Anglican Church of Canada is Helping Those Affected by Hurricane Sandy

Montreal seems to have escaped Hurricane Sandy, a/k/a "Frankenstorm", relatively unscathed. Even the leaky roof of our Memorial Hall weathered the storm. Other regions, however, were not so lucky. We have all seen the pictures of destruction from New York and New Jersey. Last week, the storm plowed through the Caribbean, leaving 11 dead and widespread destruction.

Our Anglican Church of Canada, through the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund, is already helping the relief and rebuilding efforts in Cuba. From PWRDF's Simon Chambers: "PWRDF has pledged an initial grant of $20,000 to the ACT Alliance response in Cuba. Hurricane Sandy has killed 11 people and caused significant damage in Cuba.

ACT member (and PWRDF partner) the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC) has activated the network of churches and ecumenical organizations to visit the affected areas and to support the disaster relief work among the population which cannot be covered by the government. CCC will provide food, water, bedding, hygiene kits, as well as counsellors to speak with those affected. This aid will support vital needs in terms of nutrition and health. The CCC is initially targeting 50,000 affected people in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguin and Las Tunas, with Granma as a priority due to its level of vulnerability. In addition, PWRDF is monitoring the needs in Haiti, which was also hit hard by the storm."

Two years ago, St. Philip's participated in Solid'Haïti's tent drive, which sent a container load of tents to Haiti for those who lost their homes in the earthquake. Unfortunately, many in people are still living in those tents cities, as rebuilding has been slow. Tents do not stand much chance against hurricane-force winds, and the need in Haiti will undoubtedly be great.

Those who wish to contribute to PWRDF`s relief efforts can do so via the collection plate (use the special PWRDF envelopes available from the sidesmen, or mark PWRDF on your envelope), or directly on their web site, http://pwrdf.org.

- Rev. J.B. Pratt