Dear Maritime Church Members,
This year ADRA Canada has big plans for the Maritimes in 2023!
1st - ADRA COVID-19 and Ukraine Refugee Assistance grants are being reviewed currently by ADRA. Some have been approved, and some are still in the process. ADRA just informed me that people can still apply for one of these two grants as long as they have funding available (see attached COVID-19 application).
2nd - ADRA Annual Grant Proposals are due APRIL 6. These are the projects that include community development of some sort. Eco Gardens, disaster preparation, supporting the abused, soup kitchens, helping the blind and the deaf, clothing bank/distributions, and other community assistance projects. If you want assistance for your project, please send your idea to me and I will advise you on what funding might be available (see attached Grant Request forms).
Try to think of ways you can use your young people in being the compassionate hands of Jesus to your community. Could the children and youth participate in a community soup kitchen? Can you have children involved with visiting the elderly and shut-ins? Could your pathfinders or youth make an Eco Garden to help grow food for the needy in the community? You could use “Acquainting Agriculture” gardening curriculum with your young people as they learn all about Christ-centered gardening - see www.acquaintingagriculture.org. Can your youth assist other children in the community in learning skills like healthy eating, or other types of service projects? Write up your idea for an ADRA grant and it might qualify for funding.
3rd -Disaster Emergency Response (DER) Training - MARCH 26, 12:00 - 3 pm, ADRA will be running their Basic Disaster Emergency Response Training. To register write to daniel.saugh@adra.ca or call 1-905-446-ADRA (2372). Some of you may have already been through this training 1-2 years ago. They will be running Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Training throughout the year. You will receive a certification at the end of each course. ADRA will be keeping records on who has been trained and call upon you as a resource in the event of an emergency. They will also be training in how to give Psycho-Social support, and training sessions of other topics. Attached is the training schedule and dates for 2023.
4th - Church Emergency Management Plan (ChEMP) Training - ADRA would like to assist the churches in the Maritimes in training, preparing, and implementing an Emergency Management Plan for each specific church community in the case of disaster. Four Maritime churches participated in the trial training last year. ADRA would like to train more churches in how to have a ChEMP, so if we have another mass shooting, COVID-like pandemic, hurricane like Dorian/Fiona, flooding, or any other major disaster, we can be prepared. Stay tuned later for more information on this.
5th -Become an ADRA AMBASSADOR! Our ADRA Ambassadors are vital to our success in being a bridge/liaison to our local churches. They help us disseminate, promote, and rally the troops on the ground working in conjunction with each ADRA Conference representative. This program is managed by the PHILM department with some collaboration. 1. Promote/Advocate for the ministry of ADRA at your local church 2. Disseminate information/campaigns/appeals for ADRA.
Christ is coming very soon! We need to be reaching out in love to our dying world around us, making friends in our community, and sharing with them the love of God in all we do.
Blessings to all,
Cheryl Hamilton
Director of Compassion Ministries, Maritime Conference
(902)-740-6362; cheryl.hamilton@maritimesda.com