PreparedbytheRockyMountainSynodHungerNetwork
ABUNDLEOFRESPONSESTOCOVID-19forindividuals,families,andcongregations
COVID-19meansa“newnormal”Overthelastfewmonths,theCOVID-19pandemichaschangedsomuchofoureverydaylives–howweinteract,howweshop,howwework.Insomecases,thosechangesarerelativelysmall:wewearmaskswhenwegoout,weworkfromhomeifwecan,wetradein-personfamilygatheringsforvirtualgamenights.Butforfoodbanks,pantries,mealprogramsandthepeoplewhovisitthem,thepandemichasmeantatremendousshiftinnotonlytheneedbuthowthoseprogramsareoperating.
COVID-19hascreateda“newnormal”thatislikelyheretostay.Manyofourneighborswhowereemployedbeforethepandemicnowfindthemselveslaidofforhavingreducedhours.Often,thatmeanshard-workingpeoplewhoaredoingeverythingrightwillneedalittleextrahelpfeedingthemselvesandtheirfamilies.
AcrosstheentireFeedingAmericanetwork,foodbanksareseeingmorenewfacesthaneverbefore.Roughly2inevery5peoplevisitingafoodbankareseekinghelpforthefirsttime.Meanwhile,forstateswhoalreadyhadahighlevelofneedbeforethepandemic,thesituationisevenworse.
—FeedingAmerica
S U M M E R 2 0 2 0
IdeasInside!StimulusPayments&TaxRefunds
CongregationalDailyBreadGrants
CommunityAssistanceGuides
LittleFreePantries
SupportingLocalPrograms
DonationSuggestions
NextDoortotheRescue!
LutheranDisasterResponse
ELCAWorldHunger
LutheranAdvocacyMinistry
ABUNDLEOFRESPONSES SUMMER2020
StimulusPaymentsandTaxRefunds
Ifyoureceivedastimuluspaymentbutdidnothavealossofincome,canyouconsider
contributingsomeorallofittoELCAWorldHungerand/orlocalfeedingministries?
Ifyouhavefiledyour2019incometaxesandreceivedarefund,couldyoucontributesomeofittothesameorganizations?
IfyourcongregationhasnotcontributedtoELCAWorldHungerinthepast,canyouencouragearesponseinthesedesperatetimes?Maybe…offerto
matchcontributionsuptoalimitdeterminedbyyou?
DailyBreadMatchingGrantsNinety-sixpercentofELCAcongregationsparticipateinsomeformoffeedingministry,fromcommunitymealstofoodpantries–trulyprovidingdailybread.THAT’sAMAZING!WithCOVID-19bringingsomuchofdailylifetoagrindinghaltandcreatinganeconomicpandemicinitswake,theseministriesaremorevitalthanever.
ELCAWorldHunger’sDailyBreadMatchingGrantssupportcongregationsandtheirpartnersastheyworktowardajustworldwhereallarefed.InresponsetoCOVID-19,200congregationsinvitedtheirmembers,networks,andfriendstosupporttheirfeedingministriesbyraisingfundsonlinetomatcha$500grantfromELCAWorldHunger.Together,theyraisedover$200,000inlessthanthreeweeks!
MoreDailyBreadgrantswillbeavailableassoonasthenecessarydonationscomein.TobeinformedoffutureDailyBreadMatchingGrantopportunities,[email protected].
HELPPEOPLEFINDRESOURCESwithCommunityAssistanceGuidesCommunityAssistanceGuidesforeverystateareontheELCAWorldHungerresourcespageunderthe“HungerEd”tab.Allofthestatesaregroupedtogetherinazipfolder.(GuidesforthestatesinoursynodareattachedtothisbrochureANDavailableontheRMSHungerwebsitepage.)
Theguidesaremeanttobeastartingpointforfindingapplicationsandinformationonpublicprograms.Thesecanbesharedelectronicallywithmembersofacongregation,contactsonanemaillist,orwithclientsofafeedingministry.Theycanalsobeprintedandplacedinbagsoffoodduringdistributiondaysatafoodpantry.Thesecanalsobepostedtosocialmediagroupsforacommunityorsharedonawebsite.
ABUNDLEOFRESPONSES SUMMER2020
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LittleFreePantry–WillItWorkforYourCongregation???
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personalcareitems,water,detergent,and(sometimes)petfood.
Ifyouwanttoexplorestartingthisministryinyourowncongregation,gotolittlefoodpantry.orgtodownloadbuildingplans,tipsforstartingout,listsoffoodandsupplies,andabrochurethatsummarizesthebasicsoftheprogram.
InresponsetoCOVID-19,someLittleFreeLibrarieshavebeenconvertedtopantries!
SupportLocalMinistries!Thesearechallengingdaysforalltheministriesinour
communitiesthatfeedhungrypeople.Ifyouareabletodonate,PLEASEcheckwiththeministriesBEFOREloadingupondonations.
