The 2020-2021 fiscal year has proven very challenging for the Interfaith Housing Initiative. Like so many of our partners and many faith communities, we are facing funding shortages in this season that threaten our continuing work together.
For the last five years, we have appreciated the support of a circle of funders that included contributions of money, space and volunteer energy from our supporting faith communities. We know times are hard for all of us, but we need your help right now.
What do we need to keep doing our work?
Interfaith Housing’s operating budget is quite small currently as we continue to enjoy gifts of office space and shelter under the organizational umbrella of the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton. We also continue to receive gifts of meeting space, food, and volunteer energy on our various committees and working groups. This generosity has allowed us to keep operating with a budget of less than $70,000 annually.
With that support, we have been able to do some pretty amazing work serving our city and her faith communities. We have been a resource…
- Hosting workshops on affordable housing in neighbourhoods around the city.
- Supporting faith communities in exploring land development/redevelopment with the possible inclusion of affordable/supportive housing.
- Helping local faith communities work together to respond to local needs in their community.
- Providing consultation coaching to both community and developer via the TogetherWise program. www.togetherwiseconsulting.ca
- Helping neighbours safely care for each other during Covid-19 with resources posted at www.helpisnextdoor.ca.
- Promoting the Interfaith Works Project; a yearly volunteer drive with Habitat for Humanity providing people of many faith communities opportunity to work together to provide families with a home.
- Advocating for meaningful housing solutions with all three orders of Government.
- Providing tools, resources, volunteer opportunities and public education via our website: www.interfaithhousing.ca, and our newsletter: the Neighbourly.
- Hosting important conversations such as last year’s conversation that worked to search out a shared understanding of harm reduction and abstinence approaches.
- Developing resources to aid people and families, such as
- A listing of free tax clinics we kept current in Spring of 2020 with regular updates.
- Neighbouring in Covid cards to help people reach out safely to neighbours with offer of care and support.
- Our working group exploring the creation of the Jubilee Mortgage program and how to support financial stability and home ownership for low and middle-income Canadians. (in development)
We want to continue to serve our city and ask for your help in meeting our operating budget.
To donate, please visit the following page hosted by the Anglican Diocese and select Interfaith Housing Initiative from the list of donors.: Donate to Interfaith Housing
Cheques can be made out to the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton and designated to the Interfaith Housing Initiative in the memo line.
Please mail cheques and donations to the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton at 10035 – 103 Street, Edmonton, Alberta; T5J 0X5
Many thanks for your continued support!
The Steering Committee
Interfaith Housing Initiative 