Nature Mission partnership receives $5,000 grant from Say Yes! to Kids
The summer 2022 camping season looks a lot brighter for children who are connected to Mile End Mission’s Montreal community. The Mission has served children and adults in need for more than three decades and has grown as a centre of care, inclusion, and hope.
“For years we’d wanted to find a summer camp partner,” says Linda Hachey, Director, “where Mile End kids might benefit from a week in the country. And now, we have one!” At the end of last summer, Hachey says an email from the Rt. Rev. Mary Irwin-Gibson, Bishop of Montreal “introducing us to the good folks at the Quebec Lodge Outdoor Center” proved timely and gave rise to an exciting opportunity to collaborate on a summer camp project.
“One of the guiding principles of the Quebec Lodge Foundation is to ensure that no child is prevented from attending summer camp for financial reasons,” says Hachey. With the lodge located less than two hours away on the shores of Lake Massawippi in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, their proximity to Mile End made them an ideal partner.
The partnership project between Mile End Mission and Quebec Lodge, dubbed A Nature Mission, received a $5,000 grant through AFC’s Say Yes! to Kids initiative. “We are all very grateful for this funding which will cover the cost of camp fees for a group of 10 to 12 children.”
The Quebec Lodge Foundation will cover the transportation costs and will work with the Mission to acquire the necessary camping supplies—bathing suits, sunscreen, sleeping bags, etc.—from individuals and business.
“After these past years’ tough lock-downs, these children will more than benefit from a week at this camp with its beautiful open spaces,” says Hachey. “They will also be able to revel in the freedom, independence and growth that comes from being away from home, probably for the first time in their lives.”
Ruth Sheeran, President of the Quebec Lodge Foundation is grateful to AFC for the grant. “The generosity of the Anglican Foundation has made it possible for us to ‘Say Yes! to Kids’ and fulfil our long-standing dream of sharing the pristine natural environment of the camp with young people from the inner city. We look forward to developing an enduring partnership with the Mile End Mission and welcoming their kids to the Quebec Lodge Outdoor Centre for years to come.”
A Nature Mission was one of 5 projects to receive a total of $33,645 in funding through Say Yes! to Kids in 2021 for outdoor recreation. “The Anglican Church of Canada is blessed by a community of champions for faith-building, summer camping ministries, as well as year-round outdoor recreational opportunities,” says Dr. Scott Brubacher, Executive Director, AFC. “It is our sincere hope that Say Yes! to Kids will continue to be an abundant resource stream for exactly this kind of outreach to young people.”
For more information about Say Yes! to Kids 2022 and how your parish can benefit from this nationwide peer-to-peer fundraising campaign visit Say Yes! to Kids – Anglican Foundation of Canada or email Michelle Hauser, AFC’s Development and Communications Consultant at [email protected].
