Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Outside the Box: Rethinking Holiday Charitable Giving

November 28, 2017 by Erin Wathen

I am fundamentally opposed to Black Friday shopping. For many reasons, not the least of which is that it encroaches on one of my very favorite holidays–Pie For Breakfast Friday. I mean, wouldn’t you rather be home in your sweats having a slice of leftover pecan with your coffee than fighting to the death over half-priced electronics that will be broken by February?? Not even a question.
I can get down with Shop Local Saturday. I can even stomach Cyber Monday, to an extent. Yes, it contributes to the evils of capitalism, but still, I can cash in on great deals without having to load up on Xanax and venture into the holiday chaos of a big box store. So that’s a bonus.
And then there’s today–Giving Tuesday. Of course, you can give on any day of the year. But hopefully, after nearly a solid week of binge eating and shopping, we are ready to put some intention behind sharing with others. The more I see how much waste our holidays produce–and the more I struggle, in my own house, to keep all of our stuff under control–the more I lean towards charitable giving as my primary means of holiday gifting. I’m not a total Grinch–my kids get stuff from Santa. Not as much as most middle class American kids, but they do okay. For the adults in my life though, I’d much rather find a cause or organization that reflects that person’s values, and honor them by supporting that work in the world. And really, how many more tchotchkes do any of us need?
Of course, once you’ve decided to go this route with your “shopping,” you’ve got to find the right causes to support. There’s a great article making the rounds about Operation Christmas Child— a popular holiday effort that many families and churches make part of their annual tradition. Through this ministry, children in the developing world receive shoe boxes filled with small gifts and toys. It sounds nice enough. But it is culturally obtuse. It ignores the real lives of these children, and overlooks the reality of their daily needs. For the cost of shipping the cheap plastic stuff, you could stretch your dollars–and your holiday cheer–a whole lot farther, giving to organizations that support sustainable development in the regions that need it most. Not to mention, you could avoid the environmental hazard of thousands of shoe boxes headed, ultimately, for a landfill.
OCC is just one example of how charity can hurt. Many of the organizations and efforts that we support have similar pitfalls, whether they serve the urban inner city or the rural poor. To truly do good in the world, efforts must align with people’s actual lives and context; connect with the local culture; and operate at a relational level that seeks to understand what services would truly transform the life of a community.

image: http://wp.production.patheos.com/blogs/irreverin/files/2017/11/present-2891870_960_720-e1511811410623.jpg

So, where to give? Find organizations that are credible, that do good work, and have low overhead to make the most of your giving. You also want to support efforts that work with people, and have a physical presence in the areas they serve–and are not just handing out band-aids (literal and figurative) for nice Christmas photo opps. Here are some ideas. Find the one that fits you– and the person you want to gift this season–and go nuts. Spiced, holiday nuts of course.
Think Globally:
If you truly want to help children in poverty, think less plastic slinky, more clean water and vaccinations. These are the best of the best.

Foods Resource Bank, reducing world hunger through sustainable agriculture and development.
Church World Service, empowers communities to take ownership of their own future through sustainable solutions.
Week of Compassion, the relief, refugee and development mission fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Oxfam, working to end global poverty by addressing root causes and creating sustainable solutions.
Bread for the World, a Christian collective working to end hunger, primarily through political action; changing policies and conditions that allow poverty to persist, and providing opportunity both at home and abroad.
If you want to hand the recipient something tangible to symbolize the gift you made in their honor, you could give them a nice loaf of bread with a pretty bow, with a card about the organization you chose–and a note telling them why you picked it just for them.
Act Locally:
-Giving to an arts lover? Support your local symphony or youth theater program. If you’re a big spender, you could stick some performance tickets in a nice card, telling the person that you gave in their honor.
-Most local libraries have literacy programs that put a lot of life back into the community for children, youth, and adults with special needs. You could put a note about the program in a gently-used book, and gift it to the person you recognized with your donation.
-Channel your inner Leslie Knope and gift a local Parks and Recreation program. You might be able to put a friend or family member’s name on a tree or a bench or something. So that’s festive.
For the Nature Lover/Activist:
-Want to make a political statement AND save the world? Give the gift of preservation. Our natural resources are under threat right now by an administration of climate-change deniers. Resist! Make a gift to the National Parks Foundation or the Sierra Club. It’s like LITERALLY giving someone a Christmas tree… but what you’re really giving them is the assurance that there will BE trees in the future. Attach a note to a pretty nature-themed ornament, and you are all set.
Other Ideas:
-A gift supporting Public Radio or Public Television is ALWAYS in season. And with all the buzz about net neutrality right now, protecting a truly free press is more important than ever. Send your note or card in a fun NPR or PBS mug with a packet of gourmet coffee or hot chocolate.
-Or, you can always gift someone’s Alma Mater in their honor. Send the note with some home team swag, like a hat or scarf.
The staggering truth is that Americans will spend more than $400 BILLION on retail this Christmas. What if we could give even a 10-percent tithe of that to causes that have a true impact in our communities? Or better yet–what if we cut our retail spending in half, and gave the remainder away in the true spirit of the season?
Hopefully this has sparked some creative ideas about gifts that give back to the world, while also letting your loved ones know that they matter to you– and that you chose something especially meaningful just for them. I would love to hear what you are doing for friends and family this season, and how you are letting them know about it.
Happy Giving Tuesday to all–and to all a good (consumerism-free) night.

