Fund helps needy near church

A bequest from two long-time parishioners of All Saints, Peterborough is helping disadvantaged people who live close by.

Sisters Kay and Edna Lee, who died in 2010 and 2012 respectively, left a bequest to All Saints that became The Doris Fund, named in honour of their older sister. The bequest specified that the funds should be used to help people who live in close proximity to the church.

The fund made a donation to the New Canadians Centre to support newcomers who are facing emergencies. “I had some dental work done in Lebanon but it was not good,” says Hayja Abosaba, a refugee. “My tooth got infected and it was causing me so much pain. When I came to Canada, I went to a dentist right away and they repaired my tooth and treated the infection.”

During 2017, the Doris Fund provided assistance for the breakfast programs at two primary schools. It also supported Collective Kitchen cookery classes for area residents and provided emergency financing through the Peterborough Housing Resource Centre to help those in crisis stay in their homes and avoid eviction.

As members of All Saints, Edna and Kay Lee lived their faith daily. When a member of the parish needed help with her two-year-old quadruplet sons, Edna was one of a team of volunteers who drove two of the boys to nursery school four days a week. Both sisters visited nursing homes to read to residents. They taught in the church’s Sunday School for years and drove people to church who would not otherwise have been able to attend.

Submitted by All Saints, Peterborough.