Under the Sun November 2026 by Alongside Hope

T O W A R D S A T R U LY J U S T, H E A L T H Y A N D P E A C E F U L W O R L D

UNDER THE

SUN

NOVEMBER 2026 | VOLUNTEERS

NEWS FROM ALONGSIDE HOPE

Youth volunteers on a roll: Working for justice, hope and change

The Alongside Hope Youth Council met in Thunder Bay, Ontario, this past May to share ways they can engage other young people with Alongside Hope’s work. From left to right are: Front row, Gia Love and Stella Kukurudz. Middle row, Logan Liut, Robyn Sulkko, Heather Wilks Jenkins, Sarah Bird. Back row, Noah Mittleholtz, Barr Heuther (liaison to the Board), Noah Skinner and Tessa Muirhead.

By Sarah Bird, Alongside Hope Youth Engagement Coordinator

hen I stepped into my new role as the Youth Engagement Coordinator with Alongside Hope earlier this year, I brought with me more than 11 years of experience working alongside children, youth, and young adults. Throughout those years, one thing has remained abundantly clear, when young people are given meaningful opportunities to participate, lead, volunteer, and share their gifts, they strengthen their communities and often inspire meaningful change and action.

Young people bring energy, creativity, passion, and fresh ideas for engaging people of all ages. I am continually inspired by the young people I have the privilege of knowing, especially their courage and dedication to sharing their voices in their parishes and faith communities, and at diocesan, provincial, and General Synods. I am equally inspired by their eagerness and remarkable ability to build relationships with other youth, clergy, and laity across the country. As we celebrate 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, it is especially important to recognize the vital contributions young

volunteers make to justice, sustainable development, and the life of the Church. At Alongside Hope, youth participation, leadership, and activism are woven throughout our strategic goals and wider mission. One important expression of this commitment is the Alongside Hope Youth Council. Made up of young people from across the country, the Youth Council provides a forum for meaningful dialogue and engagement by and for youth within the wider Alongside Hope organization. This volunteer body advises staff on strategic direction and priorities, helps develop and sustain the justgeneration youth movement, connects youth across the Anglican Church of Canada, and strives to uphold the values, vision and mission of Alongside Hope. But youth engagement does not begin with joining a national council. It begins in your own community. Who are the children, youth, and young adults in your parish or faith community? What are they passionate about? What issues of justice concern them? What gifts and talents might be waiting to be recognized and encouraged? Perhaps there is a young person who enjoys public speaking, music, photography, social media, fundraising, event planning, or simply bringing people together. Maybe someone is passionate about climate justice, food security, reconciliation, or global issues. Sometimes our role is not to create a volunteer opportunity and then find a young person to fill it. Instead, we can begin by listening: What are you interested in? What would you like to learn? What skills would you like to develop? How would you like to make a difference? When we begin with these questions, volunteerism becomes more than completing a task. It becomes an opportunity for mentorship, leadership development, faith formation, relationship-building, and meaningful participation in the work of justice. Most importantly, young people should know that their voices matter now. Their ideas, questions, advocacy, faith, and willingness to serve are already helping shape our Church and communities. In fact, it’s all part of living out our baptismal vows.

How to get involved

If you work with children, youth, or young adults in your parish, diocese, or faith community, I would love to connect with you. I am developing a network of leaders across the country to build relationships, share and develop resources that are of interest to your demographic, learn from one another, and pray for and

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Being on Youth Council “permanently changed me” By Emmajane Donnan

Emmajane Donnan (far right) is welcomed into the community in Kenya, with Bishop Helen Kennedy (centre).

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have had the privilege of being a member of the Alongside Hope Youth Council for the past three years. Being a member of this incredible organization has been one of the most significant experiences of my life. In an ever-changing world, filled with such conflict, many young people feel helpless. The Alongside Hope Youth Council provides young people with the opportunity to contribute to something bigger than themselves. I have worked on many important projects, helping with fundraising,

outreach, establishing connections, and much more. The most impactful experience that I had was travelling on the delegation to Kenya in February of 2025. Over two weeks, I had the opportunity to see the real people and hear the real stories of those who have been impacted by the work of Alongside Hope. This delegation was an experience that has permanently changed me and taught me things that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. My time with Alongside Hope has taught me how I, as a young person, can do my part in changing the world around me. It has taught me how to

create meaningful connections and have important conversations with other young people. It has taught me all about the work of my church and the ways in which it provides care for every person. I plan to stay connected with all the Alongside Hope staff and Youth Council , and to follow and support the work of the organization. I would encourage any and every young person who is thinking about getting involved to give it a try, because it could truly change your life.