Read more at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/irreverin/2017/11/outside-the-box-rethink-holiday-charitable-giving/#XZ4Ua0rzMDjrUx91.99

Thursday, April 13, 2017

San Francisco Food Bank News and Missing Meals

San Francisco & Marin Food Bank News

See the Missing Meals Report below.

”My daughter left us, but thankfully, God is at our side, and so is the Food Bank.”
– Remedios

Remedios and her grandchildren

Imagine, at just eleven years old, losing the only parent you ever knew and suddenly needing to be taken in by your eighty-year-old grandmother.

That’s exactly what happened to Gabriel and his sister Jessica*. And as they faced so much loss, the last thing they needed was to wonder where their next meal might come from.

Luckily his grandmother Remedios, who—despite living on a fixed income—was determined to be strong with the help of the Food Bank:

Remedios says, “I have to be positive. It’s hard, but I have to take it one day at a time. My daughter left us, but thankfully, God is at our side, and so is the Food Bank.”

Please make a gift today to make sure we can be there for families and children in our community.

But with our recent Missing Meals report showing that most low to middle income families cannot pay for 14% of their meals—even after government and nonprofit assistance — we still need your help to make sure kids don’t face hunger in our community. Will you make a gift now to make sure the food bank can continue to be there for them?

$100

feeds a family for one week

$300

feeds a family for three weeks

$500

feeds a family for over a month

A stocked kitchen is so important for a family’s stability. Nothing hinders a child’s physical, emotional, and mental development more than hunger. Your support now can ensure that, even when a crisis arises, kids like Gabriel and Jessica can always rely on a foundation of steady, nourishing meals.

With gratitude,

Paul Ash
Executive Director

P.S. Our Missing Meals report reveals that San Francisco and Marin families like Remedios’ are typically unable to afford 14% of their meals, even after government and nonprofit assistance. Help us make sure that no child faces hunger »

*Names changed for privacy.

SF-Marin Food Bank
SF: 900 Pennsylvania Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94107 | (415) 282‑1900
Marin: 75 Digital Drive, Novato, CA 94949 | (415) 883‑1302

#EndHungerTogether

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in Oakland, CA

A good example of how One Great Hour of Sharing donations that help support PDA, at work here in California

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance responds to latest tragic apartment fire in Oakland

April 11, 2017

Second deadly fire in months brings renewed attention to housing issues

by Rick Jones | Presbyterian News Service

Damage to an apartment building in Oakland, California that left four people dead and more than 100 people displaced. (Photo by Mike Bullard)

