Parishes Raise $7,000 to Assist Buye Seniors

This September the Diocese of Edmonton led a “$5 – 5 Ways Fundraiser” to assist seniors in our sister Diocese of Buyé, Burundi.

Parishioners were encouraged to donate $5 to an initiative of the Buyé Mothers' Union to provide seniors with much needed medical cards. With a card, seniors receive an 80% discount on their medical expenses for a year. The $5 cost for the card is out of reach for most seniors as they do not receive a pension. High costs and lack of resources mean many seniors who have worked at hard physical labour most of their lives are unable to afford a visit to the doctor and proper medical care.

Members of the Edmonton diocese have raised $7,000, as of October 10, with donations still coming in. These funds will help more than 1,400 Buyé seniors attain medical medical cards for the 2019 year.

Reports about the $5-5Ways coffee-hour fundraiser tell a heartwarming story. In some parishes the initiative was coordinated by youth, different branches of the ACW have contributed, men’s groups have raised funds, and one or two churches brought out their fancy Keurig machines to brew specialty coffee.

Whether you provided financial assistance and/or offered prayers for our sister diocese, we are grateful for your response. Submitted by the Rev. Danielle Lepine and the Rev. Rebecca Harris