The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unwelcome but unavoidable delay in construction of a three-unit, affordable housing project to be owned and operated by the cathedral.
A computer rendering of the triplex of small homes that will be built on Albert Street, near Regent Street.
"The original plan was to grade the land on Albert Street and start construction last spring, so that three people would be able to move into supported housing this fall," Outreach Committee chair Penny Ericson said.
"Money has been raised in the community, the City of Fredericton donated the land and transferred the title, the design work is done, and people at the cathedral are eager to help. This type of compact, affordable housing is sorely needed by the homeless population."
Then in March the Province declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 health crisis, and the economy ground to a sudden and prolonged halt.
The United Way's Housing First co-ordinator Jason LeJeune explained a domino effect impacted the project on Albert Street as well as a four-unit project on Jaffrey Street to be owned and operated by another local church.
"It was really kind of death by a thousand pinpricks," LeJeune said.
When the pandemic hit, the builder of the proposed small houses, Maple Leaf Homes, shut down. By the time the business reopened, it faced a large backlog of orders and heavy demand for building materials. The closure of some municipal and provincial government offices resulted in delays for elements of the project. The two building sites need water and sewer lines installed and this type of work is backlogged, too.
LeJeune said the delay is unfortunate because the projects are designed to help some of the city's most vulnerable people at a time when the vacancy rate for rentals is extremely low. Forty townhouses, each ranging from 34 to 43 square metres, will eventually be built.
Penny Ericson agreed the work slowdown has been frustrating, but she said numerous items to furnish and equip the three townhouses have already been collected and are in storage awaiting construction next spring.
"We look forward to seeing things get back on track next year so that three people can move into their new homes in 2021," she said.
More information will be made available next year about ways in which the cathedral family might be able to help with final details for this project.
Want to contribute to your community? Are you creative, motivated and full of ideas? Do you want to help raise funds for essential programs and services? Then we need YOU!⠀⠀
We are looking to add 5 new members to our FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE! This is a great opportunity, especially for university students, to get involved and make a difference!
These positions are CRITICAL to helping the Fredericton Community Kitchens raise money to keep our services and programs going year-round!
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Think you might be the right fit? Apply online today:
We are looking for creative, motivated, community-minded individuals to join our FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE! We have 5 open spots available. Let us know how you feel you could contribute, and we will be in touch shortly! FAQs:
1. We will be doing a mix of virtual (zoom) and in-person meetings with masks and social distancing. If you do not feel comfortable meeting in person, we will arrange a call-in option!
2. We will meet once a month.
3. The tasks will be assigned based on skills and experience. We need all types of personalities and skill levels! There will be something for everyone.
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV)
We give all glory and honour to the Lord for your partnering with us. Without your support and especially your prayers, our ministry would never have been possible or impact our generation. We give our heartfelt special thanks to all of you for your sacrificial giving.
The past few months have been totally different in every aspect. As we all know, the disruption caused this year by a global pandemic and many other challenging factors such as malaria, dengue, education, unemployment, delinquency, and the country’s weak economy have negatively affected us and forced us to cancel the plans that we had before the disruption.
Many people have had to work on projects to change and improve the way they earn an income. Many have had to leave their daily occupations and go out to sell bread, baleadas, hamburgers, vegetables and many other things to survive.
Driving change inside our church can be challenging when change outside our church is greater.
We pray for wisdom to take the challenges we are already facing, guided by God, confident in what the word of God says in Romans 8:31. That if God is in our favor, no one can be against us!
What is happening in our family?
Time goes fast; it seems like yesterday that a three-year-old boy arrived in Roatan in 2006, and this year he has received his Diploma from High School. The school didn’t celebrate graduation because of the impact of Covid 19, however he is going to Providence University in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Stephen and Kara have arrived safely in Winnipeg ahead of the start of his first term, and I would like to ask your prayers specially for Stephen as he experiences living in a new culture and being at a new stage of his life.
This is the first time that Stephen will be on his own, however we knew it would happen eventually. We will miss him, but we know it is for the best. If you would like to send a message to Stephen: [email protected]
Kara is returning to Roatan in the first week in September. Kelly’s school is planning to start classes online and if the situation permits they will have Art and Physical Education at the school.
Emmanuel Community Kitchen Project (Soup Kitchen)
We continue with the community kitchen, and at the moment we are feeding over 600 people around the Island. This includes adults and children.