LOUISVILLE – Members of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance National Response Team recently returned from Oakland, California, responding to the latest apartment fire that left four people dead and more than 100 residents displaced. The four-alarm blaze broke out in the three-story, 43-unit building on March 27.
Witnesses say as many as 15 people had to be rescued as the smoke and flames grew. Bed sheets could be seen hanging from some windows as people found ways to escape the blaze. The fire is believed to have started on the second floor and authorities say the 122-year-old building had been the subject of a number of code enforcement complaints.
“It’s an acute manifestation of a larger problem which is often the case with disasters. There is a housing shortage and now there are over 100 people in need of housing in the midst of a community with a severe housing problem,” said Mike Bullard, who visited the community as part of the PDA response team. “The gentrification in the community has added to the cost of housing so that large communities of homeless people are living in tents or on the streets under bypasses and awnings.”
Every urban community will have homeless, says Bullard, but many of these people are employed and can’t pay the $3,000 a month rent on a simple apartment.
“You have to have the first and last month’s rent and a deposit which adds up close to $10,000 for a basic apartment,” he said. “You have employed, hardworking people who would be fine in any other community, but they live there and are stuck. Add the disabled to that and you have a huge homeless population.”
The exact number of displaced residents isn’t known. Authorities say a number of people who were living in the building were “the friend of a friend.”
Bullard credits faith leaders for the work they have been doing for residents in the area, even before the fire.
“We were just taken to school by the incredible leadership in the community and among the pastors,” he said. “We had a good learning experience, watching faith leaders work through this difficult situation and we were blessed and inspired by what we saw from them.”
The Red Cross set up a shelter immediately after the fire and many of the churches provided supplies. The Rev. Debra Avery is pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, which served as shelter for many of the displaced residents on the day of the fire.
“They’re frustrated and sad. These are people who are the marginalized of the marginalized,” she said. “This was a homeless transitional property and many of the residents are doing their best to make it under trying conditions. The resources they had were slim and the little they had was completely lost in the fire.”
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has provided a $7,500 grant to the Presbytery of San Francisco to be used in its ministry efforts for the area.
Avery is involved with community-based organizing and says they’re trying to pull together a housing consortium among the faith-based groups.
“It’s a very complicated situation and there are multiple issues at play including generational poverty, racism, disabled and senior citizens, everything,” said Avery.
Bullard says it’s too early to say what the long-term commitment may be but does see possible areas of collaboration around compassion fatigue.
“We need to be a ministry of presence and show that as Presbyterians, we care,” said Bullard. “We walk beside the people, we don’t take over their burden but pass on the knowledge of others that have been through similar disasters and help them that way.”
“I feel pretty resilient, but I’m worried about some of the pastors involved in relief efforts because most of us have limited staff,” said Avery. “We all have small congregations and so many of these pastors serve part-time, holding down full-time jobs elsewhere. This is a big job and it’s the small churches that are taking the lead on this.”
The recent fire comes four months after the Ghost Ship fire in Oakland left 36 people dead. That fire broke out after a dance party at the warehouse that had been converted into living and community space.
“Many of the same people who responded to the Ghost Ship fire have once again responded to the needs of survivors in this fire,” said Jim Kirk, PDA’s associate for national disaster response. “The impact of trauma and stress is cumulative and part of what PDA can offer is a ministry of presence to those who are responding.”
—–
For more information, go to the web site of the Presbytery of San Francisco: http://www.presbyteryofsf.org/

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is able to respond quickly to emergencies thanks to your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing.

You may freely reuse and distribute this article in its entirety for non-commercial purposes in any medium. Please include author attribution, photography credits, and a link to the original article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeratives 4.0 International License.

Categories: Disaster Response
Tags: California, ghost ship, oakland, pcusa, pda, presbyterian, presbyterian disaster assistance, Presbytery of San Francisco
Ministries: Compassion, Peace and Justice, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

Ecumencial Advocacy Days Facebook Live April 21-24, 2017

Prayer at EAD 2017

Ecumenical Advocacy Days, April 21-24, 2017, is just a week and a half away, and it is shaping up to be a record year for attendance and participation in our Congressional Advocacy Day! We look forward to a great event focused on the theme "

Confronting Chaos, Forging Community - Challenging Racism, Materialism and Militarism."

For those who cannot come to Washington, join EAD's new FaceBook Live Streaming, download the new EAD APP, and plan to join participants in Washington in prayer, and call-in to Congress with EAD's Congressional Ask. An action alert with a 1-800 number will be sent next week. Download the APP by clicking the button below for all needed resources, or go to AdvocacyDyas.org.

As Christians, we are about to embark this evening for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter prayers, worship, reflection, public and family celebration and for some, fasting. EAD 2017 will continue those traditions the following weekend as we continue our Easter Time witness to the Good News of Christ! At EAD, we have planned two new and special Prayer Vigil opportunities for participants to engage and deepen and strengthen our personal and public witness:

EAD Prayer Vigil at the Pentagon

Sunday, April 23, 5:30 pm

Join a solemn walk and prayer vigil at the Pentagon Sunday night. Participants will gather in the foyer of Lincoln Hall at the DoubleTree Hotel just following the closing plenary at 5:30pm. Join us as we lift up prayers for a shift in U.S. policy away from unrestrained militarism.

Prayer Vigil, Walk and Public Witness

Monday, April 24, Noon

United Methodist Building, Capital Hill

Join EAD participants, faith leaders and other advocates for a prayer vigil in front of the United Methodist Building (First St. and Maryland Avenue NE, next to The Supreme Court) followed by a faith walk to and a public witness in the atrium of the Senate Hart Building (Constitution Avenue, across the street from the United Methodist Building). We will pray and read scripture at both locations. For those who are able and feel called, EAD participants are invited to fast from Sunrise to Sundown during Monday's Lobby Day. Some are planning on direct action at The Hart Building. No one is obligated to engage in direct action and our collective witness will not be as such. If any participant feels called to join in direct action, s/he must attend a meeting on Sunday evening at 8:00 pm at the DoubleTree Hotel. Meeting room will be announced at EAD.

