The Annual Conference Witness to the Host City this year in Greensboro, N.C., is benefiting BackPack Beginnings, a nonprofit dedicated to making a difference for local, low-income children and families by providing for their tangible basic needs.
Bill and Penny Gay of Pleasant Dale Church of the Brethren in Decatur, Ind., have been volunteering in various locations in Alaska for many summers. Their work centers on community gardening and efforts to reduce food insecurity. The projects in Alaska have received support through grants from the Global Food Initiative. Here is an update on their continuing work
Recently, Creekside Church of the Brethren near Goshen, Ind., challenged the other congregations of Northern Indiana District to participate in the Souper Bowl of Caring. The aim was to see which congregation could gather the most ounces of soup to feed the hungry in our local communities by Super Bowl Sunday.
An appropriation of $143,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) is being directed by Brethren Disaster Ministries for a humanitarian response to multiple crises in Haiti. The money will provide emergency food distributions at all the congregations and preaching points of l’Eglise des Freres d’Haiti (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti).
The Growing Hope Globally project in northern Virginia includes five Church of the Brethren congregations that are working with the organization to grow crops on 10 acres of farm property in Midland, Va., and then donate the income from the sale of the crops to food security and hunger relief.
Jeff Boshart has resigned as manager of the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Initiative (GFI) effective Dec. 29. He has held the position, which includes managing the GFI fund as well as the Emerging Global Mission Fund, for more than 11 years, since March 2012.
Grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Initiative (GFI) are supporting food distribution to the Hispanic community in Lancaster, Pa., agriculture micro-projects by the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela, a community garden project of the Church of the Brethren in Spain, and sustainable agriculture education in Burundi.
The $7,241 raised by Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., in last fall’s CROP Hunger Walk, warranted the congregation a Certificate of Appreciation from Church World Service.
Brethren Disaster Ministries is monitoring the deadly earthquake that struck in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 22. Staff are monitoring an expanding crisis in the horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya) where an extreme drought, soaring food prices, and high fuel costs are adding to a massive humanitarian crisis.
The Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Initiative (GFI) has given grants to support transition of an agriculture program of Eglise des Freres d’Haiti (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) to a self-sustaining ministry. Also among recent grants are allocations in support of a community garden of Grace Way Community Church of the Brethren in Dundalk, Md., and a food distribution program of the Alpha and Omega Community Center in Lancaster, Pa.
