Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) urgently calls on the people of Ponoka to donate new and gently used sweaters for Syrian refugees facing yet another harsh winter.
Trinity ELC is working with Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) and churches across Canada to collect sweater donations nation-wide.
The sweaters will be distributed to Syrian refugees living in the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan. About 125,000 people in the camp are bracing for another cold, wet winter. Many still live in tents and lack warm clothing after having fled their communities with little more than the clothes on their backs. The harsh weather conditions in the desolate Jordanian desert are another hardship on top of the traumas suffered through the brutal civil war.
“Every bit of warmth we can provide will make a difference,” says Robert Granke, executive director of Canadian Lutheran World Relief. “The sweaters will go to the people in the camp who are in the most need.”
Men’s, women’s and children’s sweaters of all sizes are needed. The goal is to collect 10,000 sweaters and dispatch them to Jordan in time for winter.
Donated sweaters can be delivered to Trinity ELC no later than Oct. 27.
Drop sweaters off at Trinity ELC (5501 54 Avenue) Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To arrange another drop-off time call ahead (403-783-4141) or email (tel.church.ponoka@gmail.com).
For more information, visit www.trinityponoka.ca.