The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) responds on your behalf to poverty, hunger, disasters, and injustice around the world. It also provides you with volunteer opportunities, advocacy ideas, and educational materials about poverty and justice.
What’s New
“As much of the world continues to suffer through economic recession, there are many areas that have also had to recover from catastrophic natural disasters,” said Bill Adams, CRWRC’s Disaster Response Services director, about the difficult past year.
As job losses, budget cuts, and home foreclosures impacted many church members in North America, disasters, AIDS, and skyrocketing food prices placed extra burdens on families around the world. The church rose to the challenge.
Because of faithful donors and volunteers, CRWRC was able to maintain its ministry of help in responding to Hurricane Ike in east Texas, severe flooding in central Alaska, and flooding throughout the Midwest, while also continuing to assist communities that are recovering from the hurricanes of 2005, said Adams.
Internationally, CRWRC wrapped up five years of relief and rehabilitation in tsunami-affected communities in Asia and began a new rehabilitation project in southern Sudan. In total, CRWRC responded to war, drought, and disaster in 33 countries and provided emergency assistance to more than 800,000 people.
At the same time, CRWRC continued its long-term work with leaders from 3,853 communities, helping people to identify needs and carry out programs to improve health, increase literacy, create new jobs, and improve society. This helped almost 600,000 people to improve their lives and communities in lasting ways. These programs were primarily carried out alongside local churches and Christian organizations.
The witness to Christ’s love was strengthened even as the world reeled from recession. “CRWRC has been blessed by the amount of ministry we were able to do last year,” said Ida Kaastra Mutoigo, CRWRC-Canada director. “The willingness of church members to give sacrificially during tough economic times so that others can be helped is what Christian love is all about. We’re humbled to have been a part of it and amazed by God’s grace as communities and lives are changed.”
CRWRC receives no ministry shares. To learn how you can get involved, please visit www.crwrc.org.
Contact info:
Website: www.crwrc.org
United States: 800.55.CRWRC or 616.224.0740
Canada: 800.730.3490 or 905.336.2920
E-mail: crwrc@crcna.org
Quick Facts
- Last year, CRWRC served in 44 countries, responding to disaster and providing long-term community programs.
- In total, CRWRC’s programs helped 1,398,744 people.
- CRWRC’s ministry was supported by 3,594 volunteers.
- CRWRC’s Embrace AIDS campaign reached $3 million last year, making new and expanded AIDS programs possible in 19 countries.
