World Relief

Every second of every day children are orphaned by disease, women are widowed by conflicts, families are devastated by natural disasters and refugees are relocated to new countries. These are the heartbreaking stories of the vulnerable. They believe God has equipped the church - the most diverse social network on the planet - to be at the center of these stories, leveraging time, energy and resources to join the vulnerable in their time of need. They practice principles of transformational development to empower local churches in the United States and around the world so they can serve the vulnerable in their communities. With initiatives in education, health, child development, agriculture, food security, anti-trafficking, immigrant services, micro-enterprise, disaster response and refugee resettlement, They work holistically with the local church to stand for the sick, the widow, the orphan, the alien, the displaced, the devastated, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised. In their own backyard and around the globe, they stand with individuals and communities through the process of healing, reconciliations, transformation and empowerment. Disaster Response As a relief organization with a mission to love others as they love God, they Disaster Response team operates out of a commitment to serve their neighbors experiencing crisis. The way they respond depends deeply on the nature of the disaster, the country, the economic and geo-political situation at hand. They immediately begin to assess the situation to determine the most appropriate actions. This response takes on several forms including empowering the local church, empowering teams already on the ground, or empowering an indigenous organization. Their Disaster Response team prioritizes interventions devoted to empowering local churches to provide effective post-disaster and disaster mitigation assistance to their communities. Eligibility for assistance is not limited to churches, but may, depending on the situation, apply to networks, indigenous organizations and local evangelical humanitarian organizations. Child Development World Relief’s church-centered Child Development Program impacts the lives of tens of thousands of children and youth in Cambodia, Mozambique and Malawi – fostering physical, emotional and spiritual growth. Children are taught about health and hygiene, and they develop important life skills – including conflict resolution – often while learning from Bible stories. Most of the volunteers are recruited from local churches, but child development clubs welcome all children regardless of their religious affiliation. Maternal and Child Health Almost 10 million children under five die die every year--mostly from preventable causes. They die, and they don’t have to. Simple steps could save these children’s lives—things like exclusive breast feeding for the first six months of life, sleeping under insecticide treated mosquito nets, improved sanitation and hand washing practices, drinking recommended liquids to prevent dehydration from diarrhea, and timely access to basic medicines for malaria and pneumonia. These simple things can mean the difference between life and death. World Relief works with the Church, grass roots communities and government health services to tackle entrenched and complex problems of poverty that affect health. HIV/AIDS World Relief is at the forefront in the battle against AIDS. The work has been praised by First Lady Laura Bush who visited one of the partner churches in Africa in 2005. Their comprehensive strategy focuses on mobilizing local churches at the grassroots level to effectively educate about AIDS, teach abstinence and marital fidelity, model Christian values, fight stigma, and care for those affected by AIDS. Agricultural Development World Relief comes alongside farmers, offering sustainable farming solutions. Teaching innovative and cost-effective agricultural methods, World Relief technicians teach farmers in Latin America and Africa about crop rotation and irrigation, and then they introduce them to national and international markets.  Immigrant Services In US offices, World Relief offers legal support, job training and English classes to immigrants. In Baltimore, a Legal Services clinic reaches out to thousands of clients each year—helping them fill out paperwork, joining them at hearings and ensuring they understand their rights and responsibilities. World Relief is also engaged in advocacy for immigration and refugee policy.  Microfinance World Relief is a leader in the field of non-profit microfinance. Through locally governed microfinance institutions, they give small loans, training and support to hardworking individuals – mostly vulnerable women – ensnared by poverty. To date, they empowered more than 90,000 individuals to live productive, meaningful lives. Over the years, they seen how initial loans of just $50-$75 can launch an individual on the path to economic self-sufficiency, spurring entrepreneurial ideas.  Human Trafficking As the world’s second largest and fastest growing criminal industry, human trafficking has led to the enslavement of nearly 27 million people around the world. To meet the demand in the United States, a person is trafficked over US borders every 10 minutes. In response to this stark reality, World Relief helped launch the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAAST), a group of Christian organizations which collaborate to design programs, curriculum and training to prevent trafficking and help survivors to rebuild their lives. Since 2004, World Relief has partnered with local law enforcement to rescue and provide comprehensive services to survivors of human trafficking in the United States. World Relief trains thousands of community members how to identify victims of trafficking every year.