To launch “Friends of Paynter Home", a Toronto inner city working group has organized a fundraiser on Sunday, February 6 from 3 – 7 pm at St. Joseph House, 6 St. Joseph Street.

The Paynter Home for destitute children is located in Nuwara Eliya, in the mountains of Sri Lanka, and was not directly affected by the Tsunami. Therefore it is now preparing to take in an additional 50 children from the coastal regions. Some of these youngsters have lost everything. Others may have surviving relatives who have lost their livelihood in the disaster, and cannot care for them. This initiative will involve some new construction - dormitories, kitchen and washroom facilities - while staff and aid partners plan pro-actively for the children’s other necessities.

More about Paynter Home

The Paynter Home, founded in 1924, is an established and well-respected organization, fully endorsed by the Anglican diocese of Colombo. It does not receive any significant funding from the Government of Sri Lanka. Rather, it is primarily supported by donors. In the present circumstances the Home is seeking financial assistance to expand its facilities, to pay for the additional staff that will be required, and to sponsor children.

The Home does not believe it is sufficient to just warehouse children. It aims to break the cycle of poverty that has caused them to be there through education, training, vocational guidance and developing networks of lay workers who can be “house-parents”, and mentors and assist in community economic development. Retired professionals and others willing to provide a year of voluntary service are being recruited.

Brian and Kay Paynter-Bartley (whose father founded the orphanage) left their comfortable Toronto professional careers in financial services and teaching several years ago to follow their true vocation – to manage the Paynter Home. They travel back and forth between Toronto and Sri Lanka, trying to earn some income here for their own livelihood while following their hearts supporting the destitute children there.

Connection to the tsunamis

One member of the Homes Board in Sri Lanka is the Archdeacon of Nuwara Eliya whose responsibilities include Ampara where the Canadian DART team is located. Another Board member – a cousin of Kay’s – narrowly escaped the Tsunami disaster at Hikkaduwa where the train was submerged. The family church near Hikkaduwa was destroyed.

The Event

The group has melded the themes of Chinese New Year and Ash Wednesday, collaborating with a variety of community partners and the Toronto Vegetarian Association, to put together an event that will also benefit a variety of local groups. Come and enjoy “good VEGETARIAN food, good music and conversation with people of good heart.” It is being hosted by St. Joseph House, a non-profit resource Centre that helps people in vulnerable situations take a “step-up” into better choices and new opportunities. Their resident artists will be selling custom-made Valentines at the event.

Also invited are friends of the Butterfly Peace Garden in the Batticaloa district of Sri Lanka, run by Jesuit priest Fr. Paul Satkunanayagam. This area has been profoundly affected by civil war. For the past 7 years the Peace Garden has provided a sanctuary where thousands of children have found healing through creative arts and play.

The fundraiser is not just about relief but about re-building lives.

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