LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF ANNOUNCES ACHIEVEMENT OF $2.5 MILLION GOAL FOR MATCHING GRANT FROM THRIVENT FINANCIAL FOR LUTHERANS
Baltimore, February 28, 2005 -- Lutheran World Relief (LWR) today announced the successful achievement of a $ 2.5 million goal for a 1:1 matching grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans – a not-for-profit Fortune 500 financial services organization helping 2.8 million members achieve their financial goals.
On December 28, 2004, just three days after a major tsunami struck South Asia, Thrivent awarded LWR a $1 million grant for its relief and rehabilitation efforts in the affected region. Thrivent also established a $2.5 million grant to match gifts by its members to LWR’s Wave of Giving™ campaign to assist tsunami survivors – providing needed resources and connecting millions of Thrivent members to LWR and its on-going work. Although Thrivent members had until April 15, the match was surpassed on Friday, February 25 – six weeks before the deadline! This makes for a combined total gift of $6 million.
“Our members are so giving, I’m not surprised they’ve reached this milestone well before the April 15 deadline,” said Brad Hewitt, senior vice president of Fraternal Operations at Thrivent Financial. “By issuing the member-matching grant for LWR, we were able to multiply the good of our members. They want to support important causes and make an impact in our world. Thanks to their caring, tsunami survivors are being helped right now.”
“On behalf of the people we serve, we give thanks to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and its members for this unprecedented outpouring of support,” says Kathryn Wolford, LWR president.
“Our goal is to help communities fully rebuild and recover, and this support ensures that we address the consequences of the tsunami in ways that leave communities better organized and able to reduce the impact of future disasters or crises.” Several of the affected areas have also experienced significant conflict and LWR will also program its assistance in ways that support peacebuilding and non-violent means to resolve historic divisions.
LWR has already invested $2.8 million in program efforts with local partner organizations to provide immediate relief in the form of clean water, food, shelter, basic supplies and temporary housing in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Given the organization’s longstanding commitment to accountability, LWR will keep its supporters informed about its program impact in South Asia through a special website, www.waveofgiving.org.
WHO IS LWR? Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world's most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945.
Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.
IN SRI LANKA THE WAR IS OVER YET STILL CHALLENGES TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORTS by Daniel Fekete, correspondent for ACT International, with additional contributions by LWR staff
Northern Sri Lanka, February 28, 2005 -- Travel to the northern areas of Sri Lanka, even over relatively short distances, is difficult because of poor road conditions. In addition, among the pastures and farmland lining the roads, there are mine fields. "Danger! Mines!" read red signs that stand as reminders of the country's civil war, which began in the 1980s.
Since the war ended in 2002, the northern region, which is controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - better known as the Tamil Tigers - has been a non-official state with a population of four million people, with police, courts, laws and even borders of its own. Years ago, many residents of this area left their homes behind because of the war, and now their shelters have been destroyed by the tsunami.
The National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) is working in the area between the border and Killinochchi, along with many major international humanitarian aid organizations.
LWR Asia Regional Representative Prabhat Failbus is on assignment for one month with the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka. Failbus initially traveled from his home country of India to Sri Lanka in January to assist the NCCSL coordinate the relief efforts of its member churches. He was asked to return in mid-February to help local church leaders in transitioning from immediate relief efforts into longer term planning for rehabilitation and recovery. LWR and the NCCSL are members of Action by Churches Together (ACT), a global alliance of churches and related aid agencies.
According to LWR President Kathryn Wolford, "Failbus' years of experience working in emergency response, rehabilitation and development are well suited to the immense tasks facing the churches and civil society organizations in the aftermath of this tragedy."
The Rev. Jr. A.L. Lakshendrakumar, the local coordinator of NCCSL, arrived in Mullaittivu on December 27, the day after the tsunami struck. He still shivers when recalling the memories. Today, the town is still flooded because there is a lagoon three kilometers from the city that has not let the water flow back into the ocean. Even the tops of palm trees were burnt by the salt from the waves of ocean water washing over them. In this place, which resembles a wasteland, the clatter of machines can be heard over the roar of the waves as the cleanup of the ruins goes on.
Since the tsunami, three vans of relief supplies have been sent to the region through NCCSL with the support of ACT members around the world. They carried clothes, drinking water, pots, hygienic kits and tents for the displaced people.
School children in this area are also without a building. They receive their lessons among the trees, under canvases. The school building was destroyed during the war and has not been reconstructed. The teacher says that many students died in the tsunami. She agrees with the local pastor and Lakshendrakumar that there is an urgent need for psycho-social assistance to help the children work through their shock. The pastor spends a lot of time talking with them and encouraging them to express their thoughts by painting.
LWR has already provided $450,000 for relief efforts in Sri Lanka and plans to carry out rehabilitation and recovery efforts there for the next 7-10 years.
For more information contact Emily Sollie at esollie@lwr.org or 410-230-2802.
