wfn.org | Newsline: Local hunger ministries to receive replenishment grants from Church of the Brethren

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Dec. 31, 2008
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN FUNDS OFFER REPLENISHMENT GRANTS FOR LOCAL HUNGER MI NISTRIES

(Dec. 31, 2008) Elgin, IL -- The Church of the Brethren's Global Food Crisi s Fund and Emergency Disaster Fund have begun a new program to encourage co ngregations to make a special effort this winter to respond to local food b ank or soup kitchen financial needs. The "Domestic Hunger Matching Grant" p rogram is a partnership with the Church of the Brethren's stewardship depar tment.

Congregations will be matched dollar for dollar--up to $500--for a gift to  one local food bank or soup kitchen. The program will be in place through M arch 15. It was developed "in response to the worsening supply crisis in ou r nation's food banks," said Ken Neher, director of stewardship and donor d evelopment.

To qualify for the grant a congregation must raise new funds for the food c risis, fill out and return an application form, and enclose a copy of the c heck it writes to the food bank or soup kitchen. Matching checks will be is sued in the charity's name and mailed to the requesting congregation for fo rwarding to the local organization. Matching grants will be issued until th e $50,000 set aside for the program by the two funds is exhausted.

The grant program also is a way that the Church of the Brethren is contribu ting to a new emphasis of the ecumenical organization Christian Churches To gether (CCT). Each member organization and denomination in CCT is addressin g poverty in a specific way through Easter 2009, according to Wendy McFadde n, who helps represent the Church of the Brethren at CCT.

Said Neher: "We pray this will inspire your congregation to respond generou sly to this growing crisis in our own neighborhoods."

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continu ing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in  community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith t raditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates it s 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts more than 125,000 members across the  United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nig eria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org