Ecumenical response to earthquake in Chile

The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is accepting donations for victims of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Chile on Feb. 27.

At least 795 people were killed and 500,000 others left homeless by the earthquake which hit the capital, Santiago, and Concepcion, Chile’s second largest city.  The number of fatalities is expected to rise as reports from remote communities trickle in.

PWRDF will release a grant once an appeal is made by Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, a global alliance of church-based groups that respond to humanitarian needs and disasters worldwide. ACT and other faith-based groups have established a committee for a co-ordinated response to areas affected by the disaster.Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, has urged Canadian Anglicans to pray for the people of Chile and the affected cities of Concepcion and Santiago.

Meanwhile, PWRDF announced that it has distributed $1 million of the $2.05 million in donations it has received from Canadian Anglicans for Haiti. Haiti was struck by a powerful earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people in Port-au-Prince and neighbouring areas on Jan. 12.

Of the amount, $350,000 went to Lutheran World Relief, which has been providing kitchen and hygiene kits, and basic shelter materials to 11,700 affected households.  Christian Reformed World Relief Committee also received $350,000 to provide 1,600 households with kitchen and hygiene kits and transitional housing materials in communities surrounding Leogane. PWRDF sent $250,000 to the Episcopal diocese of Haiti through Episcopal Relief Fund, its counterpart in The Episcopal Church. The money is being used to provide 20,000 people with food, water, medicines and temporary shelters.

Of the $2 million in donations raised for Haiti, $1,990,141.21 is eligible for a matching grant from the federal government.Donations for the Haiti and/or Chile earthquake can be made:On-line Go to www.canadahelps.org and type in PWRDF which will take you the donation page where you can designate “Haiti or Chile earthquake”.By Phone For credit card donations contact:Jennifer Brown 416-924-9192 ext. 320; 1-866-308-7973Please do not send your credit card number by email or fax.By Mail Make cheques payable to “PWRDF”, for “Haiti earthquake” or “Chile earthquake” and send them to: The Primate’s World Relief and Development FundThe Anglican Church of Canada80 Hayden StreetToronto, Ontario  M4Y 3G2