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Lutheran Church gifts to Haiti quake response exceed $2.7 million

Gifts by congregations and members sent to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) for response to the earthquake in Haiti total more than $2.7 million through Jan. 29, according to ELCA Treasurer Christina Jackson-Skelton. Nearly 16,000 individual gifts have been sent to the ELCA, she said, reports Michael Ireland, chief correspondent, ASSIST News Service.

ELCA News Service reports that on the same day, the ELCA, through its International Development and Disaster Response (IDDR), increased its total commitment to earthquake response efforts to $925,000, wrote Megan Bradfield, IDDR associate director, ELCA Global Mission, in a Jan. 29 memorandum.

The Jan. 12 earthquake left more than 112,000 people dead, 197,000 injured and at least 1 million people homeless, according to the Haitian government.

Earlier this month the ELCA committed $600,000 to three partner organizations working on the ground in Haiti: The Lutheran World Federation/Department for World Service (LWF/DWS), based in Geneva; Lutheran World Relief, Baltimore; and Church World Service, New York. It also provided $25,000 to Lutheran Services Florida for direct assistance to Haitians coming into the United States -- those who are U.S. citizens or Haitian nationals seeking medical services.

The latest commitment provides an additional $150,000 each to Church World Service and LWF/DWS, Bradfield wrote.

Church World Service (CWS), an ecumenical disaster response organization, used ELCA funds to ship medicine, hygiene and baby kits, blankets, and flashlights and batteries to Haiti, Bradfield wrote. It is also providing transportation to relief workers on the ground.

Bradfield said the additional $150,000 for Church World Service will buy 5,000 more blankets, plus tents, water and fortified food packages. Funds will also be used for shipping costs.

"The goods will be prepared and sent over the next two weeks (with) primary distribution to children's centers and clinics," she wrote.

The LWF/DWS has used ELCA funds to provide for emergency food distribution, water, sanitation and health programs, and shelter in Haiti. Bradfield reported that the LWF/DWS plans to provide shelter needs in several areas:

** St. Therese: Supporting 7,000 people living in settlements, including providing water, shelter and material aid

** Gressier: Assisting with food distribution, sanitation and temporary shelter for 3,000 people in 26 settlements, and providing psychosocial support

**Leogane: Providing food, sanitation and temporary shelter to 3,000 people

**Ti Goave: Providing food, water, sanitation and hygiene, and temporary shelter and material aid for up to 5,000 people

**Thiotte: Providing food and material aid for 1,000 people

Bradfield wrote that the LWF/DWS "has already identified primary activities for implementation in the post-crisis phase" of the response.

"Those activities include food security, and livelihood through farming and cash-for-work programs, community shelters, education and school assistance, psychosocial services, training of local leaders, and disaster preparedness/risk reduction activities.

TAGS: haiti Haiti earthquake Lutheran Church earthquake response Church World Service

[02/03/2010]

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