PWRDF Joins Foodgrains Bank

Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 27, 2007

Canadian Foodgrains Bank welcomed two new member agencies recently, bringing the number of church-based agencies engaged in their mission to end hunger to a total of fifteen.
At a bi-annual board meeting in Winnipeg on June 21, 2007, board members voted unanimously in favour of accepting into membership the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, and the Primate’s World Relief & Development Fund of the Anglican Church of Canada.
With this landmark decision, the membership of Canadian Foodgrains Bank has grown to represent almost all Christian denominations in Canada. Member agencies represent evangelical churches, mainline protestant churches, as well as catholic churches, with over 17,000 congregations and parishes connected to this ecumenical effort to end hunger in developing countries.
“We’re very excited about this,” says Rick Fee, Chair of the Board of Directors of Canadian Foodgrains Bank. “The Foodgrains Bank is truly a unique ecumenical Christian organization. As Canadians we should be very proud of this joint Christian witness in the world. We should never underestimate or down-play the vital role that the Foodgrains Bank is being called to fulfill in today’s hungry world. We celebrate the inclusion of the Anglicans and Catholics as members of this amazing Christian response to ending hunger.”
“This is an important milestone,” says Michael Casey, Executive Director of Development and Peace. “As Christians, we are called to share our resources with people in the Global South without regard for any return. Thus the work we already do in fighting global poverty and hunger will be strengthened by this outstanding opportunity to work in solidarity and fellowship with so many other Canadian church-based agencies towards achieving this common goal.”
“We see great potential in this new relationship,” says Cheryl Curtis, Executive Director of the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund. “We value this opportunity to join with other church-based development and relief agencies in
programming and advocacy to increase food security and food justice in our world. At the core of the work is a common commitment to the human right to food.”
Canadian Foodgrains Bank supports the food-related programming of its member agencies and their local partners in developing countries all over the world. Last year, with a budget of $24.8 million, 56 projects in 17 countries benefited 1.3 million people. Projects represent a broad range of food-related programming, including food aid, seeds and tools, longer term food security, nutrition programming, and food justice work.
“The Foodgrains Bank is Canada’s primary non-governmental organization involved in food programming overseas,” says Jim Cornelius, Executive Director of Canadian Foodgrains Bank. “We receive significant support from the Canadian public, and enjoy a positive funding relationship with Canadian International Development Agency. This support makes it possible to contribute in a significant way to the task of ending hunger. With two new members at the table with us, even more work can be done.” PDF version of this news release ——-
Media Contacts:Heather Plett, 
h_plett@foodgrainsbank.ca
Canadian Foodgrains Bank
204-944-1993 ext. 229 Diana Mavunduse,
dmavunduse@alongsidehope.org
Primate’s World Relief & Development Fund
416-924-9199 ext. 352 Wanda Potrykus,
wanda.potrykus@devp.org
Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace
514-257-8711 ext. 365
Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of Canadian church-based agencies working to end hunger in developing countries by: increasing and deepening the involvement of Canadians in efforts to end hunger; supporting partnerships and activities to reduce hunger on both an immediate and sustainable basis; and influencing changes in public policies necessary to end hunger.
Members include: Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Canadian Baptist Ministries, Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Canadian Lutheran World Relief, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee of Canada, Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, Mennonite CentralCommittee Canada, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, Presbyterian World Service and Development, Primate’s World Relief andDevelopment Fund of the Anglican Church of Canada, The Salvation Army, United Church of Canada, and World Relief Canada