Title: World Food Emergency Prompts Special ELCA Assistance ELCA NEWS SERVICE
May 6, 2008
World Food Emergency Prompts Special ELCA Assistance 08-058-FI
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- With the price of food rising, especially in the world's poorest regions, members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will send an initial $100,000 to companion churches and partner relief agencies to provide food to vulnerable people and to strengthen development work in rural communities. ELCA International Disaster Response allocated $50,000 and the other half of the amount will come from money the ELCA World Hunger Appeal received in addition to reaching its goal for 2007.
The high cost of energy that makes it more expensive to produce food, increasing demand in emerging economies, the use of grain as a fuel source and weather -- drought and floods in different regions that have damaged crops -- are factors in a global food crisis, said the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director, ELCA Global Mission.
Those factors have combined with food security issues -- international trade policies, access to markets, government subsidies of farmers, and global distribution of wealth and resources -- and a widening circle of long-term issues -- environmental degradation, oil depletion, population pressure and water scarcity, Malpica Padilla said.
"Our church has consistently and persistently
addressed many of these factors in its year-in and year-out work to reduce hunger and poverty. Indeed, rural development and food security issues have been key elements of our World Hunger work," he said.
"Today we see these factors reinforcing each other in a truly vicious cycle that makes it increasingly difficult for families to get enough to eat. Given predictions that food prices will continue to rise, we are particularly concerned about those who are the most vulnerable, including those who live on a dollar or less each day, those who are refugees, and those, like AIDS orphans, who are dependent on others to provide food and shelter," Malpica Padilla said.
"Thanks to the amazing generosity of ELCA members and congregations, we have the capacity to expand our response to this crisis," said Kathryn Sime, director, ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal.
"In the midst of this crisis," Sime added, "I ask the members of our church to join me in taking three actions now on behalf of those who are most affected: to pray for children, the elderly and all those most vulnerable in this crisis, to give a special gift to ELCA Disaster Response to respond where food aid is most needed, and to continue giving to ELCA World Hunger Appeal to combat the root causes of chronic poverty and hunger."
The ELCA World Hunger Program supports companion churches and partner organizations that carry out domestic and international relief and development with grants from money raised by the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
Coordinated by ELCA Global Mission, International Disaster Response channels its funds through international church organizations and relief agencies. Funds provide for food, medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other materials for survivors of disasters. -- -- --
Information about the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and Program is at http://www.ELCA.org/hunger on the ELCA Web site.
INTERNATIONAL DISASTERS:
Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds for aid to survivors of major disasters outside the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, please include:
ELCA International Disaster Response, PO Box 71764, Chicago, IL 60694-1764, 1-800-638-3522 and http://www.ELCA.org/disaster/idrgive on the Internet.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog