Rideau Park United Church

SA&O Information Bulletin

Social Action and Outreach Committee
Rideau Park United Church
December, 2005

Canada has been part of the World Vision family since the early days. In 1950, Bob Pierce held the first meetings in Canada to discuss what he had seen and learned in Asia. In 1957, Canada's first World Vision office opened in Toronto. Today the new national headquarters, overseen by president Dave Toycen, is one World Vision’s busiest offices. World Vision is Canada's largest private relief and development agency. Today, Canadians support more than 330,000 children around the world. Child sponsorship helps fund World Vision Canada’s international long-term development projects. World Vision Canada has a long history of partnering with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and other government bodies in overseas development and in addressing global issues, such as child rights, hunger, and health.

World Vision International is a Christian relief and development organisation working for the well being of all people, especially children. Through emergency relief, education, health care, economic development and promotion of justice, World Vision helps communities help themselves. World Vision is an international partnership of Christians whose mission is to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God.

Established in 1950 to care for orphans in Asia, World Vision has grown to embrace the larger issues of community development and advocacy for the poor in its mission to help children and their families build sustainable futures. Working on six continents, World Vision is one of the largest Christian relief and development organisations in the world. The heart of World Vision's work is in helping communities build stronger and healthier relationships. The absence of such relationships impoverishes communities. World Vision focuses on children because they are the best indicator of a community's social health. When children are fed, sheltered, schooled, protected, valued, and loved a community thrives.

The World Vision Partnership shares a common understanding bound together by six core values. These core values are the fundamental and guiding principles that determine World Vision's actions. The core values are our aim, a challenge that we seek to live and work to. We are Christians. We are committed to the poor; We value people; We are stewards; We are partners; We are responsive.

World Vision functions as a partnership of interdependent national offices, overseen by their own boards or advisory councils. A common mission statement and shared core values bind the Partnership. By signing the Covenant of Partnership, each partner agrees to abide by common policies and standards. Partners hold each other accountable through an ongoing system of peer review.

For additional information please visit their website: www.worldvision.ca.

“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”     Micah 6:8