On Thursday, October 27, the Most Reverend Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Right Reverend Barbara Andrews, Bishop of APCI (now the Territory of the People) visited ACW Place in Burnaby to see the work of the ACW of the Diocese of New Westminster.
Archbishop Fred and Bishop Barbara were in town for the National Anglican Church Women’s President’s Meeting which was held at Springbrooke Retreat in Langley. Bishop Barbara was the representative for the Council of the North.
Beth Fortin, ACW Social Action Chair, greeted us and showed the out of town guests around the warehouse and explained how we prepare the bales that are sent 3 times a year to the Diocese of the Yukon for distribution to 9 parishes in that diocese. They helped prepare a bale by choosing items from the shelves to put in the bale. Each parish has its own preferred list of items —men’s, women’s, youth, children, baby and household (towels, quilts and sheets). The Cathedral in Whitehorse receives all the bales and the parishes come in to pick them up there. The ACW staff at the warehouse try to get the bales for Christmas up early before the roads become impassable and the shipment that is sent in May is sent before Synod so that the parishes can pick up their shipment when they come into the city for that annual meeting.
With time being short we were unable to have the guests prepare a layette (a collection of clothing for a newborn child), however they were shown what items would make up a layette to be given to expectant moms in the parishes of the Yukon.
Explanations were given about smaller collections that are assembled to help various local and international groups:
- Used postage stamps – sale of proceeds go to the Arthur Turner Training School in Inuvik to train Inuit leaders
- Used eye glasses to Third World Eye Care
- Pop can tabs go the Seeing Eye Dogs
- The proceeds from the recycling of aluminum pie plates go to the Kidney Foundation
On Friday, October 28, the 34 Diocesan ACW Presidents from across Canada came to ACW Place for lunch and to help make layettes and finish the bale that Archbishop Fred and Bishop Barbara started. The bales were picked up on the afternoon of Friday, October 28 by Canadian Freightways and were in Whitehorse by the following Tuesday or Wednesday.
Items that are in the warehouse will now be distributed locally to:
- Dress for Success, Working Gear (for men- office and outdoor)
- Covenant House
- Burnaby Housing Society
- Aunt Leah’s
- and various street ministries.
ARTICLE by Gail Revitt, , Vice-President, Diocese of New Westminster ACW; Social Action co-Chair, ACW
Images
- Bishop Barbara, Archbishop Fred and Gail check out the list
- Beth Fortin in front of the many assembled bundles waiting to go up north
- Gale Revitt and Beth Fortin begin putting a bundle together
- The Primate selects a men’s sweater
- Gail Revitt and Bishop Andrews go through a socks box
- Beth with the Primate and Bishop with a stack of clothes ready to go