ELCA World Hunger Supports Chilean Community Garden Revival
Health for the Soul in Chile
“Many women were not used to doing things with other people or learning new things. This [garden] has changed their lives.” —Dixa, an EPES health monitor
“A few years ago, in September 2019, a house behind a community center in the El Bosque subdivision of Santiago, Chile, was consumed by a deadly fire. The frame of the gutted house still stands, a stark reminder of the neglect suffered by this low-income area.
“But today new life is springing up among the ruins. On a strip of patio extending alongside the premises, peas, carrots, celery, lettuce, parsley, eggplants, Swiss chard and other vegetables sprout from five elevated planters, attached to metal structures that were built from tables salvaged after the fire. This is the work of the Amajudisa Community Gardening Group, led by Educación Popular en Salud (EPES) health monitors and supported by your gifts to ELCA World Hunger.”
The rest of this story can be found in the spring 2024 issue of “LifeLines.”
News Around the World
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to escalate, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued another statement on the war, encouraging us to pray for those suffering and advocate for a full cease-fire.
“At times a just peace for Palestinians and Israelis doesn't seem possible, yet as Christians we believe that it is. The psalmist assures us that God ‘makes wars cease to the end of the earth’ (Psalm 46:9). At times it seems that there is nothing we can do, yet through baptism God calls us to be peacemakers. We live out this calling in many ways, including through prayer, advocacy and accompaniment.”
Young Adults in Global Mission
It’s that time of year again! This August, 25 passionate volunteers will begin their transformative journeys, engaging with and immersing themselves in communities globally and growing both spiritually and personally. The Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program empowers young adults, aged 21-35, to make a meaningful impact by serving in Argentina and Uruguay, Cambodia, Central Europe, Mexico, Senegal, and the United Kingdom. This year YAGM is excited to re-introduce the Cambodia country program. These young leaders will live in accompaniment as their host communities and our partner churches address challenges in education, health care and community development.
Get Involved
Join ELCA World Hunger and the generation taking action to usher in a world without hunger and futures filled with hope. Build Generation Zero-Hunger by joining youth around the country in a fundraising challenge to support the programs of ELCA World Hunger. Thanks to generous donors, all gifts to ELCA World Hunger as part of Generation Zero-Hunger will be matched — dollar for dollar — until we reach $250,000.
ELCA World Hunger turns 50 this year! For 50 years we have joined together as Lutherans to address the root causes of hunger and poverty globally. Download and order resources, donate and learn more at ELCA.org/WH50.
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