Members Provide Aid through
World Hunger and Oblation Donations:

“You can send, where you cannot go…”

The freewill offerings that people give to the church’s World Hunger and Oblation Funds reflect their “decision to care about people they don’t even know-whom they may never know,” said World Church stewardship commissioner Ken Schnell. He finds the generous contributions people make to these funds quite remarkable. “We appreciate that people are making a larger church impact happen by giving… recognizing that church life goes beyond the congregation. We are a world church as well as a congregational church,” Schnell said.

During the 2000 fiscal year (October 1999-September 2000) a grand total of $1,385,500 was contributed to these two funds: $381,400 to World Hunger, and $1,004,100 to Oblation. These donations have helped people around the world alleviate hunger and better their chances for the future, as well as provided relief during times of disaster. These are situations in which people are inspired to help, said Schnell, realizing that sometimes “you can send, where you cannot go.”

The World Hunger Fund provides direct grants and issues grants through Outreach International and World Accord. Bread for the World, “a nationwide Christian citizens movement seeking justice for the world’s hungry people by lobbying our nation’s decision makers,” was supported by one World Hunger Fund grant. Direct grants were also provided to:

• Rio Grande Valley Food Bank, providing food in a very low-income area;
• Miami Hispanic Mission Food Bank, providing food and spiritual ministry to Hispanic families; and
• the Latin America Region International Youth Conference, providing youth opportunities to visit and share a meal in the home of a Honduras resident. Youth left sacks of rice and beans as gifts for the hosts.

World Hunger Fund grants through Outreach International supported various nutrition and school lunch programs. The Dominican Republic Schools Water and Food Program used funds to help a school meet government regulations so it would not be closed. A grant also supports a Brazil day care and nutrition program that provides children with Head Start training and meals. Another example is the Haiti School Lunch Program, which provides nutritious, hot meals to more than 1,000 malnourished students.

World Accord projects funded by World Hunger Fund grants focus on programs that increase people’s food security, teach sustainable food production techniques, and encourage economic development. In Honduras, a rural reconstruction program has steadily increased the amount of land in the project area that is under soil and water conservation practices. A visible difference in the level of food security and economic development has been reported there. A program in Guatemala, “Mujeres en Accion,” increases women’s abilities in food production, generating household income, and community participation. Three projects are being funded in Pakistan: (1) a sustainable and intensive agricultural development program, (2) construction of a drinking water pond, and (3) a community development program.

World Hunger Fund donations also provided disaster relief in some areas. Flood relief was sent to Mozambique through Oxfam America. Aid was also sent to Lodwar, Kenya, because of famine, and Haiti due to a continued drought.

Disaster relief is also provided by the church’s Oblation Fund. In 2000, aid was sent to victims of an earthquake in Taiwan and survivors of a cyclone that struck Orissa, India. Walkerton, Ontario, received funds to provide financial assistance to the community and families that were affected by an E. coli outbreak that contaminated the water supply, causing illness in more than 1,000 people and proving fatal for some residents.

The Oblation Fund also provided twenty-three Tangible Love grants during the fiscal year. Several funded programs emphasized teaching peace and justice to children, their families, and communities. Far West Stake’s Peace Trails teaches peace and justice perspectives and skills, and explores the church’s witness as an ensign of peace in the community. In Fort Ternan, Kenya, funds are being used to establish the Good Samaritan Peace and Justice Recreation Center for children, and launch Young Peacemakers Clubs in two primary schools. The Mobile Peace Museum in Lamoni, Iowa, teaches children life skills that will empower them to achieve greater success in their lives.

After-school and homework programs for children and teens also received support through Tangible Love Grants. Support for survivors of family violence was provided in grants to a domestic violence shelter as well as Camp Horizon, which provides a secure camping experience for abused and neglected children. Target Earth, an East Lansing, Michigan, campus ministry project, will explore ministry relating to issues of eco-justice. Other Tangible Love grants supported programs such as homeless shelters, AIDS centers, multicultural and interfaith initiatives, human rights organizations, and Habitat for Humanity projects.

The generous donations that continue to be given by members and friends to the World Hunger and Oblation Funds have impacted many people all over the world. Programs supported by these funds go well beyond meeting basic human needs by ministering to people on levels that encourage them to thrive as individuals, families, and communities. The impact of what has been given truly “proclaims Jesus Christ, and promotes communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.”

--Kendra Friend

 

October 1, 1999-September 30, 2000
World Hunger Fund ($381,400 contributed)
#		Distributed
7	Grants through Outreach International	$100,720
11	Grants through World Accord	$120,122
4	Direct Grants	$27,750
3	Disaster Relief Grants Mozambique Flood (Oxfam America) $10,000 Lodwar Famine $5,000 Haiti Drought $36,000	$51,000
	Total	$299,592
Oblation Fund ($1,004,100 contributed)
#		Distributed
23	Tangible Love Grants	$219,886
	Aid to Individuals United States and Canada $569,300 Other Nations $171,600	$740,900
3	Disaster Relief Grants Taiwan Earthquake $1,500 India Cyclone $25,000 Walkerton, Ontario, E. coli Outbreak $3,300	$29,800
	Total	$990,586
	Grand Total	$1,290,178