Social Justice News

Photograph Courtesy bbc.co.uk

Thank you to all Canadian Baptist churches across Canada that have donated more than $500,000 for earthquake relief in Haiti.

“We are amazed by the generosity and compassion of Canadian Baptists.  It is evident that the plight of the Haitian people has touched the hearts of people in a way that is real and inspiring.” says Gary Nelson, General Secretary of CBM. “We are grateful to the churches and rejoice in the compassionate response of mercy—and we hold a deep sense of responsibility for the stewardship of those resources in continued rehabilitation work.”

Thank you for all your gifts of compassion to Haiti and around the world. To continue to give to The Sharing Way’s long-term development projects that bring hope to the poor, please go to www.cbmin.org

Read more after the link.

Our hope is that outpourings of charity will come alongside gifts which help bring justice and sustainable solutions to the poor and oppressed in communities around the world. The Sharing Way is taking a balanced approach to using Haiti relief funds by helping to meet immediate needs, as well as focusing on the rebuilding and rehabilitation phase that will begin shortly.  The following are the ways in which we are responding:

Baptist World Aid: Funds were used to provide emergency response through Rescue 24, Baptist World Aid’s team of rescue and medical personnel.  Rescue 24 has training and experience in other earthquake disasters around the world and was part of the initial wave of response.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank: Funds are being use for a food aid project that feeds 1,200 families in the Léogâne area for the next two months.

Evangelical Medical Aid Society:  EMAS has a medical program that works out of a Baptist church in Bon Repos, a district of Port-au-Prince.  EMAS will to help rebuild the school and clinic and support the local community.

Urbanus:  Through this theological network of ministries working in Francophone cities, The Sharing Way is supporting a special project called Paraclete to train community grief counsellors and pastors and mobilize them through church communities.  They will serve the hurting in their cities.

French Baptist Union: The French Baptist Union is coordinating a program of long-term response and assistance from Canadian Baptist churches with strong Haitian representation.

North American Baptist Fellowship Emergency Network:  We are currently preparing for North American volunteers to help with rehabilitation and rebuilding.  Funds will be used to help cover the significant costs for materials and equipment.  The current housing deficit in Haiti is staggering.