Vaccinations for the whole world
PWRDF Vaccine Equity Fund
Dear people of God in Algoma and Moosonee,
This summer our two dioceses participated in the Anglican Foundation of Canada’s wonderful initiative, “Say Yes! To Kids” – a fundraiser to help children and youth in our communities in a post pandemic world. Overall over $100,00.00 was raised and in September dioceses will be able to submit an application for funding for special projects in their community. Between the two dioceses we raised in the region of $10,000.00! Way to go!
We are now being invited to support an equally important fundraiser through the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund’s ‘Vaccine Equity Fund’ and Pay it Forward. The idea is a very simple one – that as we receive our vaccination for COVID-19, that we pay for an individual in the developing world to receive theirs. Because so many of us have already been vaccinated, we can Pay It Back. Please take a few moments to click on the link below in RED and make your donation to Vaccine Equity today.
“We must ask how we can share the benefits of health care and vaccinations many of us enjoy, with others who need it,” writes Primate Linda. “Canada will have excess vaccine – will we donate it to other nations? Will our government do its part to provide increased funds to COVAX [a pact among nations to share vaccines with all countries] to ensure that availability? Will we ask for a temporary suspension of trade restrictions (which currently control the price of the vaccine) so that production can reach heavily populated areas?”
“Vaccine equity is a fundamental expression of the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) through which we demonstrate our love of God and of neighbour,” says Primate Linda.
PWRDF joins the Primate in urging Canadians to do what we can to ensure the people in our own communities, especially the most vulnerable, are being vaccinated. We can also write to the Prime Minister and our Member of Parliament and tell them we want Canada to share excess vaccine, allocate more funds to COVAX and suspend the international agreement to allow vaccines to be produced more quickly and cheaply around the world.
Money donated to this fund will be used to support our partners as they prepare for vaccine rollout in the coming months.
For the past year, PWRDF has provided funds to several partners to cope with the effects of COVID-19:
- keeping a hospital open in Haiti
- supplying medical equipment at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya
- providing income opportunities in Bangladesh
- supporting food relief and crop restoration in Zimbabwe.
- And through a federal government 6:1 matching fund, we have been able to support our partners in Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Mozambique with vital PPE and sanitization supplies, as well as support in disseminating quality health information to the community.
Click here to donate to the PWRDF Vaccine Equity Fund
To support PWRDF’s Vaccine Equity Fund, click on the red button above. You may also donate over the phone by calling Donor Relations Officer Mike Ziemerink at 416-822-9083, or leave a voicemail toll-free at 1-866-308-7973 and we will return your call. Or, send a cheque with “Vaccine Equity Fund” in the memo field to PWRDF, 80 Hayden St. Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 3G2. Donations may also support the “Love My Neighbour” movement.
For further information about how you can support the Vaccine Equity Fund or other PWRDF initiatives please speak to your local PWRDF Representative
In Algoma it is Cathy Pirrie (email pirrie@sympatico.ca )
In Moosonee it is Ruth Corston (email ruthcorston@gmail.com )
Thanks to Janice Biehn of PWRDF and Cathy Pirrie for assisting with this article.
+Anne: Algoma and Moosonee
