by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service
Gifts to the World Hunger Appeal of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) designated for "Stand With Africa" help
communities and churches in Africa banish hunger, overcome
HIV/AIDS and build peace. To help members of the ELCA understand
how their contributions support life-saving ministries in Africa,
a bulletin with fold-out map offers a "sampling" of Stand With
Africa projects taking place in sub-Saharan Africa. The bulletin
provides ways Lutherans can contribute to Stand With Africa,
engage in advocacy, goals of the ONE campaign and more. The
bulletin is available for free from the summer 2006 Top 40
Resources Catalog.
"Hunger, HIV/AIDS and civil strife exist in all parts of the
world, but in Africa these three realities are intertwined in
ways that reinforce and intensify the human suffering caused by
each," said Sue Edison-Swift, director of resource and
communication efforts, ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Response.
"While just 10 percent of the world's population lives in sub-
Saharan Africa, 24 percent of the world's undernourished people,
27 percent of the world's refugee/internally displaced people,
and 60 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS reside in sub-
Saharan Africa," she said.
Gifts to the ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal designated for
Stand With Africa are allocated to the ELCA's companion churches
in Africa, Lutheran World Federation and Lutheran World Relief.
The 2005 ELCA World Hunger Appeal collected $449,810 for Stand
With Africa.
WEB LINKS:
World Hunger Appeal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
http://www.ELCA.org/hunger
Stand With Africa
http://www.ELCA.org/hunger/swa.html
Lutherans can contribute to Stand With Africa
http://www.ELCA.org/hunger/howtogive/SWAgive.html
advocacy
http://www.ELCA.org/advocacy
ONE campaign
http://www.ELCA.org/advocacy/one/default.asp
Top 40 Resources Catalog
http://www.ELCA.org/hunger/resources/top40.html
ELCA companion churches
http://www.ELCA.org/companionsynod/index.html
Lutheran World Federation
http://www.lutheranworld.org
Lutheran World Relief
http://www.lwr.org
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
