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Methodist
Relief and Development Fund
8 May 2008
Burma
crisis appeal
As the
death toll from the Burma cyclone continues to rise, the Methodist Church and
the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) have launched an emergency
appeal for funds.
Michael
King, World Church Team Leader, says; ‘The cyclone has created a humanitarian
emergency that is unprecedented in Burma’s history. Hundreds of thousands of
people are cut off from clean water and shelter, and prices for basic foodstuffs
are escalating. We are asking people to offer whatever support they can, both
financially and through their prayers’.
The
Church sent an immediate solidarity grant of £10,000 to the Methodist Church in
Myanmar and has launched a joint appeal with MRDF. To donate via the World
Church Office please visit www.justgiving.com/methodistburmacyclone
or send a cheque, made
payable to the Methodist Church Fund for World Mission, to:
Burma
Appeal
Fund
for World Mission
Methodist
Church House
25
Marylebone Rd
London
NW1 5JR
To
donate via MRDF, call the MRDF hotline on 020 7224 4814.
Funds
received will be channelled through Church World Service, which is working in
the most affected areas.
The
Christian Conference of Asia has appealed ‘to member churches and councils,
ecumenical partners and friends to remember those affected people in your daily
prayers, and extend assistance to help the people affected by this natural
calamity.’ The Revd Mar Gay Gyi, the General Secretary for Myanmar Council of
Churches will be meeting with the staff in-charge of the Emergency Relief Unit
and sharing updated information with the churches.
People
are also urged to keep those affected in their prayers. A special prayer has
been written for the crisis and can be found online at http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.content&cmid=2130.
18 April, 2008
MRDF RESPONDS TO CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE
In the face of growing
political instability and desperate food shortages in Zimbabwe, The Methodist
Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) is supporting
an appeal through ACT International (Action by Churches Together) that will
distribute emergency food supplies to vulnerable households.
Over 4 million people need
food immediately. Reports from Zimbabwe paint a picture of desperation, with
some families cooking leaves they had previously considered poisonous. Although
they have found ways of draining them that make them safer, people are still
getting sick. The current crisis has been worsened by Zimbabwe’s growing
HIV/AIDS problem and inflation levels that are spiralling out of control –
currently the highest in the world.
As well as distributing food,
the MRDF appeal, through ACT International, will also provide home-based care
kits for those looking after people with HIV/AIDS, supplementary vitamins for
those with HIV/AIDS and support and counselling for AIDS orphans, who often face
malnutrition because of lack of food, illness and stigma. People who have lost
their livelihoods will be given small livestock for food and to help generate
incomes.
Kirsty Smith, MRDF Director,
said: “The crisis in Zimbabwe has left millions of people without the means to
feed themselves. By supporting this appeal, we hope to alleviate some of the
suffering and give them a way of generating income in the future.”
Donations to MRDF’s appeal
for Zimbabwe can be made by debit or credit card on 020 7224 4814, or by cheque,
payable to “MRDF (Zimbabwe emergency)”, posted to MRDF, Methodist
Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR.
Taxpayers are encouraged to
gift aid their donations where possible, adding a value of 28p to every pound
they give, at no extra personal cost.
_____________________________
Monday 4 February 2008
Appeal for funds for Kenya crisis
The Methodist Church and Methodist Relief
and Development Fund (MRDF) have confirmed the initial amounts of financial aid
they are sending to Kenya to support those suffering as a result of the ongoing
conflict.
MRDF is sending £6,300 directly to local partner
RCDG, based in Nairobi’s Kibera slum district, one of the areas worst affected
by the post-election violence.
Samantha Tuck, East Africa Programme Officer at
MRDF, explains “A major concern is that those on anti-retroviral treatment for
HIV can’t get to clinics for drugs. They have to take those drugs with food,
but cannot get that either. RCDG is ideally placed to deliver direct assistance
to some of the most vulnerable and seriously affected people. With an MRDF
humanitarian grant they will get medical care, food and bedding to 200 members
of the community. We are pleased to have their help in channelling funds
straight to where they are most needed.”
