Posts Tagged ‘Change that Lasts’
Possibility in the Face of Complexity
Naomiâs Story
Naomi, her husband and three daughters were living in Mahowe, a small village in Malawi, when Naomiâs husband died. That day forever changed her life. Not only was her husband gone, but so too was her familyâs source of income and daily security. Naomi and her daughters tried to rebuild their lives, but Naomiâs physical condition made things difficult. Partially blind in one eye, she struggled to earn enough money to send her oldest daughter to school, let alone meet basic needs for her and her daughters.
Sadly, Naomiâs story is not unique. In fact, more than 735 million people around the world â around 10% of the worldâs population â live on less than $1.90 per day, making it difficult for them to earn a living, buy food, access health care or send their children to school. The consequences of such extreme poverty extend far beyond one generation, as uneducated children struggle to earn a living as adults, in turn making it difficult for them to send their children to school and ultimately trapping them in a vicious cycle of generational poverty.
Yet economic poverty isnât the only kind of poverty that affects people around the world.
A Complex Problem
Hourt Rous is one of the 80% of Cambodians living in a rural area where women are taught that their sole role in life is to be a housewife and to raise children. Because of this belief, women like Hourt never have the opportunity to go to school or the chance to learn basic health practices and important lessons in child development. Hourt grew up in a home where she was taught health and nutrition were important only once children reached school age.
âI never knew nutritious food affected [a young] childâs development. In our culture, we are taught that our childrenâs physical appearance, health and food intake is [only] important when they reach school age.âÂ
In Cambodia, much of rural childcare is based on cultural beliefs. Therefore, when Hourt became a mom, she began raising her children in the same way she had been raised, setting the stage for her children to do the same and continuing the cycle of poor health and education from generation to generation to generation.Â
These two stories have a great deal in common. Naomi, a physically disabled widow, was left as the sole caretaker for her girls, unable to provide basic needs for her family. Hourt, a female in rural Cambodia, wasnât given the same access to education as the men in her community, which ultimately prohibited her from learning how to create a future for her children. Both these women were trapped in a multi-faceted cycle of poverty that is perpetuated by lack of access to education and healthcare and often determined by social status, age and gender, geography and ethnicity.
Complex but not Impossible
Solving poverty is complex. But complex does not mean impossible. Â
Understanding the full complexity of poverty is at the very core of our work at World Relief. In places most impacted by poverty, well-intentioned NGOs frequently struggle to create lasting change because they either fail to address the root causes of poverty â gender discrimination, conflict and inequitable access to education, to name a few â or fail to acknowledge that poverty is multifaceted.
Rarely is a community only struggling with physical poverty, economic poverty or geographical poverty. Rather, they are often struggling under the weight of more than one type of poverty. When organizations address poverty as a single issue and fail to acknowledge root causes, they create quick fixes and partial solutions that fail to produce holistic, long-term transformation.
But it doesnât have to be this way. At World Relief, we believe God gave us a plan to save our broken world, and it begins with his church, and his people, leading the way.
As we engage in communities around the world, we harness and amplify the influence of the local church â the largest, most influential network on the planet â to model Jesusâ holistic method of addressing and alleviating poverty. By empowering pastors, local leaders and volunteers, the church moves as the hands and feet of Jesus. People are seen, loved and given opportunity for new life. Through him everything changes.
Jesus and Holistic Change
In Luke 4, Jesus begins his ministry by declaring,
âThe Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.â
Lukeâs gospel is filled with stories of Jesus seeking out the poor in body, in community and in spirit. He heals a man of leprosy and a woman from her issues of blood, invites a tax collector into his inner circle and gives life to a widowâs dead son. He even heals a Jewish oppressorâs beloved servant.
To the leper and woman with the issue of blood, Jesus brought physical healing; to the tax collector, Jesus provided acceptance; to the dead son Jesus gave life; to the Jewish oppressor an example that no one is outside the love and care of God.
Jesus saw the tax collector, men, women and children, the sick, the oppressed, the lonely. He came toward them and provided for their needs, bringing restoration to the whole person, reversing life circumstances and breaking cycles. Over and over again, the gospel of Luke reveals Jesusâ love and care for the poor and the outcast, those marginalized by their economic status, gender and/or ethnicity.