Emmajane is from the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador.

Village Health Works staff and volunteers prepare peanut porridge for children at risk of malnutrition.

They stir the peanut porridge, which is fortified with other vitamins and nutrients.

The porridge is scooped out and served up.

Volunteers ensure malnourished children in Burundi are fed I

n rural parts of Burundi’s south Burunga province, it’s not unusual to find hundreds of children gathering with their parents at a community health event. The main attraction is big steaming pots of peanut porridge cooking over an open fire. Staff and volunteers from Village Health Works, an Alongside Hope partner, stir the pots, doling out mugs to the eager children. Packed with peanuts and other nutrients, the porridge is a cost-effective way to ward off malnutrition in this small country where the littlest ones are at risk. Between July 9 and August 14, more than 8,200 cups had been distributed — an average of over 300 cups each day. The need is urgent: more than half of children under five in Burundi experience stunting, with children in rural communities facing the greatest risk. More than 70 percent of Burundians also struggle to make ends meet, leaving many families unable to consistently access the nutritious foods their children need and increasing the risk of severe malnutrition. Rich in protein, healthy fats, and important micronutrients, the porridge helps support children’s growth, immunity, and resilience against illness. But the initiative goes far beyond providing a nutritious meal. To ensure early detection, the program integrates routine mass screening directly into the community. Crucial to this effort is a team of 10 dedicated local volunteers in Gatete and Busebwa. Working directly within their neighbourhoods, these volunteers go doorto-door to tell parents about childhood growth targets, dispel myths around malnutrition, and mobilize families to join scheduled screening sessions. “Nutritious porridge and screenings are important, but they only help if families show up,” says Vital Nshimirimana, Community Engagement Manager for VHW. “These volunteers mobilize people, follow up, and keep the program running week after week. They are the

from page 1 support one another in this important ministry. If you’re a young person interested in Alongside Hope, justice issues, or the Youth Council, please be in touch! Whether you simply want to get involved, or are looking to specifically join the Youth Council, there is a place for your gifts, ideas and voice. The Youth Council has openings for a representative from the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada, a Fundraising Lead and a Member-at-Large. If you are between 16 and 30 and live in the Ecclesiastical province of Canada or are interested in working in promotions, and are passionate about social action and social justice, check out the application form at alongsidehope.org/youth-movement, or contact Sarah Bird at sbird@alongsidehope.org.

eyes, ears, and voice of VHW in every home.” During these gatherings, frontline teams measure children’s mid-upper arm circumference — the standard for early detection of malnutrition — and track growth trends. This active monitoring allows teams to catch malnutrition early. They enrol children who are showing moderate malnutrition directly into the daily porridge program while referring severe cases for specialized clinical care. The porridge is currently being produced on this smaller scale using peanuts grown and harvested by local farmers. Supported by Alongside Hope’s Resilience Fund, this program is part of VHW’s broader “Magara Meza”

initiative, which is creating a locally rooted approach to better nutrition: supporting farmers, producing nutritious foods within the community, and making those foods accessible to children and families who need them. While facilities are being prepared for full-scale production, these smaller-scale distributions and volunteer-led screenings are already putting that vision into action. Each cup of porridge represents both immediate nourishment for a child and an investment in a stronger, healthier local food system for the future.

— With files from Village Health Works

A helping of peanut porridge fills the hunger and nutrient gaps for children.

National Youth Project connects faith to creativity Alongside Hope is proud to support the National Youth Project, a collaborative effort between the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. “And it was so...” invites young people and congregations across Canada to explore the intersection of faith, justice and creativity through stories of faith. Rooted in hope, community and action, this initiative empowers youth to reflect on the world as it is and imagine the world as it could be. Through art, storytelling and advocacy, participants are encouraged to respond to the call of creation care and social justice, embodying the spirit of transformation and solidarity. Alongside Hope and Canadian Lutheran World Relief, in partnership with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, have produced a workbook to help bring the NYP to young people across Canada. Download it at alongsidehope.org/youth-movement.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY HATUNGA DAVY

