continued her connection with youth through Youth Forum of Hamilton Conference.
Debbie’s current work is with the Mennonite Central Committee in managing their Thrift Shop in Elmira as a way to assist in raising funds for programs around the world.
Barb Smith-Young (she/her)
Barb is new to the TCOW team in the role of Parent Support/Liaison/Engagement. Barb’s son, Caleb, was on the 2019 team so she brings some personal understanding of what it feels like to send your own youth off to another country and then how to debrief the intensity of that experience when they return.
Barb is also the Children and Youth Minister at Elora United Church. She, along with Elora United, have supported 7 other youth as they participated in TCOW over the years. Barb also brings the experience of leading 5 learning and service teams that go to Toronto. These teams of youth and parents spend a year together learning and growing while they prepare for 4 days in Toronto with an organization called TOOLS. Like TCOW, this experience is designed to challenge each of us to ask “How is God calling me to make difference in this world?”
Gord Spence (he/him):
Gord joined TCOW in 2010 during preparations for TCOW’s trip to Nicaragua in 2011. During this program session he took on the role of registrar and treasurer, handling the finances and paperwork for the program alongside leadership in the pre-trip activities. While he continues to manage the registrar work, he’s thankful that Arthur has taken on the financial duties! Since 2010, Gord has also continued to contribute to the pre-trip program and feels fortunate to have been able to offer leadership on the 2013 trip to El Salvador, the 2015 trip to Nicaragua, and the 2019 trip to Colombia.
A graduate of St. Jerome’s University’s (University of Waterloo) Religious Studies program, Gord works as an IT Manager/System Administrator for a Waterloo software company, and since 2008 as the Youth Leader at Emmanuel United Church, Waterloo.
Vanessa Spence (they/them):
Vanessa was requested to join the TCOW committee for the 2011 trip to Nicaragua when the group needed a dedicated videographer for the program. While on the trip Vanassa took on a leadership role providing support for youth participants and assisted the leaders of the trip. They co-lead the group on the 2013 trip to El Salvador and has since been a member of the organizing committee helping particularly with planning, graphic design, fundraising organization and managing hospitality for the group during pre-trip activities.
Vanessa is a jack-of-all-trades: In fact they are a leader for Youth of UCC Annual Regional Meetings 7/8/9 and adult advisor for UCC Youth Rally (formally called Youth Forum) which takes place each spring.
Colleen Usaty (Her/She)
Colleen started her TCOW journey in 2017 as a youth participant on TCOW’s first trip to Colombia and was a returning participant on the 2019 trip to Colombia. She joined the committee shortly after her second trip to continue her support and involvement in the program.
She is currently attending the University of Guelph where she studies Commerce & Accounting. Colleen is a member of Parkminster United Church in Waterloo where she helps out with A/V and sings in the band. She hopes that her involvement in the committee will help encourage youth to participate in the program to give them the opportunity to learn about social justice and what it means to be a global citizen.