Breaking Free and Moving Forward
Naomi began to break the cycle of generational poverty when she joined a savings group sponsored by World Relief. Through the group, Naomi has been able to invest in her familyâs future. A year later she says,
âI now have the opportunity to interact with my friends and to improve my life. I have also joined my colleagues in helping the vulnerable in our community through the groupâs social fund, a weekly fee which goes to the communityâs needy individuals.â
In the same way, Hourt changed her familyâs story when she joined a womenâs group through her church and learned about childrenâs health. She began to implement what she was learning, providing the nutritional support her children need as well as promoting and protecting their access to education.
âI know that if I want my children to be wise and have a good future, I have to play a role in supporting the process of development,â Hourt says.
Not only has she improved her childrenâs health, but Hourt is also sharing what sheâs learned with others.
âI take health lessons to teach households and improve everyoneâs health in my community,â she says.
Although Naomi couldnât see a future where her family had resources for food or education, her local church did. Although Hourt didnât understand the importance of proper nutrition during early childhood, her church did. And, although both women felt unseen, unnoticed and forgotten, they werenât.
Following Jesusâ examples, the church came as the hands and feet of Jesus with love, care and provision for Naomi and Hourtâs needs. The church came to lift them up and bring the restoration of Christ. It is in this restoration that Naomi, Hourt and thousands of others have been empowered to reverse their circumstances and break the cycles of poverty.
Now, they are one of the thousands around the world, coming with love, care and provision for others in need, breaking the cycle of poverty and propelling change that lasts.
Dana North serves as the Marketing Manager at World Relief. With a background in graphic design and advertising and experiences in community development and transformation, Dana seeks to use the power of words and action to help create a better world. Dana is especially passionate about seeking justice for women and girls around the world.
A Truth We Cannot Keep for Ourselves
Keeping a Secret
Theo was keeping a secret from Lydia, his faithful wife of four years. Heâs a good and decent man, an employee at World Relief Rwanda. Heâs a dynamic communicator, a man committed to his church, his work and his wife. So what was Theo hiding?
It wasnât an infidelity or even an indiscretion. He hadnât lost money gambling or stayed out too late with his friends. He hadnât disrespected his wife in any blatant sort of way, so what was this secret he was keeping? What couldnât he bear to share with his wife? Itâs likely not something you ever would have guessed.
You see, Theoâs secret was that he was attending a class â a training at work on gender equity â designed to help our Rwandan staff gain a biblical understanding of how men and women are created equally and can, and should, lead together. The training is one of the many tools we use in our work against violence and oppression across the world to emphasize the truth that all people are created in Godâs image.
Gender Equity and Biblical Truth
Even though gender equity is biblical, in the countries where we work, most people, like Theo, believe that women are not created equal to men and that only men are qualified to hold leadership positions. This makes it difficult to talk with local church leaders about the importance of including women in leadership roles, and even harder to encourage women to take on these roles in our programs given many of them hold this same view themselves.
Itâs for this very reason that we piloted the training on biblical gender equality with our Rwandan staff this year, and why in 2020 we are rolling out gender equity training to all of our staff. We train our staff first because we know that Godâs word canât be powerful through us until it is powerful within us. And we also know that if we are asking our staff to help people break free from damaging cultural norms and behaviors, we have to arm them with Godâs truth â the truth that all people are equally deserving of worth, dignity and respect.
For Theo, this truth led to a difficult realization as he began wrestling with the idea that his long-held cultural beliefs about women didnât hold up in the light of Godâs word, neither at work nor within his home.
Like most men in Rwanda, Theo believed that he was meant to be in charge at home and that his wife was meant to serve him. He controlled all of the money and made unilateral decisions. Lydia often had to beg Theo to give her money to buy propane for cooking, which was humiliating for her. On the few occasions she spoke up with an idea or questioned one of Theoâs decisions, he rebuked her for not being submissive to his leadership.
A Marriage Renewed
But after attending and reflecting upon the training, Theo decided to make some changes in his marriage. At first, he was too embarrassed to tell Lydia why he was making these changes. He felt ashamed of how he had been treating her and wasnât sure how to bring up these new ideas.
So, Theo started helping Lydia in the kitchen. He began asking her opinion about household matters and inviting her to make decisions with him. Theo even learned how to make tea for visitors and began cooking for their son. And while all of these changes surprised Lydia, nothing shocked her more than when Theo began to wash the dishes. Never in her life had she seen a man do dishes!