Blessings to All on the Beginning of this Holy Weekend.

See you next weekend!

Click above or scan the QR code below to download the #EAD2017 Free Event App.

Ecumenical Advocacy Days | coordinator@advocacydays.org | (571) 882-9730

STAY CONNECTED:

Ecumenical Advocacy Days be there with Facebook April 21-24

EAD 2017: Confronting Chaos, Forging Community

Fifteenth National Gathering in our nation’s capital to focus on the challenges of, and solutions to, racism, materialism and militarism

APRIL 21-24, 2017

DOUBLETREE HOTEL CRYSTAL CITY, 300 ARMY NAVY DRIVE, ARLINGTON, VA

When Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. posed the question, “Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community?” in his book of the same title 50 years ago, no one could have imagined that we would still be wrestling with this question today. In that same year on April 4, 1967, a year to the day before Dr. King was assassinated, he spoke at Riverside Church in New York addressing the intersectionality of “the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism” as the principal challenges of the time. Five decades later, Dr. King’s prophetic insights and challenges – and the stark choice between chaos and community — are incredibly current.
Sadly, we have witnessed chaos in many of our communities, challenging us as people of faith to speak and act boldly and courageously to end racism, materialism and militarism.
Over the past year, our nation has experienced a divisive election in which racism, xenophobia, and religious bigotry were a constant. We still find racism an open wound in our nation, resulting in the disproportionate killing of black and brown bodies and stunting their lives through unjust economic and social structures. The militarization of our police is a reflection not only of broken communal values, but also a lopsided foreign policy that spends drastically more on defense than diplomacy or development. Militarism continues to be the United States’ overriding approach to resolving conflict, despite studies that show the effectiveness of peacebuilding and the power of non-violence. Extreme materialism threatens our souls and our very planet, as prosperity narratives and unchecked capitalism spreads despite overwhelming scientific evidence that our current path is unstainable. As in Dr. King’s time, we teeter precariously between chaos and community.
A new time calls for new strategies. The dynamic movement of people of faith and conscience today to challenge these “giant triplets” of chaos is taking different forms from those of the civil rights era. But the same courage and commitment to bring about national and social transformation animates the new generation of activists. This year’s EAD gathering will address racism/white privilege, economic injustice and militarization at home and abroad.

Click above to download and share our 2017 theme leaflet.

Join us in Washington for “Confronting Chaos, Forging Community“ from April 21-24, 2017 to grapple with the intersectionality of racism, materialism, and militarism, and learn more about the impact they have around the world, in our communities, and in our own lives. Through prayer, worship, advocacy training, and networking with other Christians, we will face the current manifestations of these ‘triplets’ and together advocate for change in public policy that better reflects the Beloved Community about which Dr. King spoke. After a weekend filled with education and training, Ecumenical Advocacy Days will culminate with a Lobby Day on Monday, April 24, 2017, where participants will converge on Capitol Hill to meet with their members of Congress. We seek to renew this revolutionary spirit as we affirm the vision of a day when ‘Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.’” (Isa: 40:3)

REGISTER

Get details to register online or by mail for our National Gathering.

HOUSING

View housing options for EAD 2017.

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March 3, 2017

Ecumenical Advocacy Days is pleased to announce that this year’s National Gathering will be enhanced by our new EAD 2017 event app. The free app is now available for download in the iTunes and Google Play stores. Visit AdvocacyDays.org/app for download links or scan the QR code below. The new EAD 2017 app provides solid information for those preparing to…
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Newly Elected Presbyterian Stated Clerk to Keynote at EAD 2017

November 21, 2016

WASHINGTON — November 21, 2016 — Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice (EAD) is pleased to announce that the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, newly elected Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), will serve as the keynote preacher for EAD 2017’s Interdenominational Worship service on Sunday, April 23, 2017. The Sunday worship service…
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Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Living Waters for the World Synod of Living Waters, Presbyterian Church

Living Waters for the World (LWW) is a global ministry that provides sustainable clean water and fosters long-term, mutually beneficial relationships between volunteers and communities in need.

LWW is a program of the Synod of Living Waters, Presbyterian Church (USA).

We welcome the participation of churches of all denominations and civic organizations in this life-changing work.

Living Waters for the World trains volunteers to establish and lead water mission teams that partner with international communities to implement water purification systems and health education.

Our Mission

Water All Around the World Vacation Bible School (VBS) takes children on a journey to countries where clean water is not readily available and helps them learn about: