The new name pairs well with the PWRDF existing icon. This continuity will improve brand recognition as we transition to Alongside Hope over the coming year.
By Rev. Canon Greg Jenkins
PWRDF began as PWRF: The Primate’s World Relief Fund.
It was called into existence in response to the Springhill Mine Disaster of 1958. That year a devastating “bump” in a coal mine trapped 174 men 4,000 feet underground. Seventy-five of the miners died. In response to the tragedy, the Anglican church created a fund to offer assistance for the stricken families and community.
Since that time, what started as a simple fund has grown into a ministry of partnership, and hope. PWRF broadened its mandate to include development, and became the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF). The mandate has continued to grow over the years, and we now recognize this by embracing a name that speaks directly to the heart of our mission: Alongside Hope.
This is more than a name change. It is a proclamation of faith, an embodiment of the Gospel imperative to walk alongside those in need, to share burdens, and to offer steadfast hope. The name Alongside Hope calls us to action, reminding us that we are not solitary agents of charity but co-workers in God’s vineyard.
The work of PWRDF has long been rooted in compassion and justice. For decades, it has extended open hands across continents, bringing relief to the afflicted, advocating for the marginalized, and sowing seeds of empowerment. This mission continues as before. However, with the change in name, a deeper truth is revealed: hope is not a gift we simply give to others, but a force we encounter and nurture together with our partners.
The name Alongside Hope is an invitation to humility and mutuality. It calls us to recognize true partnership. The story of hope is not written by our hand alone but is woven together by many hands, hearts, and voices. This name reflects a posture of walking side by side, of listening before speaking, of learning before leading.
Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we are reminded that Christ appears not in the grand and obvious, but in the humble act of accompanying one another. Alongside Hope asks us to follow this example, to look for Christ in the stranger, in the refugee, in the farmer, in the mother struggling to provide for her children.
This change comes not out of necessity, but out of vision. It is a declaration that we are committed not just to relief but to relationship, not just to development but to dignity.
And so, we press forward, bearing the light of hope in a world that so often dwells in shadows. Let us walk together, hand in hand, as bearers of hope, partners in justice, and disciples of love. Alongside Hope is not just a name; it is our calling. Let us rise to meet it.
ALONGSIDE HOPE - Though you will be hearing people talk about Alongside Hope, the changes to our website and social media will not take effect until March 1, 2025. This will allow us time to complete tax receipts for 2024 under the PWRDF name.
Rev. Canon Dr. Greg Jenkins is PWRDF representative for Huron.
Quick answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
- Is the relationship with the Anglican Church of Canada changing? No, it is not.
- To which organizational name should donors provide donations? Either will work.
- Do I need to change my will or my life insurance policy that benefits PWRDF? No.
Find out more at pwrdf.org/our-new-name/