Theywillknowwhatitemstheyneed.Monetarycontributionswillprobablybemostuseful.Encourageyourcongregationtowritenotestostaff
membersoffooddistributionministries.Enclosegiftcardsifpossible.
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Theminipantrymovementisagrassrootsmovementledbyneighborswhowanttohelpneighborsexperiencingfoodinsecurity.Neighborscreateadesignated,easilyaccessiblespacefordonationoffood,hygiene,andpaperproducts.Themottoofthemovementis:Givewhatyoucan.Takewhatyouneed.
AccordingtoAnnaThompson,theLittleFreePantryatSt.Paul’sLutheranChurchinCheyenne,Wyoming,wasoriginallybuiltbySt.Mark’sEpiscopalthroughagrant.FourpantrieswerebuiltbySt.Mark’sandgiventothreeadditionalcongregationsindowntownCheyenne.
TheSt.Paul’spantryisfilleddailythroughdonationsfromthecongregationandcommunity.Itservestheneighborhoodandthehomelesswithfood,coldweathergear,
WonderingWhatToDonate??HungerNetworkCoreTeamMember,JenEnquist,worksinadirectfeedingministryandsuggeststhefollowingitemsfortheseministries(especiallyiftheyservethehomeless):HouseholdGoods—papertowels,toiletpaper,drylaundrysoap,smallbottlesofliquidlaundrysoap,laundrypodsanddryersheetsinasmallbaggie,cleaningsupplies(wipes).PersonalCareItems—smallbottlesofshampoo,conditioner,barsofsoap,packetsofsoapleaves.Food—lightweightnon-perishablefoods(boxesofmacaroniandcheese,microwavemeals),tunapouchesandcrackers,smallbagsoftrailmixorgoldfish,meatsticks,peanutbutterandcrackers,andotherhigh-proteinfoods.Avoidheavyitemsorthingsthatneedacanopener.
ABUNDLEOFRESPONSES SUMMER2020
NextdoorApptotheRescue!AsthestateofColoradobegantoshutdowninmid-March,BarbaraRipperger(KingofKingsLutheranChurch)contactedthenewly-formedPuebloRescueMissiontoseewhattheirneedsmightbe.Armedwithalist,shewasonlyabletopurchaseafewoftherequesteditems;asthegroceryshelveswerequiteempty.Whattodo?
Afterprayingforguidance,shewenttothecomputerandcalleduptheNextdoorappforthesouthsideofPueblo.Shepostedarequestforneighborstobringonecanoffruitorvegetablestoherfrontporch,wheresheplacedaboxlabeled“PuebloRescueMission.”
Withinafewhours,shefoundthreeboxesandfourbagsofcannedgoodsonherporch!Thegenerositycontinuedwithadditionalitemsoverthenextseveralweeks.God(andneighbors)answerprayers…
AsofJune3,over6.2millionpeoplehadbeeninfectedandover400,000hadlosttheirlivesduetotherapidspreadofCOVID-19.Thepandemicisaffectingallaspectsoflifeforpeopleacrosstheglobe.LutheranDisasterResponse(LDR)isrespondingtothispandemichereintheUnitedStatesandaroundtheworld.
Howcanyouhelp?PRAYforournationandtheworldaswefaceuncertainties.
MayGod’shealingpresencebringpeaceandhopeinthistimeofneed.MayGoddelivercomforttothosewhomournthelossoflovedonesandstrengthtothosewhoareworkingdiligentlytocareforaffectedcommunities.
GIVEtoLutheranDisasterResponse’sgeneralaccountsothatwecanrespondquicklywheneverandwhereverdisasterstrikes.Didyouknowthat100%ofgiftstoLDRgotoreliefbecauseoftheunderlyingworkofELCAWorldHunger?Givetothatappealaswellsothatallprojectscancontinueandexpand.ContributionscanbemadethroughcongregationsORdirectlyatelca.org/hungerandelca.org/lutherandisasterresponse.
FOLLOWourchurch’sworkonFacebook,Twitter,andInstagramANDreadtheblogupdatesatblogs.elca.org…sharethenewswithfriendsandfamilywhomaynotyetknowthestoryintowhichweareALLinvited.
WorkingtoAddressSystemicChanges!AnimportantpartoftheworksupportedbyELCAWorldHungerisADVOCACY!OurtheologicalunderstandingsandadoptedsocialstatementsguidetheworkofadvocacyofficesinWashington,D.C.andseveralstates(includingColoradoandNewMexico).Numerous
piecesoflegislationaredesignedtoaddressunderlyingissuesrelatedtothevirusANDtheresultingeconomicpandemic.WEAREATTHETABLEtopressforactions
thatreflectthedignityandneedsofallhumanbeings.Followtheactionatelca.org/advocacy.
