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September, 2010

PRESIDENT'S COLUMN:
Healing a hurting world for all of God's Children

In my recent trip to Haiti, I had the privilege of seeing the profound difference Episcopal Relief & Development’s donors are making in the lives of earthquake survivors. Though the earthquake’s destruction is almost beyond imagination and recovery will take many years, we are making progress. I was able to witness how our “Cash for Work” program, which employs Haitians to help rebuild what was destroyed, enables them to put their lives back together with dignity and a sense of control over their futures. I was able to meet with the first group of families moving into safe and secure, simple yet dignified provisional housing. Everywhere I went, I saw signs of healing and hope and was deeply moved both by the indomitable spirit of the Haitian people and the impact of the generosity of the U.S. Episcopal community.

 Sadly, Haitian earthquake survivors are not the only people in dire straits. Millions upon millions of our fellow human beings are reeling from the slower but no less painful impact of economic injustice, disease, war and civil strife, corrupt political leadership, climate change and a host of other causes. We must be there for them, too.

 Unfortunately, the increase in Episcopal Relief & Development’s donations earmarked for Haiti, welcome as it is, has been offset by a decrease in income for our work elsewhere. Our relief and recovery efforts in Haiti must be a part of our global work, not in competition with it, and we need your help to make sure that we can keep our commitments to all our partners.

 There are children throughout sub-Saharan Africa who need malaria nets to save them from a disease whose death toll totals one million every year. There are teens in Belize who need education to make decisions that will prevent them from contracting HIV/AIDS. There are women in Zambia who need support in providing enough food for their families to avert malnutrition and hunger. There are farmers in India who need new sources of water to stave off the effects of devastating drought. And there are people reeling from man-made calamities like the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and natural disasters such as Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, who need our continuing assistance to rebuild their lives.

 As I was thinking about all that we must do to fulfill our calling, I was drawn to the story of a large cathedral in England that was severely damaged by a bombing during World War II. Miraculously, the statue of Jesus with his arms outstretched was intact, except that the hands were knocked off.

 When reconstruction got underway, parishioners wanted to replace the hands. “No,” the Dean said. “We won’t replace the hands. They serve as a wonderful reminder that in this world, Christ has no hands but ours.”

 Please continue to be the hands of Christ, to do his good work, to help all of God’s children lift themselves up and share in the abundant life. Together, we will keep healing a hurting world.

       Yours faithfully,

       Robert W. Radtke

Filling the Gap on the Gulf Coast   The millions of gallons of crude oil that have gushed into the Gulf of Mexico since the April 20 Deepwater Horizon explosion have not only wreaked incalculable environmental havoc - they have cost thousands of people their jobs, disrupted the lives of entire communities and threatened a unique and vibrant culture. For people who are still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, Ike, Ivan and others, this is a devastating blow. The Gulf Coast is familiar ground for Episcopal Relief & Development. We've been a steady presence here since Hurricane Katrina hit the region five years ago, and our recovery work continues to this day. read more

Michelle Obama Visit Shines Spotlight on Haitian Relief and Recovery Work   Our intensive efforts to help the Haitian people recover from the devastating January 12 earthquake received international recognition in April as First Lady Michelle Obama visited a camp for displaced people at College St. Pierre, a high school of the Episcopal Church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The first lady's decision to visit the camp was driven by her desire to support grassroots-based relief and recovery efforts that empower Haitians to help their fellow citizens - the very approach Episcopal Relief & Development has long embraced. read more

Haiti by the Numbers   After the January 12 earthquake, Episcopal Relief & Development was there to aid the people of Haiti in the rescue, relief and recovery phases. Tens of thousands of Haitians were reached with health care, food, temporary shelter, sanitation, and employment opportunities. read more

Helping an Island Community Adapting to a Changing World   Life in the Solomon Islands, one of the many isolated island groups in the Pacific Ocean, has never been easy. Limited resources and salty soil have made day-to-day survival a challenge in even the best of times. Early last year, Episcopal Relief & Development partnered with the local Anglican Church of Melanesia to develop a plan that would help diversify the local diet and provide a possible income source. The result is an ambitious agricultural pilot program that is promoting the use of salt-resistant low-maintenance crops. read more

The Matthew25 Legacy Society   We are grateful that many of our supporters have become members of the Matthew25 Legacy Society by notifying us that they are remembering Episcopal Relief & Development in their will, or through other planned gifts. Through bequests, we are assured of future funding - funding that can help us eliminate malaria and prevent AIDS in Africa, ensure that every family on every continent has access to safe drinking water and guarantee that all children, no matter where they live, receive at least a complete primary school education. These things can be achieved only if we have the resources to sustain our endeavors. Bequests and other forms of planned giving allow us to do just that. Please consider joining the Matthew25 Legacy Society by contacting us at 212.716.6355 or toll free at 800.334.7626, ext. 6355.

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