CRWRC Allies with Live 58: to End "the Other Half" of Poverty by 2035

[Beth Degraff <bdegraff@crwrc.org>]

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>*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

Andrew Ryskamp, CRWRC Director, cell 616-498-0816

Beth DeGraff, Media Contact, cell 616-648-7821 or 800-55-CRWRC EST

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*CRWRC Allies with 58: to End “the Other Half” of Poverty by 2035**
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*FEBRUARY 2, 2012*—In 2015, what happens to the United Nations’ efforts  to
halve global poverty through the Millennium Development Goals?

To begin addressing that question and the ongoing needs of people living in
poverty around the world, an alliance of U.S. nonprofits called “*58:*”
launched a campaign in late 2011 to build momentum to eliminate “the other
half” of extreme global poverty by 2035.

Today, the *Christian Reformed World Relief Committee* (www.crwrc.org) is
participating with 58: to initiate a year-long *Global Impact Tour* that
introduces 12 poverty-fighting projects about 12 issues in 12 of the
world’s poorest countries through an interactive online experience.

The online tour (www.live58.org/tour) engages participants in fighting
extreme global poverty by:

·         Learning each month about an issue that perpetuates poverty and
practical solutions to solve it.

·         Encouraging personal involvement with an action, or “fast,”  to
build awareness and advocacy.

·         Inviting financial support for a proven poverty-fighting project
by a 58: Alliance member.

·         Encouraging people to pray for needs, issues, and countries whe re
extreme poverty exists.

CRWRC Director Andrew Ryskamp says that the organization joined the 58:
Alliance as international community development representative in early
2011.”The 58: Global Impact Tour has a counter-intuitive aspect to
it—putting together a fast with a tour,” Ryskamp says. “As people of  faith,
we believe that through God’s power, this initiative can change the world
for good.”

CRWRC is a faith-based, non-government organization with a 50-year track
record in community development, disaster response, and justice education
in North America and around the world. In 2011, CRWRC worked in 4,500
communities to help ease the daily struggle to survive extreme poverty.

CRWRC’s current project with the 58: Alliance focuses is raising funds and
awareness for AIDS orphans in Uganda who are being helped with
community-based foster care, health care, better nutrition through
community gardens, and opportunities for education. “CRWRC’s efforts in
Uganda and around the world make a life-saving difference every day,”
Ryskamp says. “58’s efforts focus on making a consolidated impact on
eliminating extreme global poverty in our lifetime through established,
experienced U.S. non-profits like CRWRC.”

As a member organization of the 58: Alliance, CRWRC is joining individuals,
churches, and nine other key U.S. based, poverty-fighting organizations in
the effort to eliminate global poverty. 58: takes its name from the prophet
Isaiah’s call to care for the poor and oppressed in the Book of Isaiah,
Chapter 58, in the Bible’s Old Testament.

58:’s mandate invites people to live out Isaiah 58, where the prophet
Isaiah chastises God’s people for empty displays of religion and calls for
a “true fast:” to remove the chains of injustice, set the oppressed fre e,
feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and clothe those in need.

“We believe that God has a heart for those who are poor, hurting, and
oppressed,” says Steve Grey, Executive Director of 58:. “Imagine what c ould
happen if every person of faith in the U.S. would fast, pray, and give
financially to help people in poverty around the world. At even $10 or $20
per month, giving up a meal or skipping a new purchase is a small sacrifice
for many of us—but it could change or even save a person’s life.” Eli zabeth
Ayebare, a seven-year-old living in rural Uganda, is one of the people Grey
is talking about.

Elizabeth is an AIDS orphan being cared for in a poor community where CRWRC
is working through Ugandan churches to stop the spread of AIDS and care for
people living with it. CRWRC’s work there, and in 14 other developing
countries around the world, is not only transforming her life, it is also
changing her community, and contributing to the end of extreme global
poverty by 2035 through Live 58:.

To give to CRWRC’s “Care for Orphans” project through Live 58: go to
www.live58.org/momentum/projects.
<http://www.live58.org/momentum/projects.%20>Your gift to children like
Elizabeth Ayebare helps communities care for orphans and vulnerable
children by providing: food and nutrition services; shelter and care;
protection from abuse, neglect, exploitation, stigma, and discrimination;
grief and trauma counseling; education and vocational training; and
spiritual care at a local church.

*To join the 58: Global Impact Tour*, go to www.live58.org/tour. *Media
inquiries for Live 58:,* please contact press@live58.org or Jared McKinney
at 541-250-0569.

*Members of the media* wishing to interview CRWRC Director Andrew Ryskamp,
call cell 616-498-0816 or call Media Contact Beth DeGraff at cell
616-648-7821, or 1-800-55-CRWRC.

*For more information about these programs, visit
**www.crwrc.org*<http://www.crwrc.org/
* or call 1-800-55-CRWRC. *

*CRWRC is a non-profit agency of the Christian Reformed Church in North
America*

*ministering in community development, disaster response, and justice
education *

*with people in need in 40 countries around the world for 50 years.*

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>--
>Beth DeGraff
>CRWRC Media and Justice Contact
>2850 Kalamazoo Avenue SE
>Grand Rapids, MI 49560-0600
>1-800-55-CRWRC
>www.crwrc.org

"Poverty represents a double violation of justice -- the poor are unjustly
downtrodden, and our failure to alleviate their condition is, in turn,
unjust." NW