Bundle of Responses to COVID 19...Prepared by the Rocky Mountain Synod Hunger Network A BUNDLE OF...
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Prepared by the Rocky Mountain Synod Hunger Network A BUNDLE OF RESPONSES TO COVID-19 for individuals, families, and congregations COVID-19 means a “new normal” Over the last few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed so much of our everyday lives – how we interact, how we shop, how we work. In some cases, those changes are relatively small: we wear masks when we go out, we work from home if we can, we trade in-person family gatherings for virtual game nights. But for food banks, pantries, meal programs and the people who visit them, the pandemic has meant a tremendous shift in not only the need but how those programs are operating. COVID-19 has created a “new normal” that is likely here to stay. Many of our neighbors who were employed before the pandemic now find themselves laid off or having reduced hours. Often, that means hard-working people who are doing everything right will need a little extra help feeding themselves and their families. Across the entire Feeding America network, food banks are seeing more new faces than ever before. Roughly 2 in every 5 people visiting a food bank are seeking help for the first time. Meanwhile, for states who already had a high level of need before the pandemic, the situation is even worse. —Feeding America SU M ME R 2020 Ideas Inside! Stimulus Payments & Tax Refunds Congregational Daily Bread Grants Community Assistance Guides Little Free Pantries Supporting Local Programs Donation Suggestions NextDoor to the Rescue! Lutheran Disaster Response ELCA World Hunger Lutheran Advocacy Ministry
Transcript of Bundle of Responses to COVID 19...Prepared by the Rocky Mountain Synod Hunger Network A BUNDLE OF...
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.
