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News of devastating flooding in the southern Brazil province of Rio Grande do Sul is only recently hitting our english-speaking media. See here (Reuters) and here (BBC) for recent articles. Two of the students of our friends at the Canadian College of Performing Arts are from Brazil and have shared how their own friends and family have been directly impacted by the disaster. They are also offering all of us some opportunities to help:

Donations of Supplies

Containers filled with clean winter clothing, shoes, towels and blankets are set to leave shortly. Donations of these items can be dropped off at St Mary's Church (1701 Elgin Rd) during business hours from now through Wednesday, May 15. Appropriate drop-off times are:

  • Saturday: 10 am - 1 pm (Churchmouse Bookshop hours)
  • Sunday: 8 am - 12 noon (Worship times)
  • Monday-Wednesday: 8:30 am - 1:30 pm (come to the chapel/office door, through the garden)

Please do not drop items off outside on the front porch. There will be designated boxes inside during opening hours.

Financial Support

While we have not been able to find current relief campaign among our partner agencies in the Anglican Communion, there are efforts to raise money for supporting the efforts in the region. One possibility to contribute financially is through the Brazilian crowd sourcing platform Vakinha (it's like Go Fund Me) - you can visit the page for the project here (and your browser may have a 'translate this page' option to read the details in English). There are links on that page to donate in US dollars via the Stripe payment platform.

You can also contact one of the aforementioned CCPA students, Gabriela, directly to find other ways to join her and others as they work to support their families and friends back home. (Gabi is also one of St Mary's Choral Scholars, by the way). Gabriela Mattos, gabi.mattosfay@gmail.com

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