My path to PWRDF

By Alicia Archbell, justgeneration.ca Diocesan Ambassador, Diocese of Niagara

In 2004 I was asked to be on the Diocese of Niagara’s outreach committee. At that time I was asked simply because I was a known teenager in the diocese and they needed a token youth. While at the age of 14 I was apprehensive to sitting on a committee who’s next youngest member was 10 years older than me, I agreed to the position as social justice was something I was passionate about from a young age. On that committee I first learned about PWRDF. We received monthly updates about different projects PWRDF was involved with, in Canada and abroad, and I was always interested to hear how much work they were doing. 

For 10 years I heard about the amazing projects that were happening, the last minute relief projects we were asked to raise awareness for as a diocese and the development projects that we funded long term. PWRDF became an organization that I talked about within my parish and at youth events as something Anglicans should support.

After a decade the outreach committee (then prophetic social justice committee) decided against monthly meetings as there was better ways to manage our time. Around this time I became more involved with the youth programs in the diocese and this led me to meet Sheilagh McGlynn. 

Sheilagh looks after the youth side of PWRDF and after a few conversations she convinced me to be my Diocese’s youth ambassador to justgeneration. Through this position I had a platform to continue spreading the news and work of PWRDF with my entire diocese as well as the youth. 

I am fortunate to be born into the life I have, with an abundance of food, shelter and anything I could want. I know that this is not the case for most people in the world. This means I have the responsibility to make sure I do all I can to give others the access to food, water, medicine and so much more that I have had the luxury of having. Through PWRDF I can help give others a better life. By being a jDA I can influence others to support those initiatives and educate themselves about what support needs to be given.

PWRDF does amazing work in this world and I am so happy that my pathway through life has given me the ability to work with them.