News

The latest news from FaithWorks and FaithWorks’ Ministry Partners


FaithLines – Past Newsletters

2024 Mar 7 – Meet Amber of One Roof, Peterborough

2024 Feb 29 – Leap Day! Give an extra gift on this extra day.

2024 Feb 22 – FaithWorks 2024 gets personal

2024 Feb 14 – Let FaithWorks be part of your Lenten journey

2024 Feb 1 – 2024 FW materials mailed!

2024 Jan 25 – 99% of goal raised in 2023

2023 Dec 21 – Last days to help us reach our goals!

2023 Dec 14 – Dec.17 FW Christmas Concert at Holy Trinity, Guildwood + Another 32% increase in use of services

2023 Dec 7 – Another 32% increase in use of services + North House in north Durham

2023 Nov 28 – Please remember FaithWorks on this Giving Tuesday!

2023 Nov 23 – Nov. 29 is Bishop’s Company Cabaret – This Sunday is FaithWorks Sunday

2023 Nov 15 – Nov. 26 is FaithWorks Sunday – $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant update

2023 Nov 9 – Nov. 26 is FaithWorks Sunday – Flemingdon Park Ministry update

2023 Nov 2 – Nov. 26 is FaithWorks Sunday – $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant

2023 Oct 26 – St. Christopher’s parish raises $38,376 for FaithWorks

2023 Oct 11 – Joy of Thanksgiving – AURA: The Power of Refugee Sponsorship

2023 Sept 28 – PWRDF & $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant

2023 Sept 14 – All Saints CCC – The Art of Community

2023 June 21 – Congratulations to St. Dunstan of Canterbury’s and St. Martin in-the-Field’s parishes.

2023 June 7 – Homelessness in York Region. Inn from the Cold.

2023 May 24 – A visit to A Place Called Home in Lindsay

2023 May 10 – St. Martin in-the-Fields Campaign and Walk-a-thon on the Toronto Islands

2023 Apr 26 – Thank you to St. Barnabas, Chester

2023 Apr 12 – Alleluia! Christ is risen!

2023 Apr 5 – Let us love one another

2023 Mar 29 – Welcome back to the Migrant Workers

2023 Mar 22 – Students find a home at The Dam in Mississauga

2023 Mar 8 – Thank you to our Corporate and Foundation Donors

2023 Mar 1 – Samaritan House helps the Kennedy family

2023 Feb 22 – Let FaithWorks be part of your Lent

2023 Feb 15 – 2023 Campaign Materials mailed to Parishes

2023 Feb 1 – 2022 Campaign Results

2023 Jan 18 – Generosity is the best way of becoming more, more and more joyful – Philip Aziz Centre

2022 Dec 28 – Last chance to help in 2022.

2022 Dec 21 – A season for giving. $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant met.

2022 Dec 14 – Tragic fire at All Saints CCC – The Dam has record youth participation.

2022 Dec 7 – 35% increase in need. 80% of Matching Challenge Grant attained.

2022 Nov 29 – Giving Tuesday. 35% inflation hits FaithWorks

2022 Nov 23 – 60% of $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant attained, Year-end countdown

2022 Nov 16 – FaithWorks Sunday – A visit to One City Peterborough

2022 Nov 2 – A Prayer for FaithWorks Sunday, $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant

2022 Oct 19 – FaithWorks Sunday, $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant

2022 Oct 11 – Bishop’s Company Cabaret

2022 Oct 5 – Happy Thanksgiving, A Place Called Home

2022 Sept 28 – Why FaithWorks – Benefits for Parishes, St. Christopher’s and All Saints’, Markham hold ping pong tournaments

