Government Will Match Donations for Philippines Typhoon Appeal
The United Church has issued a church-wide appeal for donations in response to the super typhoon that devastated much of the Philippines on November 8. Funds donated will be distributed to United Church partners in the Philippines and ACT Alliance for relief and reconstruction efforts. The Canadian government will match, dollar for dollar, donations to registered Canadian charities, including the United Church, made between November 9 and December 8.
According to the government, "For every eligible dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities in response to the impact of Typhoon Haiyan on the Philippines and other affected countries, the government will set aside one dollar for the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund. The government will use the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund to provide assistance through international and Canadian humanitarian organizations, employing established channels and procedures."
Registered charities, including the United Church, will be able to apply to the government's Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund to augment relief projects in the Philippines, although there is no guarantee that any project or charity will receive funding from the government's fund.
To be eligible for matching, donations need to be received at the United Church's General Council Office no later than December 8th.
What You Can Do
Pray
* Pray for our Filipino sisters and brothers who have lost loved ones, their homes, and their livelihoods.
* Pray for the members of the ACT's Philippines Forum who are working tirelessly to assess damage on the ground and organize an emergency response.
* Pray for United Church partners in the Philippines-the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)-as they work diligently to attend to the needs of Filipinos affected by the disaster.
* Pray for the Government of the Philippines, which is working with civil society organizations to ensure that relief needs are met as soon as possible.
* Pray for the international community that is rushing to the aid of the people of the Philippines.
Donate
Please donate to Typhoon Haiyan Relief. Your donation will be applied directly to support the relief and reconstruction work of United Church partners in the Philippines and ACT Alliance. Here's how you can donate:
* Online via our secure donation page.
* Phone 416-231-5931 or toll-free 1-800-268-3781 and use your Visa or MasterCard.
* Send a cheque, money order, or Visa or MasterCard information with donation amount to:
The United Church of Canada
Philanthropy Unit - Emergency Response
3250 Bloor Street West, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M8X 2Y4
Please be sure to note "Emergency Response-Typhoon Haiyan Relief" on the face of your cheque.
What to Do for Your Donation to Be Matched by the Government
For United Church donations to qualify for Canadian government matching funds, certain conditions need to be met:
* Donations need to be received at the United Church's General Council Office no later than December 8th, 2013.
* Donations need to be received from individuals only, not companies or businesses.
To ensure that all money collected is seen as coming from individual donors, we ask that congregations
* encourage members to give directly to The United Church of Canada, 3250 Bloor St. West, Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario M8X 2Y4 (cheques need to be marked "Emergency Response-Typhoon Haiyan Relief") or encourage members to give directly online.
* Alternately, collect all personal cheques received and forward them to the United Church address above. Please include with the cheques a list of the names and addresses of individual donors and the amounts each has given.
Note: As part of the United Church's Emergency Response Fund, 85 percent of your donation will go directly to emergency response in the Philippines. Fifteen percent will be used to respond to disasters throughout the world that do not receive media coverage and often go unnoticed. No administration fees will be deducted from your donation. Donations for Mission and Service enable the United Church to provide staffing and cover the administration costs of its emergency response work.
Partners, ACT Alliance Assessing Needs and Responding
Both the NCCP and UCCP are working hard to assess immediate needs and organize emergency disaster responses. The most urgent requirements will include food, drinking water, clothing, sleeping materials, temporary shelter, and medicines. ACT is preparing an appeal to its worldwide network for donations for typhoon relief and reconstruction. The NCCP is a member of ACT's Philippines Forum and will share the responsibility for implementing relief and reconstruction projects funded by the ACT appeal. The United Church of Canada has donated $5,000 from its Emergency Response Fund to assist ACT with its rapid response activities in Philippines.
Strongest Typhoon on Record
Typhoon Haiyan packed winds of over 300 km/hr and is the strongest typhoon on record. It struck after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in September that displaced 400,000 Filipinos, killed 400, and caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure on Bohol Island in eastern Philippines. "We are still reeling from the impact of the earthquake in Bohol and now we have another big whammy," said Pastor Levilou Amora, the UCCP's Program Coordinator in the region. The back-to-back catastrophes have taxed the Philippines' capacity to respond to disasters and available resources are now severely overstretched, the UCCP said. If more disasters strike before year's end, "the country's economic woes will worsen, and many of our people will suffer from hunger and despair," the UCCP added.
Thank you for your concern and support for the people of the Philippines.
For more information contact:
Gary Kenny
Program Coordinator, Emergency Response and International Development
Tel: 416-231-5931 ext. 4051
Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781 ext. 4051
E-mail: gkenny@united-church.ca