Thatâs when Theo knew he had to tell Lydia the reason for all of these changes. He told her about the training and about how God had opened his eyes to new truths and convicted him that the way he had been treating her wasnât how God intended a man to behave. Then Theo took a giant leap of faith â he invited Lydia to join him at the next training so she could learn this truth for herself.
âThe best thing Theo did was invite me to the training,â Lydia said. âI learned that we are equal and we have been created equally. This truth has liberated me.â
Jesus promised that we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. Thatâs why we use Godâs word as the basis for all of our programs at World Relief. We have seen time and time again what happens when the truth of Godâs word penetrates peopleâs hearts. Deep and lasting change occurs within individuals, it overflows into families and changes entire communities, just as it did with Theo and Lydia.
Both Theo and Lydia agree that they canât keep their newfound knowledge to themselves.
âI think we need to share our testimony and knowledge with other couples,â Lydia says. âIt is a truth that we cannot keep for ourselves.â
A Future of Flourishing
As the truth of biblical equity takes root in more peopleâs hearts and minds, more women are empowered to rise up within their communities and lead within our programs. And when women are able to take on leadership in areas like health and nutrition, savings, agriculture and church empowerment, holistic transformation begins.
Men stop beating their wives. Young girls stay in school and avoid early marriages. Women gain access to capital to start their own businesses and become self-sufficient. And survivors of rape receive help and support rather than being shunned by their communities.
Whatâs more, a generation of young girls sees a new way of existing, encounters role models and gains a vision for what their lives could mean. The cycle of oppression begins to break and women and girls are ushered into the fullness of life that God intended for them all along.
At World Relief, we know that this fullness of life is available to all people â regardless of their gender, skin color, country of origin, tribe or faith â when they are viewed as image-bearers of God.
Every day, we have the privilege of watching the radical concept of Imago Dei transform broken relationships and end violence & oppression in so many of the communities where we work. Individuals change. Marriages improve. Families stabilize. Peace descends. Communities thrive. Churches flourish. And through it all, God is glorified.
Mary Milano serves as the Director of Fundraising Content at World Relief.
Rebirth and Renewal
In the Path of the Storm
It was late May in 2004 when torrential rains hit Mapou, a small village nestled within the La Selle mountain range in southeastern Haiti. This nameless storm dumped water on Mapou for three consecutive days, killing over 432 people in Mapou and another 800 in other villages throughout Haiti. Mapou, among several other villages, was left under a lake of water, and more than 31,000 people across Haiti were left without homes.
Nicole Eliassaint, a local resident in Mapou, recalled the terror that consumed her village.
âNo one could go out to see their relatives or ask for information,â she said. âWe faced a situation of helplessness⊠some of us had to cling to trees or stay on our roofs for days to avoid being swept away by the waves.â
The storm hit outside the regular storm season, the devastation highlighting how vulnerable Haiti is to natural disasters. The country sits in the middle of an aggressive pathway for tropical storms and hurricanes and also straddles a major faultline. Geography, however, isnât the only factor that has left Haiti vulnerable to natural disasters.
A Complex History
In 1804, Haiti proudly became the first black republic in history after a successful, slave-led revolution. The war for independence, unfortunately, also destroyed many Haitian plantations, leaving the economy in a fragile state. As a result, Haitian leaders were forced to purchase the recognition of Haiti as a legitimate sovereign nation. In exchange for access to trade markets, they took on massive debt, further crippling the nation’s economy and leaving it prone to political hardship throughout the mid-20th century. This storied history of exploitation and corruption has left the country with a feeble infrastructure and weak economy, making it difficult for Haiti to rebuild the foundation needed to defend against disasters.
Consequently, Haiti has remained locked in a cycle of unhealthy dependence on foreign aid each time disaster strikes. Even with these aid efforts, international relief often struggles to reach the remote areas like Mapou, and little to no system has been developed for warning residents of coming storms.
In 2016, many communities, including Mapou, were still recovering from previous storms when Hurricane Matthew hit. The storm killed 546 people and caused $2.8 billion in destruction. Farms and livestock were destroyed, leaving many Haitians without a source for food or an income.
Catalyst for Change
In his book, The Upside of Down, author Thomas Homer Dixon writes that even the worst catastrophes can be a catalyst for change.
