God’s Work. Our Hands. – Page 3 – Our Savior Lutheran Church and Campus Ministry

Our Savior Lutheran Church is a Covenant Church with the Bread for the World (BFW) movement. BFW currently is ecumenical in scope; but was started by a Lutheran Pastor in New York City, in the early 70s. BFW asks us to communicate with our legislators about hunger related issues throughout the year, but each year they focus on one particular issue, for an annual Offering of Letters

Reading the news, it is hard to imagine that progress has been made in reducing global poverty and hunger, but they have literally been cut, nearly in half over the past 30 years. In countries such as Ghana and Honduras, one of the effects of chronic malnutrition, developmental stunting, has been reduced by nearly 1/3^rd over the past 10 years!! This has been accomplished by emphasizing good nutrition during the first 1,000 days of a mother’s pregnancy through her child’s second birthday.

But the work is not done, and we don’t want to lose the gains we have made, since worldwide nearly half of all the childhood deaths are linked to malnutrition. Continue reading “Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow!” Bread for the World Offering of Letters

In Collaboration with Christ Church at Dartmouth and the Upper Valley Working Group a person-to-person effort called The Friendship Initiative is beginning.

“The Friendship Initiative” involves a volunteer or group of volunteers (a family unit, a couple, a single retiree or small group of students) reaching out to a family, couple, or single individual to provide positive support. This support requires a trip to Manchester every 4-6 weeks for personal interaction which could be in the form of a walk, teaching English, tutoring a child, helping with a resume, or simply going out for pizza. The program does not expect the volunteers to solve problems or financial issues. Financial issues are normally handled by the family’s case worker at the International Institute of New England (IINE), the entity that resettles refugees in Manchester and Nashua, NH.

Volunteers will be introduced to refugee families through Sister Irene Marie Pelland, a nun from Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, who has been working with refugees since 1985.

A glimpse into the lives of refugees in Manchester:

To find our more or offer your friendship please contact Lars Johanson or the church office.