To see weekly updates and support this project, please go to: www.tttfmicro.com
Please pray that all the resources will be obtained to continue with this project for the benefit of individuals and families on the Bay Islands who are impacted by Covid 19.
Impact of Covid 19
We continue to face Covid 19. To update you on Honduras, at the moment we have 43,197 cases,1377 deaths and 5794 people who have recovered.We in Roatán have 202 cases confirmed at the moment, and 60 people who have recovered.
Roatan Emmanuel Episcopal Church
At Emmanuel Episcopal/Anglican Church our building continues to be closed. Our Diocesan Bishop Lloyd Allen, called the Episcopal Church in Honduras to be prepared with the biosecurity protocol to open our buildings when the government approves. The protocol includes all the regulations regarding being in the building and celebrating the Eucharist, Morning or Evening Prayer.
Projects at Emmanuel Church
We continue with the stucco of a side wall of the church, a small project that we had to stop due to government regulations. We would like to give a special thank you to Tracey Larter from Vancouver who has donated some money for this project and also for the delivery of bags of groceries to the people in need. Both churches – St. Peter in Brick Bay and Emmanuel Coxen Hole – received the benefit. Thank you, Tracey.
sdr
Financial Support
On the financial side, we continue to be very positive and to pray and praise God with faith and thanksgiving. We also ask you to continue to pray about our finances, that for the rest of the year our support will stabilize and be sufficient to cover our needs. At the moment our balance is very low. Therefore, please consider sending a special offering to cover our expenses and needs.
To donate now, please click on the following link (or copy and paste it into your browser):
Or you can visit the Diocese of Fredericton’s website (www.anglican.nb.ca) then go to “Donate” for various ways to give online. Be sure to select “Honduras Mission Fund”.
Cheques should be made payable to “The Diocesan Synod of Fredericton” and sent to: Anglican Diocesan Synod of Fredericton, 115 Church Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 4C8
Phone: (506) 459-1801
All cheques should have “Honduras Mission” noted on the reference line.
We know that with the global impact of the pandemic it is difficult for everyone in the world. That said, we greatly appreciate your prayer and financial support to date and trust that you will continue to support us.
Please continue to pray for:
1. Please continue to pray for Roatan and Honduras at a difficult time caused by Covid 19.
2. Pray for Stephen Mejia Thompson, our son who was accepted at Providence University College in Manitoba. Providence awaits him in September 2020. His flight is scheduled for July 31rst. Please pray for safe travel.
3. Please pray for our Diocese in Honduras that is starting the process to elect a Suffragan Bishop to assist our Diocesan Bishop, Lloyd Emmanuel Allen.
4. Continued and stable financial support for the next three years as we continue to serve the Lord in Roatán, Honduras.
5. The ongoing construction in Coxen Hole. Pray for the remaining installation stages: Cement concrete for the floor at the moment.
6. Our congregations: St. Peter by the Sea in Brick Bay, and Emmanuel in Coxen Hole.
7. Please pray for the Rev. Robert Browning and for his ministry to English-speakers in Eastern Roatán.
8. For youth leadership, that God will provide someone to minister to and guide the young people.
9. Spiritual and practical outreach in the local communities.
10. For leadership for the Church in Roatán.
11. The Episcopal Church in Honduras, for the process toward self-sufficiency to be continued in 2020.
Thank you to all who have faithfully prayed and faithfully given to support this incredible work of ministering to the people in our congregations.
Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Your prayers and continued support enable us to continue touching people’s lives with Jesus’ love.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
GETTING READY - Canon Patricia Drummond packs goodie bags as part of the cathedral's summer outreach efforts. Due to the pandemic, the weekly drop-in for people in need has not been held since mid-March, but supermarket gift cards are distributed outdoors on the last Monday of the month. On July 27th, 50 people received a gift card or bus tickets plus a bar of soap and a goodie bag containing bananas, homemade muffins, cookies, a sandwich, a granola bar, and bottled water. Food items were donated by members of the cathedral family. A similar effort will take place August 31st.
Christ Church Cathedral
168 Church St
Fredericton NB E3B 4C9
March 26, 2020
80 Hayden Street, Toronto ON M4Y 3G2
866-308-7973 pwrdf. org
Dear Friends of PWRDF,
On behalf of the Board, staff and partners of The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF), I would like to extend our thanks for the recent generous donation of $13,957.50 from your church.
Your gift supports the work of PWRDF and its partners in preventive health, mother and child wellness, food security and nutrition, clean water and sanitation, Indigenous language and cultural reclamation, economic empowerment, and emergency humanitarian relief both here at home in Canada and in more than thirty countries around the world. For over 60 years PWRDF has worked to improve the lives of marginalized people around the world through development programs and relief efforts. We could not achieve the results and successes and helped so many without the generous support of our caring donors like you.
Thank you again for your support for the work of PWRDF and our vision of creating a truly just, healthy and peaceful world.
I am writing to update you about the status of the school and to request your prayers and support as Bishop McAllister School and Seminary face their greatest threat in my 23 years here.
On March 18th all schools in Uganda were abruptly closed due to COVID 19 for a period of 30 days. After several extensions, all schools in Uganda were closed indefinitely. It is now unlikely that we shall reopen before February 2021.
When we closed in March we suffered a loss of $15,600 USD in unremitted fees and an additional $8,200 already spent on food that had to be given away. While this was an enormous loss to us (about 7% of our annual operating budget), we hoped to be able to survive assuming that we would collect fees for the second and third terms of this year. Now as we face losing the entire year of fees the financial challenges on several fronts could jeopardize our entire ministry. Our teaching and non teaching staff have remained unpaid for three months and could remain without any income until February 2021. The school continues to have a basic operating staff, security, grounds keepers etc, and there are bills mounting each day that we are closed. Our annual operating budget is based solely on the collection of school fees, of which 27% comes from sponsorship. We are in need of funds to maintain and secure our property and facilities, to provide some small support to our teaching staff whom we will need on reopening and to make sure that we have funds at opening to purchase food and other necessities for a boarding school of 750 students.
With the encouragement of leaders and supporters in both Canada and the USA I am launching an Appeal, BMCK 2020. I know many churches and individuals are facing financial constraints just now, and I would not ever suggest christians should divert their support from their local churches, but only appeal to those who are able to support this one time effort. My target would be to raise $40,000 USD. $20,000 would be to cover current operating costs, including the maintenance of the schools property and buildings, and ensure the school was ready to open smoothly with food and other necessities unhand as soon as we are given permission to open. The additional $20,000 would be allocated for teachers and non teaching staff, providing them with a small living allowance per month. Gifts may be sent for BMCK to the Diocese of Fredericton. Lastly, the other way of keeping Bishop McAllister College stable is by supporting the student sponsorship program. This important program not only provides needy students an opportunity to go to school, but also provides a certain amount of financial stability for the school. Currently we more than 30 students enrolled in their first year who are seeking assistance. Many of these may be forced to drop out when school resumes, a negative impact both for the young student as well as the school.
I am so grateful for your partnership in this work, for our hundreds of successful graduates who are serving in all walks of life (priests, teachers, doctors, lawyers, including several working internationally in the field of computer engineering), for the Child Sponsorship Programme and for our able and loyal staff. We have grown from a small two room to a two stream school know in the province and country for our excellence in morals, discipline, teaching, sports and music thanks to God’s grace and provision.
COVID-19 has had devastating effects which, unfortunately, have had an impact on our diocesan fundraising campaign to buy and equip a mobile medical clinic for our companion diocese in Ho, Ghana.
What began in early 2020 as a solid plan to fundraise here and access Rotary Club funding for this $268,000 (CDN) international project has been stalled by the inability to hold fundraising events in the diocese as a result of the pandemic, and a run on Rotary funding for COVID-related projects.
Yet the people of the Diocese of Ho still have little or no health care. We heard recently from health care workers in Ho that there is little help, limited testing, and incomplete statistics to add to the international database of cases. But the virus has not spared the region, and people are understandably fearful and desperate.
Our Companion Diocese Committee has reworked the application to Rotary and, thanks be to God, it has been submitted. In the meantime, we must raise a good deal more money than we originally planned. We need $93,000, but the good news is we have already received $31,000 in donations — from the generosity of parishioners and parishes here, and a good many kind people in Grand Manan, where Companion Diocese chair Robbie Griffin has been unceasing in his efforts to get this project off the ground.
The need for this mobile medical clinic is great and the hand of God is surely on it. In January, Robbie, Cheryl Jacobs (chair of the spiritual development team and my secretary) and Lilian Ketch (Mothers’ Union member) visited Ho on a fact-finding mission. They did a needs assessment, asking 14 different communities in the rural area of the Volta and Oti regions how their communities could be best improved. They met with teachers, parent groups and church groups. In every community, the primary need was health care.
