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I am delighted and honoured to let you know that the PWRDF team has asked me to moderate a discussion and Q & A with three of our ‘All Mothers and Children Count’ (AMCC) program providers from Burundi, Mozambique and Tanzania on Feb. 3, at 11:00 AM. We have learned through the news that COVID-19 has caused regression in world relief and development programs as developing nations struggle to keep up with the shifting demands of the pandemic. For the last two years, Global Affairs Canada has helped us extend our AMCC program and partnered with PWRDF to support the gains made. You will have an opportunity to hear firsthand about the situation on the ground in these countries and learn how your support has made an incredible difference. We could not have done this without you.  Please join us to learn more. The link to our webinars is here: https://pwrdf.org/webinars/.

How wonderful to see everyone online last night after the holidays at our first PWRDF Zoom meeting of 2022. Thank you to all who came, and for the inspiring discussion and energy that you brought to the meeting. As promised, we started our mini fundraising course based on Cindy Wagman’s book: “Raise It – The Reluctant Fundraiser’s Guide to Raising Money.” It was wonderful to hear about the fundraising efforts happening across the diocese but also know that we all experience the same fundraising woes. The big one of course: ‘I am reticent to ask people for their hard-earned money.’ Anyone who has advocated for churches, charities and non-profits has experienced this, sometimes felt it themself, and we have certainly all heard it before. Alas, you will be pleased to know we are breaking it down and we will be finding new ways to reinvent ourselves as fundraisers. This is important not only for PWRDF and those that our programs benefit, but it is also an important skill to use elsewhere in our lives. The fact is that people are giving, they want to give, and doing so actually feels great.  That is God’s mandate for us as followers of the Christian Faith and PWRDF provides us with the perfect vehicle to be that difference in the world.

One of my favourite nuggets from our meeting: we will be exploring the idea of developing a ‘roving PWRDF team’ that will be engaged in supporting smaller congregations in their fundraising efforts. We will support them online wherever possible with ideas, planning, and legwork. We will also join with them as the diocese opens up again, through on the ground support. The aim is to help offer community outreach and engagement to their wider communities (and who knows, we might even get some additional ‘bums in seats’). If you are interested in supporting this initiative, please email me at pwrdf@ontario.anglican.ca, and copy my personal email skiwala@hotmail.com so that I get the correspondence on my phone.

Please join us as we work toward a truly just, healthy and peaceful world, and help us make the PWRDF the Anglican relief and development charity of choice.