English islanders raise funds for Christian Aid projects

Christian Aid Week was held in mid-May to raise both funds and awareness to help alleviate poverty, and many took part in the event, including generous people in Canvey Island in Essex.

"It has been hard work but really enjoyable at the same time and we've raised a fantastic amount going to a great cause," said organizer Rev. Lesley McGlynn, assistant curate at St. Nicholas Church, as quoted by Clacton Gazette on May 31. "It's currently £3,357.93 but we still have some more envelopes to count up, so we're expecting a bit more."

According to the report, the group of church volunteers handed envelopes to residents in Canvey Island, asking them for money they could spare. They also organized other fund raising activities during Christian Aid Week, including community breakfasts, coffee mornings, and jumble sales, which McGlynn said were "really well attended and helped tremendously."

The funds that they raised within the week would be used for international Christian Aid projects. According to Rev. David Farey, in an article on Eastbourne Herald, the focus this year is on Bangladesh, specifically those people who are living in the middle of rivers, on islands of silt.

"Christian Aid doesn't just give simple aid, but helps people to live," Farey wrote. "They practice the principle of give a man a fish you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him for life."

The funds that the Generous Islanders raised this year surpassed what they raised in 2015, and McGlynn gave the credit to the community spirit in Canvey.

"It's a really worthwhile cause because so many who are disadvantaged get to benefit from this around the world," she said. "When you stop and think of the amount of people who are living in poverty, and how the money can make a difference to them, then time spent organising things here and collecting envelopes really isn't too much trouble."

Christian Aid is the relief and development agency of 41 churches in England and Ireland. Its history dates back to the 1940s, and it has been fighting poverty for more than seven decades.

"We'll carry on tackling the causes of poverty," the organization says in its website. "We'll continue to support local organisations to deliver real, practical change. We'll work so that everyone can fulfill their right to a decent life."

More than 20,000 churches unite during Christian Aid Week.