January giving to Emergency Disaster Fund tops $450,000.

Giving to the General Board's Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) in the month of January has totaled $458,367.96--close to a half million dollars. The number is almost 51 times comparable giving in January last year. General Board staff credit the increase to the extremely generous response of Brethren congregations, districts, and individuals to the tsunami disaster. The majority of gifts are designated for tsunami relief, but even undesignated giving to the EDF is close to ten times the amount given at this time in 2004.

The response has been "astounding," said Lillian Dako, who works in accounts receivable for the board. Each day in January she received about the number of gifts that usually arrive in a month. "Giving begets giving, is much of what's happening," said Ken Neher, the board's director of Funding and Donor Development. "Thanks everybody! A lot of people will benefit from this generous spirit."

"It is clear from the generosity of our members that they have confidence that their donations to the Emergency Disaster Fund not only help with the immediate needs of the disaster survivors but also for longterm recovery," said the board's general secretary Stan Noffsinger. "Health kits, blankets, and other material resources are delivered with compassion, fostering dignity and not dependency."

Much of the money is coming from people who are new donors to the board, Neher said. He mentioned one gift of $25,000 from two individuals. When those kinds of gifts are made, he said, "it adds up." The high level of giving also is "indicative of the trust that it will be put to good use, a trust that the General Board has built up over the years," he said.

Giving also is up to the board's Emerging Global Mission Fund and the Global Food Crisis Fund--which Neher pointed out will be next to step in with support for redevelopment in the countries affected by the tsunami when direct disaster funding is no longer needed. General giving and special gifts to the "core ministries" of the board are not matching last year's numbers, however. This response is normal, according to Neher. "Whenever there is a reason for special giving the needed regular funds tend to go down." The response to the tsunami "reinforces the fact that there's plenty of money out there for the ongoing ministries of the church," he added.

Source: 2/2/2005 Newsline
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