2022 Sept 21 – Why FaithWorks – Benefits for Donors, $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant

2022 Sept 7 – Why FaithWorks – Benefits for Ministry Partners, Update from One Roof Community Centre

2022 July 20 – Ukraine relief update from PWRDF – continued

2022 July 6 – Ukraine relief update from PWRDF

2022 June 22 – Toronto Urban Native Ministry: pt. 2

2022 June 15 – Toronto Urban Native Ministry: pt. 1

2022 June 9 – Thanks from Migrant Workers Ministry

2022 May 25 – Bob’s story at Orillia Christian Centre ‘The Lighthouse’

2022 May 11 – May 15 is Refugee Sunday

2022 Apr 27 – Support the Spirit Garden

2022 Apr 20 – Life is Resilient!

2022 Apr 13 – When tears are not enough

2022 Apr 6 – The Gates of Jerusalem

2022 Mar 30 – faithworks.ca – Your resource centre for FaithWorks

2022 Mar 23 – Welcome A Place Called Home

2022 Mar 16 – Welcome Migrant Workers Ministry

2022 Mar 9 – The Dam: Evon and the class of 2025

2022 Mar 2 – Lent – Parish campaign begins – Help in Ukraine

2022 Feb 15 – Thank you Corporate & Foundation Donors

2022 Feb 2 – 2021 Campaign Results – “Amazing”

2022 Jan 19 – Generosity and Abundance call us …

2021 December 29 – Last Chance in 2021

2021 December 22 – Merry Christmas

2021 December 15 – $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant Attained

2021 December 8 – $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant Update

2021 November 30 – Couchiching Jubilee House – Zoie

2021 November 17 – FaithWorks in Haiti with PWRDF

2021 November 10 – St. Christopher’s Ping Pong Relay

2021 October 27 – “Did I tell you my 21-year old (HIV) client died of cancer?”

2021 October 6 – $100,000 Matching Challenge Grant

2021 September 22 – 100 + 1% Challenge

2021 September 8 – New Videos

2021 June 30 – Flemingdon Park Ministry

2021 June 16 – It was a great party!

2021 May 26 – Invitation, Philip Aziz Centre for Hospice Care

2021 May 19 – Invitation, Congratulations from PWRDF

2021 May 12 – Invitation, Looking back

2021 May 4 – Invitation

2021 April 28 – Invitation, Congratulations from The Dam

2021 April 14 – Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

2021 March 31 – Psalm 31, Marvin’s Story

2021 March 17 – Corporate and Foundation Donors

2021 March 10 – Matching Challenge Grant

2021 March 3 – FaithWorks mission, 2021 theme

2021 February 24 – 100 + 1% Challenge

2021 February 17 – Ash Wednesday

2021 February 3 – Looking Forward, Looking Back

2021 January 20 – 2020 goal surpassed

2021 January 6 – Epiphany

December 30, 2020

December 22, 2020

December 15, 2020

December 8, 2020

December 1, 2020

November 18, 2020

November 4, 2020

October 21, 2020

October 7, 2020

September 23, 2020

September 9, 2020

August 26, 2020

August 12, 2020

July 29, 2020

July 15, 2020

June 29, 2020

June 17, 2020

June 3, 2020

May 20, 2020

May 6, 2020

April 22, 2020


COVID-19 Pandemic

Responses from the Ministry Partners

“We have $19,000 in the bank, because we’ve just finished paying for a new furnace. Unless we receive our FaithWorks money, we won’t even be able to pay staff in April.  We have raised $2,500 in donations over the past week or so, and I’m sure they will continue to come in, but it won’t be enough. I am hoping we will receive $1,440 from the city toward the cost of cleaning.” (30 March 2020)

Rev. Alison Falby, All Saints’ Community Centre, Toronto

“We have had to shutter our social programs because of group/gathering size limitations.” “We are currently working to get individually prepackaged food to our patrons since we have had to close the drop-in.”  “We have had a donation of some take out containers but could definitely use more. We are working alongside the foodbank to get the food to the people who need it most.”  “So, other than a mountain of prayer for everyone, we need gloves, cleaning materials and masks. Michael Garron Hospital [www.mghf.ca] has a pattern for making suitable masks and even where the material can be found. Any folks who have access to a sewing machine, and want to lend a hand, mask making would be amazing. If we get an abundance, extras will go to the foodbank,” (29 March 2020)