But near the end of the trip, the group was dismayed. It seemed all the pieces were not fitting together. Then, suddenly, everything fell into place — attitudes changed, answers were provided and support offered. Now again, with this pandemic, when it seemed all was lost, money continued to trickle in, and Rotary opened up new grant opportunities. We, the Companion Diocese Committee, truly feel God is pushing this project ahead, and we must do our best to see it to fruition.
What I am asking is that you consider a donation to this most worthy cause. It’s not for us. We are well cared for. It’s for the two million people in the Diocese of Ho who enjoy virtually none of the health care services we do here at home.
To donate, click this link and choose Diocese of Ho Mobile Medical Clinic from the drop-down menu. E-transfers are also accepted: send to this e-mail: [email protected] . Or you can mail a cheque to the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton, 115 Church St., Fredericton, E3B 4C8. In all cases, be sure to note the project: Diocese of Ho Mobile Medical Clinic. Tax receipts are available.
I appreciate your attention and time to this appeal. May God bless you as you consider this request.
Sincerely,
The Rt. Rev. David Edwards
Bishop of Fredericton
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV)
We give all glory and honour to the Lord for your partnering with us. Without your support and especially your prayers, our ministry would never have been possible or impact our generation. We give our heartfelt special thanks to all of you for your sacrificial giving.
Emmanuel Community Kitchen Project (Soup Kitchen)
dav
Yes, in response to the effect of the pandemic, we are cooking for about 200 people. Every other week we cook for the congregation at Emmanuel Church and the people who work at the dump. In between, we cook for other people in need around Coxen Hole.
sdr
A website has been set up to publish the progress of the project and collect financial donations for food. It is capable of taking not only single donations but recurring donations as well. It will also be linked to our blog. To see weekly updates and support this project please go to: www.tttfmicro.com
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Please click on the link to see a small video of the project.
Please pray that all the resources will be obtained and any obstacles overcome to establish this project for the benefit of individuals and families on the Bay Islands who are impacted by Covid 19.
Impact of Covid 19
We continue to face Covid 19. To update you on Honduras, at the moment we have 18,082 cases, 479 deaths and 1,875 people who have recovered.
We in Roatán have 108 cases confirmed at the moment, 3 who have recove and we are expecting more confirmations in the next few days. These cases are located all over the island of Roatan.
The authorities are very concerned about the increase of cases, and at this point are calling for help from other countries. Here is the information if a Doctor or Nurse is willing to come to support Roatan.
By Amy Eader Beasley
Want to come to Roatan for diving or fishing? The island is requesting help from doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, from around the world, who have (preferably) experience with COVID-19 and are willing to volunteer their services. Please complete this form and you will be contacted: https://forms.gle/ja8CtoHGA1Dx3JgaA Housing will be provided at a resort for volunteers. And we will take any volunteers that come through this post diving and/or fishing on Maxina (with proper biosecurity measures) on your down days.
Roatan Emmanuel Episcopal Church
At Emmanuel Episcopal/Anglican Church we continue to be closed.
We hope we can open our building soon, but the most important thing is to do it safely, according to the government regulations and those of our Diocesan Bishop and his team in the Episcopal Church in Honduras.
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Please pray that we can continue to be safe from the Covid 19 virus, and we pray the same for all of you.
Projects at Emmanuel Church
Just before the pandemic arrived in Honduras, we had started with the stucco of a side wall of the church, a small project that we had to stop due to government regulations. A few weeks ago we resumed work on it in order to finish the project and most importantly give some work to two or three people so that they could put bread on their table.
dav
sdr
However, we will not be able to continue for long, since the resources we have are very few. We pray that God will provide the necessary resources for small projects and in this way provide a little work to some of the members of the Church.
If you as a person or as a Parish would like to help people with work, we have some small projects that we can develop at Emmanuel Church. Please contact us at: revnelsonmejia@yahoo.com
“To God Be The Glory!” While 2020 may not have turned out to be the year we anticipated, much was accomplished in 2019, for which we are greatly appreciative. While the Library was our biggest accomplishment, much progress was made in other areas. The Dining Hall, a project started over 15 years ago was finally…
Psalm 46 begins with the words “God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble”.
We are living in a different world than we were a few months ago. I am writing this letter to you today to ask for your careful prayer and consideration regarding the Mobile Medical Van Project in the Diocese of Ho, Ghana, of which I have been involved with.
