All Saints Anglican Church in Ladner brought in $3,000 worth of donations during their fundraiser dinner on March 19 for Ukraine relief, which was then matched by an anonymous donor to hit a total of $6,000.
Rev. Robin Ruder Celiz credits their Men’s Fellowship group for planning and organizing the dinner, which consisted of garlic sausage, perogies, sautéed onions, rice cabbage rolls and pie.
“It was a really good feeling for the church community, and it also really speaks to the generosity of the people of Ladner and South Delta and their desire to help,” said Ruder Celiz. “It was interesting to note that around 80 per cent of people who attended were from outside of the parish community. And so, in many ways, it was the community’s response.”
The Men’s Fellowship and their helpers dressed tables with blue and yellow decorations in support of Ukraine, and Ukrainian wine was donated for the event.
“It’s not surprising, [the support], because I think the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is striking deep for people. It’s an old yet familiar war involving the world’s superpowers,” he said.
The church collected funds to be distributed through the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF), which is the Anglican Church of Canada’s agency for sustainable development and relief.
The PWRDF is still taking donations through their website to support those displaced by the invasion of Ukraine. If you’re interested in donating through them, visit their website at https://pwrdf.org/.
