Care + Share funds go to Urban Aboriginal Ministry
Our former curate, the Rev. Vivian Seegers, is the founding priest of Urban Aboriginal Ministry. UAM is the recipient of diocesan care ╬ share donations over the two years to come, and the diocese is encouraging parishes to support this important Anglican ministry that offers spiritual, cultural and practical help to indigenous people in Vancouver. You can learn more by reading this Diocesan appeal:
Care ╬ share has been part of the mission and ministry of this diocese since 2011. Ministries included in care ╬ share are each supported for a two-year period to help them to expand and strengthen their work. At the end of the two-year period a new cycle begins and new recipients are chosen and voted on by Synod.
To date care ╬ share has supported 11 different ministries stretching from Powell River to Aldergrove. Care ╬ share is a means for us to join together as the People of God to support some of the good and important ministries created by the people and parishes of this Diocese. The ministries included in care ╬ share don’t receive set “funding” - instead they receive voluntary contributions made by parishes and individual Anglicans. The intention is that these donations are in addition to the gifts given to each parish and are not intended to redirect donations away from your own parish. The overhead for fundraising and administration for care ╬ share is included in the Diocesan budget, and not taken from donations, so 100 per cent of all donations to care ╬ share go to the ministries being supported.
For 2020-21 the recipient for care ╬ share is the Urban Aboriginal Ministry (UAM). Synod passed the resolution to make them the care ╬ share recipient for the next funding cycle with an overwhelming majority so we are hoping you and your parish will help with the campaign for donations to support this ministry.
UAM reaches out to First Nations people from across Canada who are here in Vancouver. Being far from their own land they are often disconnected from their community and culture and need a space where they can feel connected and supported. UAM aims to provide a space to meet the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs of each individual through a variety of means. These include events throughout the year to help them reconnect with their cultural heritage and native spirituality (feasts, sweat lodge, ceremonial prayers, dance etc).
UAM also provides practical assistance such as connecting people to resources they need like detox facilities, social services, housing and medical assistance as well as occasional ‘hands-on’ help with things like moving into housing, driving them to medical appointments etc.
If you normally give by PAD (Pre-authorized donation) you may designate an additional amount for care ╬ share to be added to your monthly donation. Or you can add the amount to your envelope giving and the parish will pass the amount along to the diocese for distribution to UAM. You can give a one time gift by credit card through this website. Select "Choose Giving Type" and scroll down to "Care + Share."