UNDER THE SUN | NOVEMBER 2026 | VOLUNTEERS

Alberta reps gathering a “dream come true” By Lois Reid

olunteers volunteer for a reason; they believe in a cause and they want to make a difference. This past May, Alongside Hope Parish Representatives from across the vast province of Alberta came together to learn, share, sing and have fun as we explored the work of Alongside Hope — our mutual cause. We brainstormed ideas for creating change and shared the common experiences and challenges we face as parish reps. It all began at the 2024 Alongside Hope National Gathering. I was a new Diocesan Rep from the Diocese of Calgary, and I met Jeff Hanger, Diocesan Rep for Edmonton. Immediately, jokes erupted about the Calgary/Edmonton rivalry. (Go Flames!!) Just as immediately, we wondered: could we take that energy and use it to bring together Parish Reps from across the province? Many phone calls, emails and texts transpired (which also included Terry Francis, the longtime Diocesan Rep from Athabasca), and a meeting took place later that year. Lois drove north and Terry drove south and we met Jeff in Ponoka – the middle of the province. After five hours of deep conversation and hilarious laughter, the province-wide Parish Rep Conference seemed possible. Fast forward to May 2026, our vision became a reality: 20 Parish Reps from the Dioceses of Athabasca, Edmonton and Calgary all drove long distances to a retreat centre in St. Albert to meet each other and learn more about our Anglican charity. Together, we took a deep dive into the work of Alongside Hope and shared ideas on how to best present this information to our respective parishes and garner their support. We had a live Zoom conversation with

Parish reps from all corners of Alberta joined Calgary rep Lois Reid (front right), Athabasca rep Terry Francis (back right), Edmonton rep Jeff Hanger (back left) and Alongside Hope Volunteer Coordinator Kim Umbach (front left), to learn more about Alongside Hope. agricultural workers in Zimbabwe who are supported by Alongside Hope and the TSURO Trust. I shared about the partners I met in Kenya as part of an Alongside Hope delegation in March 2025. Terry told us about the importance of story, and Jeff taught us about the universal significance of water. Our special guest, Kim Umbach, Volunteer Coordinator for Alongside Hope, gave us a virtual tour of the website so that we know exactly where to find and direct others to the details

and data of the organization’s mission, projects and partnerships. We wrapped up a good weekend of work with a game of Wheel of Fortune (Alongside Hope version) and a campfire singalong. This was a successful first try. We would like to thank Bishop Stephen London (Edmonton), Bishop David Greenwood (Athabasca) and Archbishop Greg Kerr-Wilson (Calgary), as well as Alongside Hope, for sponsoring the full cost of this two-day meeting. We

couldn’t have done it without their encouragement, advice and funds. The Delegates reported that they found the conference so worthwhile that they requested that we do it again, perhaps every two years. Jeff and Terry and I are volunteers who believe in Alongside Hope’s mission. With enthusiasm and energy and support from the “head office,” our dream came true to bring Parish Reps together and empower them to make a world of difference.

Fuelled by faith: volunteers drive Wild Ride success By Jacqueline Tingle

he Right Reverend Bruce Myers is a man of many hobbies, including beekeeping and cycling. As the Bishop of Quebec for the past nine years, he’s spread the word of God in all corners of the diocese, as well as around the world. This summer, he focused his efforts particularly close to home. Bishop Myers’ annual cycle around Île-d’Orléans – a beautiful 70-kilometre loop just outside Quebec City – took on a deeper purpose. After years of supporting Alongside Hope in various ways and the Wild Ride as a donor, he stepped into his biking shoes as a participant. Every summer, he sets aside one day to cycle the full ring road – a tradition he dubs his own “Tour d’Île.” In 2026, he transformed his yearly ritual into his first Wild Ride, stopping at St. Mary’s Anglican Chapel and the six other churches on the island to offer prayers for St. Luke’s Hospital in Nablus, West Bank, the fundraising focus for this year’s Wild Ride. Bishop Myers has been a longtime Alongside Hope supporter, but the meaning of this year’s ride shifted something in him. During a visit to the Holy Land in 2006 as a part of the Palestine of Jesus pilgrimage course at St. George’s College, he met the Very Reverend Hosam Naoum, now the Anglican Archbishop

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in Jerusalem. They formed a friendship that has lasted two decades. Seeing the Holy Land through the eyes of an ArabChristian family living in the West Bank left a lasting imprint on Bishop Myers, one that inspired his participation in the Wild Ride this year. “Knowing the funds are going to a place I visited, and to support the ministry of a Bishop I consider a friend was added motivation,” he explains. “Light shining in darkness, in the literal sense, is such a compelling initiative,” Bishop Myers says. “It’s easy to invite people to support something when you know the funds will go exactly where they say they are going.” Tamara Ferguson, an Alongside Hope parish representative in Oakville, Ontario, was also a Wild Ride first-timer. “I’m not a runner, a cyclist or a swimmer,” she says. “So, I decided on a goal for myself of walking 30 kilometres per week for the duration of the fundraiser.” Ferguson regularly exceeded her goal, averaging between 33 and 40 kilometres each week. She walks to work, takes morning or evening strolls and walks her dog — but she says there was something different about the Wild Ride walks. “I tried to be intentional each time about whom and what I’m walking for,” she says. She thought about St. Luke’s Hospital in the West Bank and the people who rely on it for care and medical

