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Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of PWRDF
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 was a beautiful early Fall day and St. Philip's Dunbar an ideal setting for the Diocese of New Westminster's celebration of the Anglican Church of Canada's international outreach organization, Primate's World Relief and Development Fund's 50th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner.
Over 100 enthusiastic folks representing a dozen different churches accepted Bishop Michael Ingham's invitation to purchase tickets for the event and they were rewarded with a very enjoyable and informative evening.
Following a very convivial cocktail hour Bishop Michael began the "sit-down" portion of the event with prayer followed by g race and also served as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
During the meal diners were entertained by a musical duo with a distinctly Maritime provinces/celtic flair and after dining the audience enjoyed a number of speakers with PWRDF Executive Director Cheryl Curtis delivering the keynote speech.
Cheryl reminded the audience that right that very minute, October 3rd, 2009 there are regions of the world (Indonesia, Samoa, The Philippines) being devastated by natural disasters and the need to get aid quickly to these areas has never been greater.
The Executive Director's address was greeted with hearty applause and then it was PWRDF 50th Anniversary Celebration Steering Committee Chair the Rev. Kevin Dixon's opportunity to ask those in attendance to respond with generosity to the needs of God's Mission through PWRDF in acknowledgment of 50 years of life changing ministry.
For more information about opportunities to participate in our diocesan goal to raise $50,000 in honour of PWRDF's 50th Anniversary visit the PWRDF website or make a gift today by clicking on the Canada Helps, Donate Now button on the homepage of this website, chose PWRDF from the list of funds and earmark the gift “50th Anniversary.”
The evening was enjoyed by all in attendance!
Contact the PWRDF Unit for more information about these and other PWRDF events.
Contacts
The PWRDF national office maintains an excellent website explaining the aims and work of the Fund and providing a wealth of resources at www.pwrdf.org. Contact details for the national office can be found there.
The Diocesan PWRDF Unit can be contacted by email at pwrdf@vancouver.anglican.ca or through the Diocesan office at 604-684-6306.
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The Diocese of New Westminster's PWRDF Unit
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 What is the PWRDF?
The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is the official international aid and development agency of the Anglican Church of Canada. Through the PWRDF, Canadian Anglicans participate in development and emergency relief work worldwide.
PWRDF has been strongly supported by members of the Diocese of New Westminster. In 2007, the contributions totalled $391,574, the highest contribution from a diocese in the Anglican Church of Canada. Since PWRDF’s founding, New Westminster Anglicans have given over $7.6 million.
Parish PWRDF Representatives
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| Volunteer Terry Jones describes some of PWRDF's work. |
Anglicans within the Diocese of New Westminster have traditionally been strongly involved in the work of the Fund, either through fund-raising or in events to raise awareness of the Fund’s work. Key to this involvement are the Parish Reps, people within each parish who lead parish PWRDF events, raise funds and keep the goals, achievements and needs of the Fund alive in the minds of the people in the pews. These volunteers are the heart and soul of the PWRDF and one of the main reasons for its success.
For example, at Christ Church Cathedral, an enthusiastic team of PWRDF volunteers is raising money for AIDS relief in Soweto, South Africa, by selling cookies after Sunday services. This has directly raised a substantial sum in support of this project, as well as keeping parishioners aware of the work of PWRDF.
The Diocesan PWRDF Unit
In the Diocese of New Westminster a Diocesan PWRDF Unit exists to support the Parish Reps and provide a focus for PWRDF activities within the Diocese. This small group, led by Unit Chair Peter Goodwin, provides these services:
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| PWRDF Unit Chair Peter Goodwin leads a discussion at an event for parish PWRDF Representatives. |
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maintain periodic contact with the Parish Representatives to determine their needs, provide advice and encouragement, and obtain feedback
facilitate Parish Representative access to PWRDF resources
where appropriate, develop resources to meet local needs
hold Diocese-wide educational events (usually twice a year) for Parish Representatives and other interested persons
represent the PWRDF at the Diocesan level and the Diocese at the national PWRDF level
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