âCatastrophe,â he says, âcan create space for [the kind of] creativity that helps build a better world for our children [and] our grandchildrenâŠâ
âBreakdown,â he adds, âcan shatter the forces standing in the way of change.â
Such is the case when disasters strike, leaving gaping holes in the vulnerable communities that endure them. Buildings crumble, lives are lost and a deep chasm is left in the foundation of the affected society. But what if, as Dixon writes, this catastrophe could make way for creativity that leads to change, and what if this change could be generated by the local church?
Dixonâs words truly come to life in the example of the church in Haiti. In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, church leaders in the Sud, Grand Anse and Nippes regions came together with World Relief to bring aid to people in their communities. Initially, each pastor involved thought they were coming to World Relief to receive food and aid only for themselves, their families and their church members. But after attending a World Relief training, they began to see the bigger picture of what God was calling them to â to come together as a whole church in order to serve the most vulnerable people impacted by the storm.
Church leaders were trained on how to identify problems, mobilize volunteers, write proposals and submit requests for aid. After their requests were approved, churches in Haiti came together with more frequency than ever before, and through their collective efforts, more than 6,000 people received immediate aid in the form of food, water and sanitation supplies. Thousands more received seeds, farming equipment and thorough agriculture training to rebuild their farms and restore their livelihoods. While World Relief Haiti provided the resources for this project, church leaders were co-managers of the project, ensuring equitable distribution as well as a number of volunteers who made the scaling of the project possible.
Local Solutions
In Mapou, World Relief worked alongside church leaders from Bell-Anse, which included pastors from more than 75 churches in the Pichon & Mapou villages. The group came together to brainstorm ways to build resilience and better prepare their communities for natural disasters. Historically, people living in the mountains would try to warn people living in the plains of coming storms by blowing into conch shells â a method that was often too little, too late.
After some deliberation, leaders came away with a plan to implement an Early Warning System using appropriate technology (a system not reliant on electricity that can work no matter what the weather).
Over the next two years, World Relief worked alongside community leaders to implement a system of warning flags and hand crank sirens. Pastors and local leaders trained their congregations and communities on the systemâs procedure so they could be ready to act should disaster strike. Country Director, Joseph Bataille, believes that with a little more coaching, the community will be ready to carry the program on their own.
In addition to the community-wide warning system, World Relief also helped families develop Household Emergency Plans, partnered with the Haitian Red Cross to train 25 community members in First Aid and assisted farmers in reducing erosion and planting cyclone-resistant crops.
Nicole said that the training she and her team received along with the implementation of the early warning system has âcompletely transformed the way they prepare for natural disasters. Information flows better⊠[and] everyone knows what to do in advance to protect themselves in the event of a flood.â She added that people feel more confident when cyclones and natural disasters hit because they know how to better protect themselves.
Lasting Change in Haiti
The increased frequency in storms and natural disasters in Haiti and other similar nations makes it clear that immediate relief alone wonât solve the disaster problem. But bolstering local churches and community leaders with the tools they need to cope with disasters can. Investing in warning systems and resiliency training can reduce the impact of natural disasters before they ever occur and make way for the strength and beauty that has historically defined these nations to be restored.
The most beautiful part of this story is that in the wake of disaster, local churches in Haiti have become a catalyst for restoration and renewal. Led by trusted community leaders who have the ability, authority and permanency to do far more than any government institution or non-profit organization ever could, local churches have become the hands and feet of Jesus in their communities. Not only that, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, these churches are restoring hope and igniting spiritual renewal right alongside the physical rebirth happening as their communities rebuild. Several congregations reported growth as a result of the relief and resilience work they have done in their communities.
Restoration and renewal are possible, even in the darkest of circumstances. As Christians, that truth is at the very core of everything we believe, and at World Relief, we believe that it is through the church, and Godâs people, that weâre able to bring holistic healing and create lasting change, even in the path of a storm.
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and childrenâs ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.
Christmas Gift Guide
This holiday season, weâre celebrating change that lasts. Every day, we hear stories of lasting change as people like you step forward to create communities of love and welcome in the U.S., and as churches across the globe step up to serve vulnerable people around them.
We know you care about refugees, immigrants and vulnerable people, and we know you want your gifts to friends and family to be special. Thatâs why this Christmas, weâve created a fun, tangible way for you to serve people in need while also giving your friends and family a meaningful gift theyâll love: our Christmas Gift Guide.
