An indestructible energy making for love: Why one Alberta donor joined the work of Alongside Hope

When Michael Rothery first encountered the devastating impacts of U.S. policy changes on refugee communities overseas, he was thousands of miles away, at his home in Twin Butte, Alberta. But distance didn’t dull the urgency he felt – or the call to action he heard through faith, prayer and community. What began as a tentative click on an email during Lent has turned into a deep, ongoing commitment to stand alongside displaced families in crisis.

Here, in his own words, Michael shares how hope found him and how he and his wife Leslie became part of a movement that’s making real, restorative change in the lives of others through the Resilience Fund:

“I’m about to turn 80. My wife Leslie and I live in the country, and I have significant mobility issues. When the US administration gutted the USAID program, and I understood the enormity of the consequences that would follow for countless poor and vulnerable people, I initially felt hopeless.

“Rowan Williams [Anglican bishop, Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012, theologian and poet] had something to say to me about that, in Tokens of Trust: An Introduction to Christian Belief:

“‘At the heart of the desperate suffering there is in the world, suffering we can do nothing to resolve or remove for good, there is an indestructible energy making for love. If we have grasped what Jesus is about, we can trust that this is what lies at the foundation of everything.’

“I get email from Alongside Hope, and one message, during Lent, announced an upcoming online prayer service [Praying with Alongside Hope]. I decided, tentatively, to attend and heard about efforts to ameliorate the suffering of families caused by the withdrawal of international aid. My request for more information led to correspondence from Carolyn Cummins, Director of Fundraising, where she shared that:

“‘Ten families [living at at refugee camp in Tanzania] had given up their housing in the camp and given away their belongings, departed the camp, and were prepared to travel to the US when the resettlement program was suspended. They have had to return to the camp with no shelter, no income, and no access to food. We are working with our partner Church World Service [CWS] to directly support these 10 families with necessities. As well, because 84% of the affected refugees reported depression and anxiety due to their shattered resettlement hopes, we are supporting CWS in implementing mental health supports for the 6,000 refugees whose resettlement have now been cancelled, focusing on grief counselling and resilience building.’

“I read it to Leslie and her immediate response was that we had to support this work. When I shared it with colleagues at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in Calgary the reaction was, predictably, similarly encouraging and helpful.

“I was thankfully hooked. We now make an ongoing financial contribution and have found effective ways to use the internet to encourage others to do likewise. Alongside Hope is concrete evidence of Rowan Williams’ ‘indestructible energy making for love’ and we are blessed by the opportunity to support it.”

Michael’s words remind us that faith in action often begins in quiet, personal moments of reflection and grows through community and compassion. In the face of broken systems, what remains unbroken is our capacity to care, to give, to pray, and to stand alongside hope.

You, too, can be part of this enduring witness to love in action. Whether through prayer, advocacy, or financial support, your participation helps restore dignity and create possibility for families caught in the margins. If you are able and have not yet done so, please donate to the Resilience Fund. Every dollar you give to the Resilience Fund by June 30, 2025, will be matched, up to $250,000, thanks to a generous donor’s gift. You can also mail a cheque to Alongside Hope, 80 Hayden Street, 3rd floor, Toronto, Ont., M4Y 3G2 and mark “Resilience Fund” in the memo field, or make your gift over the phone by calling 1-866-308-7973 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.