Rev. Beverley Williams, Flemingdon Park Ministry, Toronto

“Lots of prayer because we are an Indigenous Chaplaincy in an urbanized downtown core setting while practising social distancing in the frontlines of Toronto while engaging our Christian mission for serving the vulnerable and marginalized population while in the background as a nonessential service.”  “we are in desperate need of supplies: 3 units of Digital Noncontact Infrared Thermometers”, “Care Package Supplies: Medium and small size Ziplock bags, Soap bars, Nitrile – Latex-free disposable Painter Gloves, volunteer sewers/sewists to make fabric face masks”. (29 March 2020)

Sandra Campbell, Toronto Urban Native Ministry

“Our needs are changing daily.  I am currently working on the meal schedule that is providing all of the meals for our 2 staff and 14 residents at the hotel and our 50-60 people we are providing bagged lunches for out front of the Lighthouse from Monday to Friday.  We have additional costs such as PPE items, food and container items and staffing.  We have been requested by the County of Simcoe to try to open more beds which means more hotel rooms and more staffing to accommodate this request.  Some funding will come from the County and hopefully some from the City of Orillia, but we know we will need to apply for more funding from other sources to meet our expenses at this unprecedented time.”

“We have been very blessed to have St. James’ support through a regular Sunday dinner delivered hot to our hotel for the 16 meals until this situation is over and St. Athanasius has donated several hundreds of dollars in grocery cards to purchase what we need for our sandwich lunches to the community.  Our faith community as a whole have been very supportive so we are very thankful for that, but they do not have a lot of funds and cannot send our usual volunteers currently either.” (27 March 2020)

Lynn Thomas, Orillia Christian Centre, Orillia

“Samaritan House continues to support our clients during the Covid-19 crisis by continually supporting our clients with programming and supports. However we are doing as much of this through online communication, emails and Skype and telephone calls.  Our physical visits are now limited but necessary as emotional support during this time has increased greatly.  Samaritan House has had to cancel a fundraiser and we will not be receiving housing fees from many of our clients for at least this month making cash flow a concern.  One of the biggest concerns for our clients is the need for groceries and purchase of personal and cleaning supplies as the are unable to get to the food bank and many have lost their income and have zero savings or credit to access. This is causing much stress for our clients in an already stressful time.  If you could include a need for financial donations or grocery card/Walmart gift cards that we can provide our clients during this time that would be wonderful. Samaritan House cannot tell you how much we appreciate FaithWorks continued support. Thank you and stay well.” (29 March 2020)

Kerry Ploughman, Samaritan House Community Ministries, Barrie

“We hand out food, personal care items etc. at the door to ensure that those sleeping rough have what they need. We have also had a port-a-potty installed at the back of our property to ensure that our clients have access to a washroom when we are not open as their options have dwindled in Newmarket and York Region in general.  We’ve also had to reduce our shelter numbers from 36 to 31 to put 2 meters distance between every bed.  Our programming … [has] been suspended, as have all visits from outside organizations … This is breaking my heart. I have people asking everyday to do yoga as they say it helps them with their medication” (31 March 2020)

Ann Watson, Inn from the Cold, Newmarket

MATCHING GRANT

This year’s campaign is a very special effort as a generous donor has offered a $100,000 matching challenge grant for all new and increased donations.  That means for every dollar raised by your parish over last year’s amount, FaithWorks received an extra dollar.  Parishes are encouraged to make a special effort this year.  Host a special event, set a goal, promote the campaign widely – do something a little different to make a huge difference.

2019 CAMPAIGN RESULTS

The Diocese of Toronto’s annual FaithWorks Campaign successfully raised $1,311,000 in support of Anglican-affiliated ministries throughout the Diocese and around the world.

Donations from the parishes in 2019 amounted to $716,136, a 6 per cent increase over 2018. This represents the highest parish giving result in five years.  Of the 156 parishes that participated in the 2019 appeal, 75 increased their giving.  Parishes were able to keep $80,008 to support their own outreach ministries within their local community. The parish campaign also made $35,807 available for Area Ministry Grants.

Thank you to our Corporate Donors who contributed $259,300 to FaithWorks. Your generosity makes it possible to improve the lives of thousands of individuals and families.

See The Anglican, May 2020 (attached) for more details.