Ms. Gail Holland

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  www.wgrr.org/awards.htm - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/11/2008    Last Visited: 5/23/2008  

  Caption: Ignace Musengimana and Gail Holland, Chair of the Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity Refugee Committee

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  Anglican Journal -- Fund raiser on hold - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/26/2002    Last Visited: 8/26/2002  

  The implementation committee consists of Canon Poole, who is rector of Trinity Church in Aurora, Ont.; Monica Patten and Brian Hartsook, lay people who are members of the financial management and development committee and staffers Jim Cullen, treasurer of General Synod, and Gail Holland, coordinator of the Anglican Appeal.

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  Anglican Journal, February 2002 -- Journal gifts top... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 6/6/2002    Last Visited: 6/6/2002  

  The appeal's coordinator, Gail Holland, said she was "quite hopeful" that the appeal would reach its gross goal of $700,000 once all the cheques were in and counted between Christmas and New Year's Eve.Ms. Holland said the appeal receives 70 to 80 per cent of a year's donations in November and December alone. "We are getting far fewer questions about where the donations are going," Ms. Holland said."There is less worry out there that donations are going to lawyers over the residential schools issue." Last year average donations declined and some donors stopped giving, concerned that money was being directed to residential schools litigation costs instead of to work of the national church in the north and overseas.Reassurances that donations do not go toward legal fees seem to be getting through, Ms. Holland said.
  
  -canada news-February 2002

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  Anglican Journal, February 2002 -- Journal gifts top... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 2/1/2002    Last Visited: 2/19/2002  

  The appeal's coordinator, Gail Holland, said she was "quite hopeful" that the appeal would reach its gross goal of $700,000 once all the cheques were in and counted between Christmas and New Year's Eve.Ms. Holland said the appeal receives 70 to 80 per cent of a year's donations in November and December alone. "We are getting far fewer questions about where the donations are going," Ms. Holland said."There is less worry out there that donations are going to lawyers over the residential schools issue." Last year average donations declined and some donors stopped giving, concerned that money was being directed to residential schools litigation costs instead of to work of the national church in the north and overseas.Reassurances that donations do not go toward legal fees seem to be getting through, Ms. Holland said.
  
  -canada news-February 2002

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  Anglican Journal, May 2004 -- Refugees find help from... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 5/1/2004    Last Visited: 7/15/2004  

  On a blustery winter morning, Gail Holland walks gingerly through hardened snow on a Toronto street.She is carrying two bags of toys from parishioners at Holy Trinity church where she is a warden.They are for the children she is visiting at Costi Reception Centre, a temporary residence for newly-arrived, government-assisted refugees. At the door two children in pyjamas greet her with a broad smile."Bonjour," four-year-old Jacques and five-year-old Chantel say, as she gives them a hug.They have known each other for only 12 days, but already they call her "Mama Gail."
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  Gail Holland (left) is a refugee co-ordinator for Holy Trinity church, Toronto.
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  Ms. Mbazimana says their reunion would not have been possible without Holy Trinity church and Ms. Holland.
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  Ms. Holland, former co-ordinator of the national church's Anglican Appeal, helped refugees from Central America in the 1980s before becoming Holy Trinity's refugee co-ordinator in 2000.
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  Ms. Holland adds, "The trauma of war and abuse will always be there for most refugees."
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  Despite the challenges, Ms. Holland, Ms. Anderson and Ms. Vanderlip say they will persist.

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  Anglican Journal, May 2004 -- Refugees find help from... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 5/1/2004    Last Visited: 2/6/2005  

  On a blustery winter morning, Gail Holland walks gingerly through hardened snow on a Toronto street.She is carrying two bags of toys from parishioners at Holy Trinity church where she is a warden.They are for the children she is visiting at Costi Reception Centre, a temporary residence for newly-arrived, government-assisted refugees. At the door two children in pyjamas greet her with a broad smile. ,Bonjour,, four-year-old Jacques and five-year-old Chantel say, as she gives them a hug.They have known each other for only 12 days, but already they call her ,Mama Gail.,
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  Gail Holland (left) is a refugee co-ordinator for Holy Trinity church, Toronto.
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  Ms. Holland, former co-ordinator of the national church,s Anglican Appeal, helped refugees from Central America in the 1980s before becoming Holy Trinity,s refugee co-ordinator in 2000.
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  Despite the challenges, Ms. Holland, Ms. Anderson and Ms. Vanderlip say they will persist.

