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Fifteen graduate from Chinese-language ministry classfifteen students graduated from the most recent course at li tim-oi center for ministry education, specializing in mandarin and Korean-language programs, at a service at st. thomas’ church, Hacienda Heights on aug. 13. pictured are the students gathered with Bishop suffragan diane Jardine Bruce, Bloy House dean sylvia sweeney, and diocesan priests fennie chang, Joshua ng, thomas ni, and ada Wong-nagata, who share in leading and offering the courses, with the rev. Gary Bradley, li tim oi center board member and rector of the church of our saviour, san Gabriel, where the center is housed. the students now proceed to a fifth course, which will focus on pastoral care. the li tim oi center is named after the first woman to be ordained a priest in the anglican community. for more information visit the center’s website at ltocenter.ladiocese.org.

Relief agency responds to Gulf Coast floods

Episcopal Relief & Development is in contact with diocesan leaders along the Gulf Coast who are coordinating

flood response efforts after several days of heavy rainfall across the region. According to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency, www.fema.gov), the slow-moving storm brought 10 - 20 inches of rain to Loui-siana and the surrounding states beginning Aug. 11, and flooding continues although the heaviest rain has moved on. Louisiana and Mississippi are both under a state of emer-gency, and the federal government issued a major disaster declaration for Louisiana.

At least 11 people have died. As of Aug. 15, more than 40,000 homes and businesses re-mained without power, and more than 10,000 homes were flooded. The National Weather Service predicted more flooding to come.

Episcopal Relief & Development’s U.S. disaster team has been in close contact with dioceses in the region and is providing sup-port for their local efforts. The immediate re-sponse will help provide basic necessities to those most in need.

Affected dioceses will then coordinate with Episcopal Relief & Development to meet needs in the coming months and years. Cur-rently, the Episcopal dioceses of Louisiana and Western Louisiana, their churches and ministries are reaching out to those in need of assistance, assessing what needs to be done and serving as best they can.

“In a disaster like this, we work closely with local church leaders to assess what is truly needed,” said Katie Mears, director of Episcopal Relief & Development’s U.S. Di-saster Program. “We have begun to provide resources needed to assist those most vulner-able.”

Donations to enable Episcopal Relief & Development’s Disaster Program to respond to the current crisis and support emergency preparedness and long-term recovery efforts in the United States may be made online at www.episcopalrelief.org/us-disaster-fund. ?

—Episcopal Relief & Development

Storms, flooding cause widespread suffering in Gulf CoastHuge storms have dropped some two feet of rain in louisiana and mississippi in recent weeks. as of aug. 15, more than 10,000 homes were flooded, 40,000 homes and businesses were without power, and 11 people had died as the result of massive floods in the Gulf coast area, said to be the worst disaster in the area since Hurricane Katrina in 2012. the federal government has designated the state of louisiana a major disaster site, and both louisiana and mississippi are under a state of emergency. episcopal relief & development, the disaster relief agency of the episcopal church, is working with dioceses in those states to provide support for local efforts and to get help to those most in need: see story at right.

Back-to-school support for students in needAfterschool programs offer help with STEM success

f r o m t H e B i s H o p s

— saturday, august 27 —11 a.m. - 4 p.m. pizza palooza and open houseHoly Nativity Episcopal Church6700 West 83rd Street, Los Angeles 90045 Information: 310.670.4777

— sunday, august 28 —12 - 3 p.m. uganda development initiative event Prince of Peace Episcopal Church 5700 Rudnick Avenue, Woodland Hills Information: 818.346.6968 or udiworks.org

— friday, sept. 2 —7 p.m. episcopal/dodger night 2016 Dodger Stadium 1000 Elysian Park Ave, Los Angeles 90012

— saturday, septemBer 24 —2 - 4 p.m. Bishop’s guild garden party Episcopal Residence 3435 E. California Blvd., Pasadena 91107 Information: Donna Keller, 951.545.4218 or donnakeller68@yahoo.com

For more events and program details, visit www.ladiocese.org and select “Calendar,” then choose Arts Calendar or Events Calendar.

a r o u n d t H e d i o c e s e

Episcopal News WeeklyEditor: Janet Kawamoto, editor@ladiocese.org Advertising: Bob Williams, media@ladiocese.org

THE VolumE 5, NumbEr 27

In this back-to-school season, I am encour-aged once again by the work of teachers and administrators across our diocese:

those who work in our public schools, in our Episcopal schools, and on other campuses serving our children, youth and young adults.

Together we have a responsibility to bring quality education to each student, offering resources to help those who need additional support. We see needs of this kind in many local neighborhoods in which students are currently struggling to bridge the gap between their current knowledge and the new require-ments of Common Core curriculum stan-dards. Many times our students in families with lower incomes face this struggle acutely.

STEM subjects — science, technology, en-gineering and math — are often the areas in which our students need additional support. In this regard, I am so glad to see the tutoring work that has occurred this summer in our Crenshaw parish of Christ the Good Shep-herd, and I hope you will join me in advocacy and financial support for new and ongoing afterschool programs in this parish and in other locations where the need is great.

A key diocesan re-source we have to as-sist this work is the Neighborhood Youth Association, an insti-tution of this diocese since 1906. NYA achieves 100% col-lege placement and

on-time gradua-tion for its high-school seniors par-ticipating in NYA’s Youth Leadership Academy. After-school programs for elementary and middle school students help participants achieve their “per-sonal best” leading up to high school and col-lege success.

I invite you and your congregation to con-sider a back-to-school gift to NYA to assist its valuable work. Gifts in any amount may be posted securely online at www.nyayouth.org, or checks may be mailed to NYA at 1016 Pleasant View Ave., Venice, CA 90291. And NYA’s “Birthday Offering” provides a year-round way for each of us to contribute in dol-lar amounts equaling our own age, or the age of a loved one to be honored. NYA is also planning an upcoming benefit on October 28, so do save the date and plan to participate.

Thank you for your consideration. Let us keep in our prayers the students and teachers across our diocese, asking God’s blessing on their diligent work in this new school year. ?

By J. Jon Bruno

nYa summer enrichment students and staff smile from christ the Good shepherd parish in l.a.’s crenshaw district.

The Episcopal NewsSummer 2016 issue

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