PWRDF Responds to Recent Natural Disasters

As images of massive tracts of land burning in and around Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canadian Anglicans are invited to support the local relief efforts of the Diocese of Athabasca and the Diocese of Edmonton through the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF). An initial grant of $15,000 has been made to the Diocese of Athabasca to support immediate needs to those impacted by the wildfire, and conversations are underway with the Diocese of Edmonton to assess their need for financial support in order to respond to the needs of evacuees who are fleeing to its communities. Although the impact will be significant, at this time donations for this work will not be matched by the Canadian government.

In a statement, Bishop Fraser Lawton of the Diocese of Athabasca expressed his gratitude for the safe evacuation of more than 85,000 people and also “for the words of support we have received from across Canada and beyond.”

PWRDF donations will also support long-term reconstruction initiatives, similar to those undertaken in the Diocese of Calgary after devastating floods in 2013. Bishop Lawton has expressed his diocese’s commitment to deal with more than the important needs to repair, restore and rebuild buildings damaged or destroyed by the fire, but also to support “the healing of people, communities and the reformation of the church family.”

On April 28, PWRDF also announced an emergency grant of $40,000 towards the unprecedented drought in Ethiopia. More than 10 million people are at risk of hunger this year because of the worst drought in over thirty years. Acute malnutrition has been rising significantly in recent months. The grant will support a six-month program to provide maize to over 8500 people from the Afar region, as well as feed for livestock owned by farmers  as part of a larger ACT Alliance aid initiative.

In addition, PWRDF continues to monitor the needs arising from devastating earthquake in Ecuador in April. An initial grant of $15,000 has been provided through the ACT Alliance for relief efforts.

Please keep all who are affected by these disasters in your prayers, as well as those who are responding to them.

Donations can be made to PWRDF online, by phone or by mail as follows:

Online:
You can designate your online donation for ““Fort McMurray wild fire” or "Ethiopian Drought" or "Ecuador Earthquake".              

By Phone:
For credit card donations contact:
Jennifer Brown
416-924-9192 ext. 355; 1-866-308-7973
Please do not send your credit card number by email or fax.

By Mail:
Please make cheques payable to “PWRDF”, mark them for “Fort McMurray wild fire” or "Ethiopian Drought" or "Ecuador Earthquake" and send them to:
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund
The Anglican Church of Canada
80 Hayden Street
Toronto, Ontario  M4Y 3G2

 PWRDF Donations Contact:
Jennifer Brown
416-924-9192 ext. 355; 1-866-308-7973

 PWRDF Humanitarian Response Coordinator:
Naba Gurung
416-924-9199 ext. 321;  1-866-308-7973