ADRA Insider

ADRA Insider Podcast for February, 2026 In this episode of the ADRA Insider Podcast, Lyle Notice visits the Community Service Program being conducted in North Sydney, Nova Scotia

Lyle Notice hosts today's podcast and has Frank Spangler, media specialist at ADRA Canada as his guest. Today's topic covers the questions, "Who is ADRA?", "What is ADRA?" "What does ADRA do?" Frank shares from his 36 years of working for ADRA.

Welcome to the 2026 Season of the ADRA Insider In this first episode we are introduced to Lyle Notice, the Philanthropy & Marketing Associate Director for ADRA Canada. In this episode Lyle and Frank Spangler tackle some of the big questions some of our supporters have been asking in 2025. Questions like: Does ADRA Canada take funding from the UN? Does ADRA Canada take directives from the UN? Does ADRA Canada get the NGO Status from the UN? Does ADRA take money from the government? Why doesn't ADRA evangelize? How much of my donation actually gets out to the people? Please join us as we discuss these important questions! ADRA and the Intersection of Faith and Aid brochure: Call for a free copy: 1-888-274-2372 View Online: ADRA.ca/intersection-faith-aid Support ADRA: ADRA.ca/donate

Earlier this year, we sat down with the team from ADRA Haiti to discuss the implementation of the "FAH" program - Food Assistance in Haiti. The interview takes a look into the experiences of the local team and explains the experience of people living in Haiti in the midst of tremendous turmoil and instability.  We also take a moment to overview some of the historical causes and reasons for the current situation - highlighting the need for compassion, understanding, accountability, and engagement from the rest of the world. Haiti is a resilient nation that has survived almost unimaginable challenges. For the ADRA Haiti team, nothing could have been more fulfilling than seeing the relief on the faces of their own people receiving food when they needed it most.  Follow us on all of our online platforms to stay up to date with ADRA Canada, and visit our website to learn how you can help make a difference.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada 

It has been over a year since the earthquake that hit Syria and Türkiye in 2023. We have mentioned it before on this podcast, but for the ADRA team in Syria, the reality of the aftermath has never gone away.  After a bit of a break, ADRA Insider is back to share more stories from our work in Canada and around the world. We sat down earlier in 2024 to hear the voices of the ADRA Syria team as they shared their experiences during and after the earthquake, and shared some of their perspectives on what the world outside their country might not quite be able to see. Their heart-stirring personal testimony is impactful, and their determination to help their community even in the face of loss is inspiring. Follow us on all of our online platforms to stay up to date with ADRA Canada, and visit our website to learn how you can help make a difference.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada 

ADRA Insider is back! Our theme for 2024 is "Compassion In Action," and the situation around the world is certainly demanding that we dig deep for that compassion.  On New Years Day, natural disasters struck Madagascar and Japan. Cleanup and relief responses were already underway in Tanzania due to flooding that took place just before the New Year, and the rising tensions in the Middle-East have meant more problems for Lebanon. ADRA is on the ground working on crisis response in each of these cases. But the numerous problems around the world are a powerful reminder of how important it is for us to band together and choose to put compassion into action. Follow us on all of our online platforms to stay up to date with ADRA Canada, and visit our website to learn how you can help make a difference.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada 

In the final episode of 2023 - ADRA Canada's "Year of Justice" - we take a look at the work that ADRA does with people who are displaced from their homes, whether Refugees or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). We share stories of an IDP family in Somalia and a family of Ukrainian refugees seeking to make the most of a new life resettled in Canada.  This episode also takes some time for Max, the producer, to reflect on the scale and frequency of humanitarian crises and natural disasters in 2023 and to offer some personal thoughts on what it means to pay attention with an open heart, to remain empathetic to the suffering of the world, and to maintain a humanitarian spirit in spite of constant bad news.  To everyone who has listened to this season of the podcast this year, we thank you for your attention, engagement, and support. We wish you the best in the new year!   Follow us on all of our online platforms to stay up to date with ADRA Canada.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada 

In our ongoing Year of Justice, we dedicated November to the theme of "Protecting Children." Yes, we are a bit late highlighting last month's theme on the podcast, but we still felt it was worth it to give the topic a highlight on this show.  Notably, we sat down recently with Cho Thel - Senior Program Manager for the Myanmar chapter of the BRIGHT (Breaking Barriers, Improving Girls Education, Hope, and Totality) Project. She shared some of her personal experience from helping to implement this project, as well as some of her own story growing up in this very same country, and how it all contributes to ADRA's emphasis on protecting children from the harms of trafficking, labour exploitation, and abuse. You will also hear examples of the BRIGHT project's success in Niger and Sudan, and catch a glipse of how all ADRA projects contribute in some way to the protection of children. Follow us on all of our online platforms to stay up to date with ADRA Canada.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada 

On November 15, 2023, ADRA Canada celebrated the agency's 40th anniversary. After four decades of humanitarian service, there was a lot to celebrate, to reflect on, and to look forward to. Important representatives from Seventh-day Adventist church leadership, as well as local leaders and dignitaries, all took their turns on stage to speak on the importance of ADRA's work, and to cast a vision for the future of the agency.  Join us on this episode of ADRA Insider as we summarize the events of the night for those who were unable to attend, as well as giving you a little insight into some staff's experiences behind the scenes. You'll also hear the recorded premiere of a new, original ADRA theme song, and learn a bit more about legacy giving and the ADRA J. Howard Society. Follow us on all of our online platforms to stay up to date with ADRA Canada.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada 

Food security is at the heart of so much of ADRA's programming around the world. As unprecedented drought conditions wreak havoc on crops, pastures, and herds, and as armed conflicts send people into various forms of displacement - hunger almost inevitably rears its ugly head. Tackling the roots of hunger means finding new ways for communities to ensure continuous food security - anchoring them in sustainable practices that don't ultimately depend on the continued support or presence of ADRA. This episode begins to explain a bit about how we do just that.  Follow ADRA Canada on all of our social media to stay up to date about all of our projects related to hunger! Also make sure to check out some of the videos on our YouTube channel from a recent trip in Cambodia and Indonesia – where our team saw the results of some of our food security projects.  And don't forget that out 40th anniversary celebration is coming up soon! Be a listening ear in the coming month to learn all about our four decade legacy of Justice, Compassion, and Love.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada