Many Associates of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London are actively supporting global partners in developing countries. Our support ranges from participating in short-term exposure trips to promoting and volunteering at fund-raising events.
Our global involvement inspires us to consider ways we can share from the abundance in our lives. We recognize the privileges we have in Canada with our access to education, health care, employment, clean and abundant water, civic rights, and peaceful communities. We can hope to see our dreams for our children and grandchildren come to fruition. In return we want to express the love of our dear neighbour in ways that alleviate the hardships of poverty.
Along this “camino” of walking with the poor, we take the extra steps and go deeper with questions about what creates and sustains poverty. From there we take action, we lobby, we join solidarity groups, we turn out for events, we weave patterns of “unifying love”.
We have witnessed the transformative potential of micro enterprise support in programs that specifically assist women in Peru, Haiti, Guatemala, and Malawi. We lobby for indigenous rights and environmental protection.
When we consume, we remember the legacy of the lace makers and we choose first to consume fair trade products in loving solidarity. In writing this article I challenged myself to “walk the talk”. I read with interest an article in our London Free Press that Catholic schools in London are doing research on whether the uniforms their students are wearing are made from fair trade practices. I wore 3 different uniforms as a student at a convent in Montreal; my youngest child wore a uniform in her last year at Catholic Central High School in London. I find this initiative to be something I wholeheartedly support. I hope the Catholic School board will find a way to visually stamp each uniform with the guarantee of fair trade practices so that anyone who purchases or wears a uniform will be participating in a local action for global change. It is time to write my letter showing my support and suggesting that idea.
We are all called continuously to “walk the talk” and our Associate voices are growing in unity.
The Associates support these NGOs in Southwestern Ontario
- Heart-Links (aid to Peru and work awareness trips)
- Rayjon Share Care (aid to Haiti and work awareness trips)
- Guatemala Hope (aid to Guatemala and work awareness trips)