Bishop Bruce Myers (left) raised more than $9,000 and Tamara Ferguson (right) raised almost $2,000 for this year’s Wild Ride project, solar panels at St. Luke’s Hospital in the West Bank. support. Her cousin, the Rev. Dr. Jeff Nowers, is an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Toronto. He travelled to the West Bank in December on a solidarity pilgrimage with Bishop Andrew Asbil and a delegation from the Diocese. Their experience helped Ferguson

further understand the challenges that communities in the region face every day. “It really opened my eyes even more to how fragile it is there and how important it is for us to give to the people of Palestine and give them as much support as we can,” she says.

UNDER THE SUN | NOVEMBER 2026 | VOLUNTEERS

Thanks to you

Alongside Hope wants to hear from you! Please share your fundraising

success stories to inspire others and to spread the word about the good work you have done! Email info@alongsidehope.org and tell us all about it. Many thanks to all of our donors.

ANGLICAN PARISHES ACROSS CANADA ARE SUPPORTING ALONGSIDE HOPE — AND MAKING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE! By Abdi Ali, Supporter Relations Program Officer

From Algoma to Nablus

Inspired by his experience with the Alongside Hope Youth Council, Sault Ste. Marie’s Noah Mittleholtz helped bring people together across the Algoma Deanery for this year’s Wild Ride. On August 23, 2026, 30 participants gathered at St. Luke’s Cathedral, Emmaus Anglican Church and Holy Trinity Anglican Church, and made their way to Bishophurst, the historic residence of the Anglican Bishop of Algoma. This shared act of generosity raised more than $6,000 toward the installation of solar panels at St. Luke’s Hospital in the West Bank. Mittleholtz’s efforts highlighted the important role young people can play in the church today, turning national conversations about faith and justice into meaningful local action with an impact reaching halfway around the world.

Soup and solidarity

At Emmanuel Anglican Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a special Alongside Hope Sunday on March 8, 2026 focused on the Páramos Project in Colombia and the Resilience Fund. The congregation watched a video presentation from Executive Director Will Postma, helping parishioners connect more deeply with the work their gifts would support. Following the service, members gathered for a soup-and-bun fundraiser in support of the two initiatives. Together with cash donations and additional gifts made directly to Alongside Hope, the parish raised more than $1,700.

Buzzing with excitement

At the Parish of St. George in Fort Langley, B.C., parishioners turned their Lenten Appeal into an opportunity to support women’s beekeeping projects in Colombia as described in the 2025 World of Gifts. During the service on March 15, 2026, parishioners explored the impact of the project through a bee-themed quiz, a lively listening of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee,” and a presentation from a couple on the Outreach Committee who keep their own hives. They arrived in full beekeeping gear to explain what it takes to establish and maintain a hive. Their efforts inspired generous giving, and the parish raised enough to support 20 beehives.

A fitting tribute

Hats off to solar power!

At Immanuel Anglican Church in Regina, Saskatchewan, parishioners marked Mother’s Day with a colourful tradition. For every hat worn to church, $5 was collected for Alongside Hope’s Light for St. Luke’s campaign. From stylish fascinators to favourite Sunday hats, the fundraiser brought the congregation together and raised $425. Their generosity will help support the installation of solar panels at St. Luke’s Hospital, providing a more reliable source of energy for the hospital and the patients it serves.

I WANT TO SUPPORT ALONGSIDE HOPE YOUR GIFT WILL MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU! To make your gift, scan the QR code, visit alongsidehope.org/give-today, or mail this form to the address below. Name:

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Charitable number: 866 434640 RR0001 November-2026

When The Ven. John Clarke retired after 37 years of ordained ministry, his home church of St. Paul’s in Charlottetown, P.E.I. found a meaningful way to honour him. A longtime supporter, advocate and former board member of Alongside Hope, the church encouraged people to mark Clarke’s retirement with a gift to Alongside Hope’s Light for St. Luke’s campaign. Together they raised about $3,000 to support solar panels for St. Luke’s Hospital in the West Bank. The campaign’s matching fund means seven panels will be provided in Clarke’s honour.

Give a gift, change a life Searching for meaningful Christmas gifts? This year’s World of Gifts has you covered! You can improve a family’s food security and income or ensure they can live healthy lives. All gifts are matched 1:1, up to $100,000. Gifts supported by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank are matched as much as 4:1. Scan the QR code or visit alongsidehope.org/ worldofgifts to make your gift today. Alongside Hope is a member of