WORLD HUNGER ADVOCATES

Ethan Bergman · November 2020

Blessings to you as we navigate through these unusual times in the world and the Church! As we look forward to a new year with Advent on the horizon and then Lent, your NWIM World Hunger team has some ideas about how we can approach achieving a just world where all are fed.

The NWIM World Hunger team has set three goals.

1. We would like to expand our team membership. If you are interested in working toward a just world where all are fed, please contact me at ebergman001@luthersem.edu. Especially if you are located in Idaho, Wyoming, or Oregon where membership on our team is conspicuous by the absence of team members from those states. Please prayerfully consider joining the NWIM World Hunger team!

2. 40 Days of Giving. We set as a goal to increase NWIM Synod wide giving to $175,000 this year. ELCA World Hunger runs out of funds before we meet all the food insecurity needs. This expanded level of giving would increase NWIM ELCA World Hunger donations from $172,000 last year and $142,000 the year before. One idea to add a little bit of fun is to hand out M&M tubes the Sunday or week before Lent to your members. Then ask the congregation members to live it up by eating the M&Ms on Shrove Tuesday. Then during Lent, fill the tubes with quarters, dollars, or even checks. Then donate the contents of the M&M tube to ELCA World Hunger through your Church offerings. We pray this novelty may help remind us that there are poor and vulnerable ones among us who would benefit from our generosity.

3. The third goal is to distribute ELCA World Hunger videos to all NWIM Synod congregations to use in their yearly programing to show the great works that ELCA World Hunger is doing worldwide to work toward a just world where all are fed.

Please find the videos at the following links:

• Rick Steves: Why Support ELCA World Hunger. As you can see this first video is Rick Steves talking about the work that ELCA World Hunger is doing.

• ELCA World Hunger Promotional Video. This second video shows where ELCA is working worldwide to achieve a world where all are fed.

• And there are many more videos at ELCA World Hunger to use to promote ELCA World Hunger in your congregations. Please follow the link below to see more videos. ELCA World Hunger (YouTube Playlist).

Advent

Here is another idea to consider for: As Advent approaches, I know you are all thinking about what gifts you need to get this year for your loved ones. We all have that Uncle Joe who has everything and we never know what to get him. Well, here is your solution! Buy him a piglet, or a pair of goats. The best part is that Uncle Joe won’t need to care for these animals because they will go to someone who really needs and wants these animals!

ELCA World Hunger has a Good Gifts Catalog that provides the opportunity to serve God’s people by purchasing gifts that go to households in the US and around the world who benefit from these additions to their family.

You can go online at https://goodgifts.elca.org/ or call at 800-638-3522 to order gifts in the name of those you love.

Thank you for considering these requests and resources. God’s Peace be with you!