Further MRDF response will be made through
ACT International, which is
providing survival essentials for displaced people living in camps.
The Methodist Church in Kenya has called for £25,000
to help them support those suffering because of the widespread violence. The
Methodist Church in Britain is sending £10,000 straight away, but is appealing
for donations to cover the remaining need.
Kevin Fray, World Church Africa Secretary, says;
“The situation in Kenya is very hard to comprehend, but what we do know is
that people are in desperate need of shelter and aid. At the moment, the best
support we in Britain can offer is through our prayers and donations.”
Donations to MRDF’s appeal for RCDG and
ACT International can be made by credit card on 020 7224 4814, or by cheque,
payable to “MRDF (Kenya emergency)”,
posted to MRDF, Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 6JR.
Donations to the Methodist Church’s
appeal for the Methodist Church in Kenya can be made at www.methodistchurch.org.uk.
Taxpayers are encouraged to Gift Aid their
donations where possible, adding a value of 28p on to every pound they give, at
no extra personal cost.
_______________________
3 January, 2008
This Lent,
don’t just change your light-bulbs, change your life
What does the Bible say about climate
change? is a new Bible Study Pack for Lent and
beyond from the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF). Climate change is
a contemporary problem, undreamt of by Biblical authors, so what does
the Bible have to say about it?
These six Bible study sessions will help small
groups reflect on a Christian response to climate change and take small but
significant steps to reduce their carbon footprints.
Vice President of the Methodist Conference, Ruby
Beech, said: ‘If we are serious about living out our faith in the modern world
and bringing good news to the poor, we cannot ignore the challenges posed by
climate change. At last year’s Methodist Conference in Blackpool, the
Methodist Church passed a resolution committing churches to play their part. I
warmly welcome this pack and commend it to all Christians who want to translate
their aspirations into action.’
What does the Bible say about climate
change? contains material for six interactive and
engaging sessions. It includes Bible readings, activities, discussion questions,
prayer and action ideas. Examples from UK-based campaigns and MRDF’s
development partners in Africa and Asia help to bring the issues to life. The
studies aim to provoke practical responses - like recycling or changing
light-bulbs - but most importantly to encourage people to rethink their
attitudes and everyday lives in new and creative ways.
MRDF Director Kirsty Smith
said: ‘MRDF is increasingly aware of the effects of climate change on poor
communities overseas, caused predominantly by CO2 emissions from rich countries.
It is particularly important to focus on climate change during Lent this year as
the Climate Change Bill is being discussed by UK parliament at this time.
We hope many groups will use this pack to make a new and confident commitment to
action, both towards their own lifestyles and in seeking to influence the
government in the role it can play.’
What does the Bible
say about climate change? is designed for house
groups, youth groups and other small study groups. The study pack is free and
has accompanying notes for group leaders.
Notes
‘What does the Bible
say about climate change?’ booklets for group members, with accompanying
leaders’ notes, are available free from: MRDF, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1
5JR or 020 7467 5132 or mrdf@methodistchurch.org.uk
<mailto:mrdf@methodistchurch.org.uk>.
The pack can also be downloaded from www.mrdf.org.uk
<http://www.mrdf.org.uk>.
Methodist Relief and
Development Fund (MRDF) makes
small miracles possible for
people living in the world's poorest communities through: long-term development,
emergency relief and campaigning against the causes of poverty. For more
information, visit www.mrdf.org.uk
<http://www.mrdf.org.uk>.
Sample copies of the
pack and cover image are available from MRDF (mrdf@methodistchurch.org.uk
<mailto:mrdf@methodistchurch.org.uk>)
or 020 7467 5215.
MRDF is a member of the
Stop Climate Chaos network, comprising of faith groups, environmental groups,
unions, development charities and many others. For more information visit
www.stopclimatechaos.org <http://www.stopclimatechaos.org>
or www.icount.org.uk <http://www.icount.org.uk>
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BOLTON
AND ROCHDALE METHODIST
DISTRICT