Canadian Churches in Action (CCA) is a coalition of ten Canadian churches involved in development and relief activities around the world. Through CCA, we work with international partners to provide a unified response to disasters.
Our member agencies are:
CCA represents a national constituency of 4.5 million Canadians, approximately 15% of the Canadian population. Working with international partners and through global networks and alliances such as Canadian Foodgrains Bank and the ACT Alliance, we are able to respond in times of crisis with food and essential supplies, working with communities to rebuild homes, restore livelihoods and provide psychosocial assistance.
History
As CCA members, we find strength and effectiveness in working together to help populations affected by disasters. We receive financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Since 2004, we have responded to disasters with over $140 million from private sources.
CCA began in early 2005 when four church based agencies; Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D), United Church of Canada (UCC), Mennonite Central Committee Canada (MCCC) and the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) applied to CIDA for $6 million of matching funds following the 2004 Asia tsunami.
These four groups called themselves “PUMA” (Presbyterian, United, Mennonite, Anglican). PUMA successfully completed a three-year project of reconstruction and rehabilitation in India. Over the last several years, PUMA added additional members. In 2007, CCA was formed as it exists today.
CCA and its predecessors have worked together in response to the 2004 tsunami, the South Asia earthquake in 2005, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China, 2008 cyclone Nargis in Myanmar (Burma) and a number of other disasters.
CRWRC/CCA Initiatives
- South Asia Earthquake/Tsunami (2005) - complete
- Java Earthquake (2006) - complete
- Philippines landslide (2006) - complete
- Philippines Typhoon (2006) - this is now complete
- Haiti earthquake (2010) - ongoing
- Chile earthquake (2010) - ongoing
- Pakistan floods - ongoing
- Japan earthquake/tsunami - ongoing
Contact
Grace Wiebe, CCA co-chair
1-800-730-3490 ext. 238
gwiebe@crwrc.org
Gary Kenny, CCA co-chair
1-800-268-3781 ext. 4051
gkenny@united-church.ca
