Lutherans Intensify Support for Global Hunger Relief, Development

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will add to its support for hunger relief and development worldwide with surplus income from the church's World Hunger Appeal. In 1999, members of the ELCA contributed more than $16 million to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal -- a record amount.
The appeal received $3.4 million more than its 1999 goal, said the Rev. John L. Halvorson, coordinator of the World Hunger Program, ELCA Division for Church in Society. The goal of the 1999 appeal was $12.6 million.
"Plans for these additional funds will not just be 'business as usual.' We are allocating the funds in a timely, relevant fashion, enabling the church to intensify its response to domestic and international needs," Halvorson said.
Income from the ELCA World Hunger Appeal provides direct relief for people in need worldwide; provides the means for long-term, sustainable development in communities; advocates for justice and educates members of the church on issues related to hunger, poverty and justice. These priorities were established by the 1987 ELCA Constituting Convention, Halvorson said.
More than 72 percent of the World Hunger Appeal income is designated for international relief and development; more than 11 percent is allocated for relief and development in the United States; about 10 percent is provided for education and advocacy; and 7 percent is used for program coordination, fund raising and communication.
Two "very important partners" of the ELCA received a large part of the surplus, said Halvorson. Lutheran World Relief (LWR) received more than $1 million and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) World Service also received more than $1 million.
LWR works overseas in relief and development on behalf of the ELCA and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). The LWF is a global communion of 128 member churches in 70 countries, representing 59.4 million of the world's 63.1 million Lutherans.
"We are grateful for the recent major grant of overage funds from the ELCA World Hunger Appeal, which will allow us to bolster our long- term activities in Africa in response to the present crises there," said Kathryn Wolford, president of LWR.
LWR plans to expand efforts in Africa in a new three-year initiative. Three key areas of the initiative include peace and conflict transformation; expanding efforts in economic justice issues, including trade and debt relief; and health issues, especially HIV/AIDS, said Wolford.
The LWF, through its Department of World Service, will use its allocation to strengthen its relief and development work in 20 countries, 14 of which are in Africa, Halvorson said.
Additional international and domestic ministries are made possible by the 1999 ELCA World Hunger Appeal funds. They include:
+ HIV/AIDS prevention, education and care of orphans through companion churches in Africa, $110,000;
+ Training for 10 medical doctors from Madagascar to serve in other parts of the world, $50,000;
+ Income-generating projects in Liberia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, $40,000;
+ Ecumenical grants for work in North Korea, Haiti and other places in the Caribbean, $295,000;
+ Companion church/organization grants for work in Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Liberia and Lebanon, $105,505;
+ Response to the rural crisis in the United States, including relief support for mid-Atlantic farmers affected by drought conditions, North Dakota Farmers Union, and rural outreach in northwest Minnesota; development grants for partners such as Casa de la Dignidad, Livingston, Calif.; Lutheran Rural Response; and ELCA Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, $150,000.
+Domestic hunger grants for response to homelessness, women and children living in poverty, the rural crisis and domestic violence prevention programs, $398,000.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, a ministry of the ELCA, LCMS and Latvian Evangelical Lutheran in America, will receive $45,000. Halvorson said $30,000 will be used to fund Simba, a two-week camping experience that establishes "a safe place for healing and restoration" in the lives of African American males between the ages of 10 and 18. Urban agriculture and urban garden projects will get $30,000, he said.
Halvorson said $50,000 is designated for other areas of work in the ELCA, such as educational resources for ELCA congregations and public policy advocacy activities.
"The vast majority of the appeal's surplus will be used to assist our partners large and small in their crisis and long-term responses to hunger and poverty," said Halvorson.
The ELCA celebrated the World Hunger Appeal's 25th anniversary in 1999. Some congregations of the ELCA marked the anniversary by using the number 25 in fund-raising activities throughout the year. In addition, members of the church prayed, conducted "services of recommitment" and planned activities and offerings in celebration of the appeal during a special 25-day period, Nov. 1-25.
The 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly approved a resolution that calls for members of the church to increase their awareness of hunger in the world, to double their giving over the next five years to ELCA World Hunger Appeal through regular contributions and designated gifts, and to thank supporters of the appeal.
The ELCA World Hunger Appeal was established at the 1987 ELCA Constituting Convention. Churches that formed the ELCA launched world hunger appeals in 1974. Since then the appeals have gathered more than $216 million.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
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