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Children Raise Money for Tsunami Victims

by Andy Gustafson, Associate Conference Minister for Stewardship & Financial Development

March/April 2005

We are indeed all God's children. And even the youngest of us can help. Here is an open letter to the children of The Federated Church of Orleans, UCC.

Dear Children,

I am writing to thank you both personally and publicly for your generous donation of $776.64 towards the Asian Tidal Wave Disaster Relief Effort, which you raised by holding bake sales. What wonderful stewardship of your time, talents and treasure! You are both an inspiration and an example to us all!

Your gift joins other gifts from United Church of Christ churches here in Massachusetts now totaling $202,559.09* for tidal wave disaster relief. The goal of the United Church of Christ nationally is to provide $1,000,000 in aid for relief, recovery and rehabilitation for up to five years. The generous support of churches such as yours to Our Church's Wider Mission allows us to send 100% of this money to help the victims of the tsunami.

When you gathered together to raise this money, you acted as a team. You were also a part of the "team" that is your local church, and you became part of the "team" of churches making up the United Church of Christ. Your generosity has also connected you directly to the people who have been affected by the tsunami. Here are some things your money is doing:

• In India your gift is helping to provide a food kit containing rice, lentils, oil, salt and spices as well as a relief kit consisting of blankets, clothing, linens, sleeping mats and shelter materials for 50,000 families. Rehabilitation plans call for intense psycho-social counseling and re-establishment of community econo-mies through home reconstruction and employment programs.
  
•  In Indonesia displaced families who are being "hosted" by other families are receiving food, clean water, hygiene kits, medicines and much needed psycho-social counseling. Long-term recovery plans include rebuilding of schools.
  
• In Sri Lanka you are helping to provide trained counselors, medicines, clean drinking water and toilet facilities. Long-term recovery plans call for the replacement of fishing nets and boats.
  
• In Thailand cooking equipment, supplies, counseling, vocational training and temporary schooling needs are being provided until the community can resume their live-lihood and support themselves.

We celebrate your gift of love, and the gifts of children and adults throughout our United Church of Christ. Thank you!

For ideas on projects children and youth in your church may want to undertake to help the tsunami victims, visit the UCC website at http://ucc.org.

*as of

March 1, 2005