wfn.org | Newsline: Camp Mack feeds the hungry locally and in Guatemala

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Jan. 23, 2009
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

CAMP MACK HELPS FEED THE HUNGRY LOCALLY, AND IN GUATEMALA

(Jan. 23, 2009) Elgin, IL -- Rex Miller, executive director of Camp Alexand er Mack in Milford, Ind., has made a number of visits recently to the Milfo rd Food Bank. The camp is an outdoor ministry center of two Church of the B rethren districts: Northern Indiana District and South/Central Indiana Dist rict of the Church of the Brethren.

During the fall, Camp Mack recognized great need in the local area and invi ted its Waubee Lake Association neighbors to join the camp staff in a food  drive. The drive supported needs at the local food bank. Lake area resident s multiplied the amount of food that Camp Mack staff could give.

Camp Mack is also concerned about being a good global neighbor. With the fi nancial and farming support of members of Bethany Church of the Brethren, G oshen United Church of Christ, Nelson Beer, and Max and Gary Tom, the Camp  Mack 25-acre field has been farmed in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Proceeds from t he sales of crops have gone to the Foods Resource Bank for hunger relief in  Guatemala.

The corn and beans sold during these three years netted over $20,000 for a  food security project benefitting Mayan families in 20 rural communities in  Totonicapan, in the western part of Guatemala. Monies raised have helped T otonicapan organizations work with families to build wells, purchase hand p umps, learn to grow vegetable gardens, build cisterns and drip irrigation s ystems, build greenhouses and patio or yard gardens, work at reforestation,  and receive training in marketing their agricultural surpluses at the muni cipal level.

The Foods Resource Bank report notes: "The families participating in the pr oject in Totonicapan...are extremely grateful for the technical assistance  and training received during the period, as well as the words of encouragem ent and gesture of friendship that they received."

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 celebrated 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.

(This report was provided by Phyllis Leininger, office manager for Camp Mac k.)

># # #

>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