Anglicans love their neighbours

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Anglicans from across Canada came together again this year to raise more than $360,000 for PWRDF partners and programs all around the globe. 

Thanks to our incredible donors and volunteers, more than 1,350 donors provided more than 3,100 gifts. This includes more than $40,000 raised for PWRDF’s Indigenous responsive program to support Indigenous communities in Canada through our responsive programs grant. 

Once again, agriculture gifts were our best sellers in 2021. Goats just barely beat out chickens to claim the title of most popular gift with 439 goats provided versus 416 for chickens. PWRDF donors also gave funds to provide 65 donkeys to help families in Kenya carry clean water from the wells to their homes, and raised nearly $8,000 to provide seeds to small holder and women farmers in Bangladesh. 

For some of our larger ticket items, parishes and groups teamed up to make a big impact. This resulted in more than 100 whole farms being provided throughout the campaign. St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Vancouver hit it out of the park, raising enough funds for seven whole farms, each of which includes five goats, restoring seed supplies, setting up chicken farmers, feeding chickens and training dairy farmers.

Smaller parishes also got in on the fun. The rural Parish of Maberly-Lanark located in the diocese of Ottawa held an incredibly successful World of Gifts fundraiser, led by their parish representative Gayda Errett. Enough funds were raised for the church to  buy a whole farm, plus  tools for green spaces in Cuba, a water tank in Kenya and two new mom starter kits in Lesotho. 

“The parish really took seriously the ‘call-to-action’ so to speak,” said Gayda. “It not only amazed and surprised me personally, but it surprised them as well.”

Anglicans in Canada also supported clean water this year, raising enough to provide five solar pump water wells and 40 hand pump wells through PWRDF’s Kenyan partner Utooni Development Organization (UDO). 

Despite many churches being closed to worship through Advent and Christmas, and other impacts of COVID-19, PWRDF supporters came together to make this year’s fundraiser a great success and helped PWRDF and its partners create a truly just, healthy and peaceful world.

PWRDF’s World of Gifts is available all year long and can make great gifts for Easter, birthdays, anniversaries and more. Check out our online shop today.