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  Bible Network News :: North America & Caribbean - Gail... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/11/2008    Last Visited: 7/26/2008  

  Gail Holland - worked behind the scenes to bring Erfani family to Canada (11/20/02)Bible Network News :: North America & Caribbean - Gail Holland works to bring Erfani family to Canada
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  Gail Holland - worked behind the scenes to bring Erfani family to Canada
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  Gail Holland works on the Erfani file at her office in downtown Toronto, Canada, November 22, 2002.
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  TORONTO, Canada, November 20, 2002 — When Mahmoud Erfani, his wife and three daughters arrive in Canada on November 25, Gail Holland's life will suddenly get busier; much busier.
  
  Holland is the chairperson of her Toronto church's Refugee Sponsorship Committee, and one of many Canadians who have worked behind the scenes to bring the Iranian refugee family to this country to start a new life, free from religious persecution.But, she says, the real work begins once they get here, and the sponsor committee abandon their tasks as government advocates, and pick up new roles as friends and supporters.
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  It has been a frustrating and lengthy process, according to Holland."(The Erfanis) were refused (formal refugee status) three times, because they had no way to prove that they had been subject to harassment because of their religion.And finally, we had just about given up hope, because when they were refused again this last time, we thought they were going to be deported from Turkey," she said.
  
  Holland has served as chair of the sponsorship committee for "about five or six years", and as a committee member before that.It is clear she has a heart for what she does.A full-time employee of the Anglican Church of Canada for the past 12 years, Holland works as Co-ordinator of the Anglican Appeal (a fundraiser for mission partnerships).Due to retire in December, the 63-year-old mother and grandmother says she's looking forward to leaving her day job, so she'll have more time for her volunteer work.
  
  She has worked with refugees for decades, and has even hosted many in her own home, during those times when she became aware of a need and happened to have a bedroom sitting empty.Holland says her interest in sponsorship began in the 1980's, while doing volunteer work at a Toronto food bank.
  
  'It's a funny kind of volunteer work to do'
  
  She remembers, "I certainly had a lot of contact with Refugees there.
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  The Erfani family first came to the attention of Gail and her committee when Kouroesh Barani, Pastor of the Toronto Iranian Alliance Church approached them seeking help.Barani says he had known the Erfanis as a young man living in Mashad.
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  Gail Holland admits her church agreed to sponsor the Erfanis primarily and simply because they were made aware of their very great need.
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  Playing a part in securing the family's future 'feels good' says Holland
  
  Knowing she has played a part in securing the family's future feels good, says Holland, but at the same time, "the important part hasn't happened yet.
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  Holland insists she isn't a person who spends hours praying each day, yet she recognizes the answers that come to unspoken prayers."Last Sunday, someone in my parish approached me and said, 'Hey, I'd be very interested in joining the Refugee Committee', and he used to be an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher, so I thought, 'Hah!He'll be able to go and give Mrs. Erfani lessons in her home!"
  
  While she can't recall the scriptural reference, and claims that's not unusual, Holland quotes Proverbs 19:17 verbatim, saying it is one of her favourite Bible verses."He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done" (NIV).It would seem to be not only a favourite verse, but in fact a guiding principle in the life of Gail Holland.

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  Departmental Staff Directory - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 2/2/2001    Last Visited: 2/11/2001  

  Ms. Gail Holland 335 Co-ordinator, Anglican Appeal

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  Diocesan Post.Com - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/1/2002    Last Visited: 7/17/2005  

  Gail Holland Coordinator, Anglican Appea

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  General Synod -- Church donors can now give with a... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 7/9/2002    Last Visited: 6/10/2004  

  Gail Holland, co-ordinator of the Anglican Appeal, is hopeful about the new donation method, which is already being used by the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund and a number of Anglican churches across the country. "Some of the other semi-automated methods we used leave a lot to be desired," said Ms. Holland. In the past, the appeal has invited donations via cheque or a 1-900 number; the donation would appear on the donor's telephone bill.The drawbacks of that method were that the church had to pay to have the 1-900 number, then pay for each call made to the number.The process was cumbersome - it took about two months from the initial call for the appeal to receive the donation.Then, several weeks passed before the donor received a receipt.And, because the donation amount would appear on the donor's telephone bill, the donation had to made from the donor's home phone - the giver could not phone from work, for instance. "This way, the money and the receipts are quick," said Ms. Holland. The Web site's corporate sponsorship even absorbs the merchant fees that businesses and charities pay to credit card companies in order to receive funds from credit card purchases or donations. Ms. Holland predicts that the new donation method will appeal to the wide sector of its donors who are online (the Appeal office has been gathering donors' e-mail addresses for about a year in order to save on mailing costs for its two- to three-times yearly newsletter.)

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