Each product and/or company in this guide supports refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations through advocacy, employing refugees or donating a portion of their proceeds to World Relief.
From books to candles, and everything in between, thereâs sure to be something for everyone on your list. Create change that lasts this Christmas by shopping our gift guide today!
When You Canât Go HomeÂ
This beautiful book is perfect for the avid reader and art lover in your life. Seattle-based artist Karisa Keasey spent two years interviewing refugees and painting their portraits. She combined the stories and artwork into a stunning book you can purchase on her website. 50% of the profits will be donated to World Relief.
Pen + Pillar
For the writer and kind-hearted giver in your life, shop owners Taylor and Justin have created a series of notebooks, greeting cards and art prints that your loved one is sure to enjoy. Each gift is inspired by Taylor and Justinâs love of nature, travel, community and warmth. Pine and Pillar also donates 10% of their profits to World Relief!
Anchor of Hope Box
For the person who loves getting surprised every month, this subscription box is the perfect match. Founded by a World Relief volunteer, Anchor of Hope Box supports refugees and other vulnerable people around the world by giving them a platform to sell their products and make an income. Purchase the monthly subscription box or shop the online store for jewelry, household items and more.
Welcoming the Stranger
This gift is perfect for the activist and fervent learner in your life. Written by World Reliefâs Jenny Yang and Matt Soerens, Welcoming the Stranger moves beyond political rhetoric to offer a Christian response to refugees and immigrants. This book provides insight into the U.S. immigration system and policy analysis alongside real-life stories from displaced people in the U.S.
Hawa Images
Need to update your Christmas card photo? Not sure what to get your grandparents or in-laws for Christmas? Then Illinois-based photography studio, Hawa Images, is for you! âHawaâ is a Swahili word meaning âthese.â Hawa Images is about sharing stories of these people: near or far, foreign or familiar, similar or seemingly different. A portion of the proceeds each month goes to support World Relief.
Knotty Tie
Need a gift for the men in your life? Knotty tie has got you covered! This small-batch manufacturing company employs refugees resettled in the United States and creates playful yet professional neckties, bow ties and pocket squares.
Vickery Trading Co.
For the person who loves handmade clothing for children, this shop will deliver. Vickery Trading Co. supports women refugees in the Dallas area by teaching them to sew, then employing them to make stylish clothing and accessories for women and children. All refugees receive a living wage while also having access to mentoring and counseling services. Shop their collection and support refugees in Dallas.
RefuTea
Calling all tea enthusiasts! RefuTea is an eCommerce based social enterprise that aims to bridge the gap between refugee resettlement and integration by employing refugees to package and serve their teas. All their teas are ethically sourced and naturally flavored. Ten percent of sales at the end of each quarter are donated to refugee resettlement efforts in the Greater Grand Rapids Michigan area.
Three Pines Collective
Bring the spa into your home with specialty soaps and scrubs by Three Pines Collective. Founded by three friends who have a heart to serve refugees in their community, Three Pines Collective sells handmade lotions, scrubs, paper goods and more. Send them a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email them at collectivepinesthree@gmail.com, to place your online order. 75% of every sale goes to support World Relief!
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and childrenâs ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.
Friendly Soil
ââŠThese victims of war and oppression look hopefully to the democratic countries to help them rebuild their lives and provide for the future of their children. We must not destroy their hope. The only civilized course is to enable these people to take new roots in friendly soil. â – Harry Truman, 1947
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A National Crisis
243 years ago, a vision for America was penned in our founding documents, couched in the truth that all are created equal and deserving of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These values have been reinstilled and affirmed time and time again throughout our history, and though our nation has never perfectly reflected these ideals, at our best moments weâve proudly lived up to, and drawn strength from them.
Today, our world is facing the worst displacement crisis since WWII, with over 26 million men, women and children fleeing violence, poverty and oppression. And yet, this year, our nation will admit less than half of 1% of those searching for a place to rebuild their homes. Contrast our history with these realities and itâs hard not to conclude that America is facing an identity crisisâone which threatens to undermine an identity painstakingly forged over hundreds of years as America became a haven of hope for those seeking a safer, more promising place to build a future.
We wish it were different. This crisis is heartbreaking. Itâs exhausting. And itâs painful. But we cannot, and must not lose heart.
