HOTLINE - week of June 06, 2005

"Justice to the poor and hungry is a litmus test of our faith," notes Rev. John L. McCullough, Executive Director and CEO of CWS. "Matthew 25 is very straightforward. Jesus asks us, 'Have you fed the hungry or not?' That hunger persists in our world of plenty is a profound moral failure of the human community, a sin," says McCullough. "As CWS Executive Director, I have seen the many faces of hunger, but I have also seen the remarkable ways impoverished people with a little help can become self-sustaining. Their resilience and the continuing commitment of the faith community to live out their beliefs and challenge the social, political, and economic structures that perpetuate hunger and poverty give me hope that hunger will not have the last word."

McCullough and 40 other religious leaders will participate in an historic Interfaith Convocation on Hunger, June 6, in Washington. The participants will draw on the teachings of various traditions and speak on behalf of people of faith around the country concerned about hunger-related issues. The group will call for the president and Congress to join in making a commitment to end hunger.

Hosted by Bread for the World, the convocation is one of many observances across the U.S. this week. For ideas about opportunities to fight hunger in your community, please call your CWS/CROP regional office, toll-free 1-888-CWS-CROP. For a list of events, visit www.hungerday.org.

Church World Service and four key partners working with street children and other at-risk children and youth – in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Uruguay – have been meeting this past week in Cuba to share expertise, effective methods, and best practices. Hosted by the Cuban Council of Churches, participants are working together to formulate a CWS regional strategy for childhood and adolescence, as well as exchange ideas with partners from Cuba and Haiti. Cuban participants will also be reflecting on their own country's achievements and shortfalls in relation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Caroline Mukandekezi, 83, takes care of her seven grandchildren – children whose parents died from HIV/AIDS.

"I am old and weak from chronic illnesses," says Mukandekezi. "My plot is too small and we usually don't even wait until the crops are ready before we harvest them. I do not have the money to buy medicine when the children are sick; I spend most of it struggling to find enough food."

Since October 2004, Mukandekezi has been involved with the CWS-supported YWCA-Rwanda Giving Hope program. Through the program, she meets with other caregivers of HIV/AIDS orphans, receives counseling visits from a social worker, and is planning for a better future for herself and her grandchildren.

Through participation in the program, Mukandekezi is helping to inform her community of the plight of HIV/AIDS-affected families. With the skills she has learned from the program, Mukandekezi hopes to start up a small project growing vegetables so she can feed her family and sell the excess in the market.

Through several partners, some 6,600 households in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda are participating in this CWS-supported program for HIV/AIDS orphans, vulnerable children, and caregivers that addresses their rights and needs and provides them with agricultural, vocational, and life skills training. Children receive assistance in caring for their infected parents or family members, and in caring for themselves and their siblings following the death of parents or caregivers.

Your prayers and support - and your participation in CROP WALKS and the TOOLS & BLANKETS Program - make possible these and other life sustaining programs. For information on how to get involved, please call your Church World Service/CROP Regional Office toll-free at 1-888-CWS-CROP, that's 1-888-297-2767.

For information about free loan videos, please call 1-800-297-1516, ext. 338, or e-mail us at: videos@churchworldservice.org.

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