wfn.org | Lutheran Leaders Fight Hunger

[ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG]

June 13, 1996

LUTHERAN LEADERS FIGHT HUNGER (84 lines)
96-14-042-LC

     COLUMBUS, OHIO (ELCA) -- Where others saw an urban dump Gloria Luster saw a garden.
  Known as the "garden angel of Baltimore," Luster has turned about 80 vacant lots into
an organic farm.  She and other leaders in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's
fight against world hunger met in Columbus, Ohio, May 31- June 2.  The ELCA's National
Hunger Leadership Event brought together about 85 people, representing 51 of 65 synods
to talk about ways to promote hunger awareness in their synods and congregations.
     Luster received a start-up grant of $2,500 from the ELCA World Hunger Program in
1993.  She hasn't asked for money since, saying "once you get started you need to start
looking around to see how you're going to support yourself."
     "This gathering is important because it is a time for those in our network to hear
from our key partners, such as Lutheran World Relief and the Lutheran World Federation,"
said the Rev. John Halvorson, coordinator of the ELCA World Hunger Program.  Equally
important is the inspiration participants gain from each other --  a chance to hear from
other synod hunger leaders about fund-raising, education efforts, and promoting hunger
awareness
in their synods, he added.  LWR and LWF each receive about $3.7 million from ELCA hunger
funds each year.
     Participants shared creative ways their synods provide hunger education, including
welfare simulations, trips to Mexico to sensitize participants to realities of the
"third world," handing out one cup of rice to those attending a synod assembly as an
idea of what people in Asia have for a meal, suggesting to people they keep track of
their monthly food bill and donate 10
percent of the total to world hunger, and appoint a hunger advocate in every
congregation.
      The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is a communion of 122 Lutheran church bodies
representing some 56 million of the
world's 59 million Lutherans.  Lutheran World Relief (LWR) is the relief and development
arm of the ELCA and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
     Participants chose one of two "earth keeping" field trips. At First English
Lutheran Church, located in an economically
depressed area of Columbus, they met with John Fetters, consultant and congregational
member, on energy-efficient lighting.  Fetters talked about how churches can reduce
their energy usage and bill through simple actions and then "donate that savings towards
hunger."
     He is preparing a brochure with Dr. Job Ebenezer, ELCA director for environmental
stewardship: "How to Reduce Lighting
Energy Through Simple Measures in Churches and Church Related Institutions."
     Dr. Ben Steiner, Ohio State University, conducted a tour of a sustainable farm
outside of Columbus, owned by the Yutzy
family.  The Yutzys are Mennonites who follow biblical principles in their farming
operations.
     Kathryn Wolford, executive director of LWR, reported to the full gathering on
development and relief work in Africa, Asia,
Eastern Europe and Latin America.  Wolford said LWR recently delivered school supplies
to Angola and those supplies were the
first that children had seen for five years.
     Lutheran World Relief helped change lives in my country, said Mimin Lu Aznar.  She
works with LWR developing and monitoring projects in Mindanao, the large southern island
of the Philippines.  LWR is working with 240 farmers in eight villages on new farming
techniques and crop rotation.  "It is a story of a community gaining control and having
hope for a better future," said Aznar.
     Carol Birkland, Geneva, Switzerland, evaluates LWF relief and development programs.
 In making funding decisions, "except for immediate relief, need alone [of a community]
is never enough in long-term development," said Birkland.  Among other things, LWF looks
at community participation, local church involvement and what is needed to stabilize a
community, she said.
     The ELCA's Hunger income and support was about $12 million in 1995.  Of that, 72.5
percent went to hunger relief and development around the world, 12 percent to the same
in the United States, 9 percent to hunger education and advocacy, and 6.5 percent to
administration, fund-raising and communication.
     In addition, ELCA members contributed $1,431,170 to the ELCA Disaster Response
funds.  International disasters received
$345,580 and domestic disasters received $1,085,590.
     The group will meet next summer June 20-23 in Washington, D.C. in conjunction with
Bread for the World, an interdenominational hunger and justice group.

For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service, (312) 380-2958; Frank
Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955; Lia Christiansen, Asst. Dir., (312) 380-2956