Congregation Liaison: Outreach and Servant Ministries Committee
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) is a global organization that envisions a world in which each person, every community and all generations live in justice, dignity and peace. Founded by Lutherans in the United States, grounded in Lutheran theology and building on decades of experience, LWR exists to serve their neighbors overseas who face poverty, injustice and human suffering.
They focus on two main areas: agriculture and emergency operations. They work to improve the lives of millions of small-scale farmers and their families, helping them adapt to and mitigate the effects of changing weather and environmental conditions. Their emergency operations often go on for years after the initial disaster, helping communities cope with and recover from emergencies in ways that promote lasting improvements in people’s living conditions.
Saint Andrew’s supports the mission of LWR with budgeted funds, donations of quilts, sewing supplies, and Personal Care Kits.
From 2017-2020, we provided support to families in Bihar, India as part of a collaborative effort with LWR (learn more at http://lwr.org/bihar
Current Opportunities:
Lutheran World Relief has sent an appeal to congregations, including Saint Andrew’s, to help children in two particular places.
“In Lebanon, over one million people have been displaced by escalating violence. Families are crammed into overcrowded shelters, struggling to access food, health care and safety. Children are left deeply traumatized, their dreams of a brighter future slipping further away each day.”
“In Ecuador, asylum-seekers turned away from the U>S> are being relocated here without resources or support networks, facing prolonged uncertainty. Children are especially vulnerable, at high risk of homelessness, hunger and exploitation. Without urgent intervention, they remain trapped in devastating limbo.”
These crises were not part of the plan when LWR created their budget las fall. The scale of these emergencies has grown beyond what they can respond to alone. So, they are asking for help. They sent a letter to Saint Andrew’s which is attached to this post.
Our Outreach and Servant Ministries Committee has directed $1,000 from the New Opportunity fund to Lutheran World Relief (LWR) directed to the “Children in Crisis”. LWR has national and local partners and staff on standby in Lebanon and Ecuador, ready to scale up their response as soon as resources are available.
The need is great. If you are able, you are encouraged to provide support for the children affected by these crises. You can do that directly at the Lutheran World Relief website at this link: https://lwr.org/children. Or you can write a check to Saint Andrew’s and put “LWR Children” on the memo line.