THE PROJECT
History
In January 2019, The Diocese of Fredericton and with the Companion Diocese of Ho, began work to identify a project that could assist the Volta and Oti Regions of Ghana. Robbie Griffin visited the region in May 2019. As a representative for Mothers’ Union, I was asked to return with Robbie and Cheryl Jacobs in January 2020 to ascertain a required need. We met with various groups in 14 rural communities including teachers, school administrators, Mothers’ Union members as well administrators of the Ho Teaching Hospital, clergy and the local Rotary Club. Each group provided us with their feedback what they felt communities needed to assist in their everyday lives.
Unanimously, all groups stressed the need for specialized HEALTH CARE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES as travel to the city is so very difficult. A Mobile Medical Clinic was determined to be a great need and the Ho Teaching Hospital, and the local Rotary Club of Ho joined to begin the project. The Clinic will provide basic health care to approximately 2,000,000 people in rural areas of the Diocese of Ho.
The Clinic will provide some of the following basic services:
Pre and post natal care, with properly trained midwives
Diagnostic services for breast and cervical cancer
Prevention for outbreaks of typhoid, cholera, and measles, malaria and HIV
Monitoring for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer
And NOW as I write this letter there is a great need for testing and management of COVID the region. (Note, life expectancy for men is 42 years of age and for women, 65 years of age (if they make it to age 15). The government does not count anyone who dies under 15 in their statistics.
Lillian in the Diocese of Ho
The Mobile Medical Clinic
The Clinic will:
Be specially suited for Ghana and designed by Malley Industries in Moncton, worldwide leaders in designing medical vehicles for special needs.
Operate much like an army hospital, with the van being the nerve center of the unit, and examination and procedures being done in field tents. Tents will be on roof racks during transport.
Contain a diagnostic lab, pharmacy and specialized equipment (i.e. ultrasound machine).
Be staffed by a medical team provided by the Ho Teaching Hospital who will travel in a separate vehicle alongside the medical van. The team will also include medical students.
Be operated by the Ho Teaching Hospital which will maintain and staff the clinic; to ensure sustainability of the project.
Register rural citizens not currently registered with the Ghana Government Health Insurance Program.
Sustainability of the Project
The host Rotary Club of Ho will oversee the project and ensure elements required can be procured in Ghana. The Ho Teaching Hospital will provide staff and supplies; as well, maintain the vehicle. The project must be able to continue to be self-sustainable once initial funding has been provided. Funding will come from the Ghanaian Health Insurance Program to cover treatments, prescriptions and costs associated with the project (as citizens are registered as noted above). Rotary International will undertake period audits to ensure all requirements are being met.
Funding for the Project
The budget for this project is $280,000 CAD. Working with the Rotary Club of Ho, and the Diocese of Ho, the aim was to apply for a Global Grant from the Rotary International Foundation. If this grant was approved, it was possible for the Rotary Foundation and the District of 7810 - the District in which the local Rotary Club resides - to match some of our fundraising.
BUT COVID-19 has now disrupted the financial world. The National and International Rotary Foundation has depleted many of their funds for COVID-19 relief. Instead of the Diocese needing to raise the initial $40,000 (which would then be matched by District, National and International Rotary grants), this has now increased to $90,000. In addition to the needs identified above for this rural area, imagine coping with COVID-19 with no medical care at all. This is the situation for most of Western Africa currently.
Appeal for the Project
The Diocese of Fredericton has offered to help with the fundraising. The local Rotary Club has committed to supporting the project financially. Fundraising initiatives are being planned on Grand Manan Island (where Robbie Griffin resides) as possible (a couple of large ones were cancelled unfortunately due to COVID-19).
My plea, as your representative of the Committee and as a Mothers’ Union member, is to consider donating whatever you might be able, every little bit will help if we can all donate something.
Donations can be made by a cheque or money order made out to the Diocese of Fredericton (indicate Ho Mobile Clinic Project on the subject line of the cheque) and can be mailed to Diocese of Fredericton, 115 Church St, Fredericton, NB E3B 4C8. E-transfers are also accepted (email finance @ diofton.ca - indicate in comments for Ho Mobile Clinic Project). Tax receipts will be issued by the Diocese.
Thank you in advance, for consideration of donating to this life saving project. If you have any questions or need any further information, please let me know.
Many blessings
Lilian Ketch
Companion Diocese Committee Member
Diocese of Fredericton Mothers’ Union
Want to contribute to your community? Are you creative, motivated and full of ideas? Do you want to help raise funds for essential programs and services? Then we need YOU!
