News from the PWRDF
Blast in Gaza devastates al-Ahli Arab Hospital, shocks international community
On October 17, the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza suffered a deadly blast, killing hundreds of civilians, patients, staff as well as people seeking safety in the hospital’s courtyard. October 18 was declared by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, who operates the hospital, as a national day of mourning, supported by other faith leaders in the Holy Land.
PWRDF is a long-time partner of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital. On Tuesday, October 10, PWRDF announced an allocation of $30,000 to support additional staff needs during the war. Then on Sunday, a bomb strike seriously damaged the Ultrasound and Mammography wards on the upper floors. The funds were being transferred yesterday as news of the most recent attack was unfolding.
To support the al-Ahli Arab Hospital during this time of crisis, please donate online to our Gaza Hospital Emergency Appeal. You can also donate by phone at 416-822-9083 (or leave a message toll-free at 1-866-308-7973 and we will return your call) or by mail. Send your cheque to PWRDF, 80 Hayden Street, 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, Canada, M4Y 3G2. Please indicate “Gaza Hospital” in the memo field.
Anonymous donor matches PWRDF World of Gifts, up to $110,000
World of Gifts is back! Visit pwrdf.givecloud.co/world-of-gifts or look for the gift guide in the Anglican Journal. This annual PWRDF gift-giving campaign allows you to alleviate poverty, promote sustainability, and support communities in need in Canada and around the world. There are 29 impactful gifts available for purchase this year; some familiar and many new. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, when you purchase any item from this year’s World of Gifts guide, your gift will be matched, up to a total of $110,000! (The match applies to all gifts except for support of PWRDF’s equity in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, which is matched up to four times by the Government of Canada.)
Nurturing community in crisis: Renaud Thomas has hope for Haiti
The assassination of Haiti’s then-President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 plunged parts of the country into an ongoing crisis, but local development workers know that there is hope.
“The resource we have during crisis is community, and what we can do together,” said Renaud Thomas, Director of Rayjon Share Care in Haiti. Thomas visited Canada in September and during his trip, PWRDF welcomed him to the office in Toronto. Thomas was joined by his Rayjon colleagues, Program Director Debbie Austin and Program and Communications Officer Piera Spinelli Barrile, who was also born in Haiti.