The Less Told Story
Thatâs why this holiday season, we want to tell you a different story. Itâs a story of love, hope and perseverance. A story of flourishing communities and biblical welcome. A story that may not be making headlines, but which moves as a powerful undercurrent, creating lasting change in small pockets across our country. It starts with the profound conviction that we are all made equal in the eyes of God, and with the belief that beneath the weary faces of those fleeing violence and oppression, hope springs eternal. Most importantly, it starts with the knowledge that love is the catalyst that makes all things possible.
This season, we chose to celebrate this story. And while we mourn the state of our nation, we choose to press on with joy, and in faith, because this is a story worth rejoicing in. One which has the power to overcome the narrative of fear in our nation and heal our deepening divisions.
This is not a singular story. It is one made up of hundreds of moments, milestones and achievements. It begins in English language classes in Chicago, legal services in Atlanta and job readiness training in Memphis. It gathers strength in community gardening projects in Seattle, trauma counseling in Winston-Salem and womenâs sewing clubs in Spokane. And it overcomes all odds at college graduations in Durham, job promotions in Sacramento and citizenship ceremonies in D.C. It rewrites futures, rebuilds homes and restores belonging.
The Paradise Parking Lots
Perhaps nowhere is this story better manifested than in Kent, Washington, where a once small partnership between World Relief Seattle and Hillside Church has exploded into a transformational, citywide movement. Originally partnering with World Relief to provide space and volunteers to teach English language classes to immigrants, today the parking lot of Hillside Church, newly dubbed the Paradise Parking Plots, boasts a blossoming, 1-acre community garden.
Its community is made up of 47 families spanning 22 nations, over 1,400 volunteers, and a handful of local businesses, schools and government groups. Beyond the gardenâs initial goal of providing refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations with a place to grow familiar foods, cultivate community and connect with the earth in their new urban environment, the Paradise Parking Plots are leading the way in Green initiatives, using rainwater cisterns to provide irrigation and addressing local flooding issues. Innovation around this project has won the Green Globe Award from King County, and provides environmental internship opportunities for local refugee high school students who then go on to mentor other youth in environmental science at World Reliefâs Summer Camp. Whatâs more, Hillside church will soon open a commercial kitchen space for micro-enterprise cooking activities to take place, expanding opportunities and increasing the impact that the garden lots provide.
Perhaps most importantly, this project is providing a place for people from all walks of life to come together, fostering friendships between both new and long-term community members from every tribe, tongue and creed. Here, immigrants and native-born Americans are growing and flourishing together. They are finding a sense of unity, family and belonging. They are finding the community that makes âhomeâ feel like home.
A Vision for Lasting Change
The story of the Paradise Parking Plots is just one of the many parts that make up the story of what weâre doing together across the U.S., and itâs one you should feel proud to be a part of. It is a story of hope overcoming despair. Of unity over division. And of peace over fear. Above all, it is a story of love triumphing over hate. Though itâs quiet, and too often lost amidst the dominant political narratives, this story inspires us with vision and with hope. And it stands as a powerful reminder of what could be when we come together to create lasting change in our communities.
Lasting change starts with a shared vision of what could be possible, and calls people to that vision. It requires commitment and perseverance, but often the results exceed even our own expectations. This is what we hope and pray for as we work together to transform lives and communities across the U.S.
For over 40 years, weâve welcomed and helped integrate over 300,000 refugees and other vulnerable immigrants to communities all across our nation, rebuilding lives and creating communities of love and welcome that we all feel proud to be a part of. We do so not only because we believe in this nation of immigrants, and the strength and power of America as a land of hope and opportunity for all, but because we believe it is our calling as Christians to welcome the orphan, the widow and the least of these.
Today, this calling faces more hurdles than perhaps ever before. Yet these hurdles gives us all the more reason to fight. And to fight harder. Because we believe we are called to such a time as this â to stand as light amidst the darkness, and to be the voice of compassion, justice and above all, love.
Francesca Albano currently serves as Director of Branded Content at World Relief. With a background in Cultural Anthropology and a graduate degree in Strategic Marketing Communications, she connects her interests in societal studies and global cultures with her training in brand strategy and storytelling. Francesca is especially passionate about grassroots community development and the treatment and advancement of women and girls around the world.
A Movement of Change
The overwhelming needs of our world can push us toward quick fixes that leave underlying problems unsolved. At World Relief, we believe God wants to use the church and his people to transform lives and end the cycle of suffering.
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