Have Faith, End Hunger!!!!!!!!

The Micah Corps had the opportunity to work and learn at Bread for the World, an advocacy organization focused on ending hunger in the world. The interns did a variety of work, including cataloging, transcribing, and organizing material to help Bread for the World with long-standing projects. But furthermore, Micah Corps interns did research on the voting patterns of certain members of Congress, while also calling local covenant churches to discuss Bread for the World activities. The intern’s time also included discussions revolving around Bread for the World’s advocacy, including their most recent “Lobby Day” as well other work the organization is currently involved in. This topic is related to Nebraska, as almost 10.4% of Nebraska households struggle to put food on the table, while 14.3% of children in Nebraska live in families that struggle to find food. Two specific ways that ALL United Methodists can get involved is by writing our local representatives about the need to support an extension of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), as well as support the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act. The EITC helped over 112,211 Nebraska households in 2006 by providing for a certain amount of money through a tax-credit that helps impoverished families put food on the table. Nebraska has also added a state level EITC because of the success of the federal EITC. The act is extremely important as it helps working families stay afloat and stave off the difficult decisions between bills and food, especially when children are affected. Bread for the World and Micah Corps also encourages people to support the Child Tax Credit (CTC), which provides $1000 for each child under 17 on a worker’s tax return, as well as additional funding for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which helps workers file their tax returns in an effective manner. The second major piece of legislation, the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, is essential because it provides increase funding for programs that put on school breakfast and lunch programs, preschool and other summer meal programs, which help provide the food necessary for the healthy development of children. You can help close the hunger and nutritional gap by writing members of Congress and urging them to support Child Nutrition Reauthorization. Overall, the Micah Corps worked very diligently in helping promote Bread for the World’s work, but also in learning about policy issues that affect children from Nebraska to Africa. We hope to help engage churches in a renewed conversation about how we all can get involved in the fight to end hunger!

From the Nigerian Breakfast to Capitol Hill!!!!

At the Nigerian Breakfast, United Methodists were asked to write letters and sign leaflets in support of the “Feed the Future” initiative. Today, more than one billion people – nearly one-sixth of the world's population – suffer from chronic hunger. This crisis has devastating and far-reaching effects. Each year, more than 3.5 million children die from undernutrition. The “feed the future” program focuses on rapid and sustainable agriculture-led growth as well as opportunities for regional coordination through trade and other mechanisms. You can learn more at www.feedthefuture.gov. Through this act of political participation, the interns were fulfilling their goal of advocating for justice for the “least of these” in a global effort to reduce extreme hunger and poverty, as part of the UN Millennium Development Goals. You can reach write to the Senators at:
Sen. Johanns, 404 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington D.C., 20510
Sen. Nelson, 720 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington D.C., 20510

The Micha Corps goes to the Open Door Mission

The Micah Corps had the opportunity to work at the Open Door Mission, a homeless shelter in Omaha. The interns were able to talk with Scott Shreve of the Open Door Mission and learn more about the Mission, homelessness in Nebraska, and who the Mission serves. The Open Door Mission strives to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty in Omaha. Every night, approximately 3,500 men, women, and children are homeless in Nebraska, with 2,000 of them in Omaha. The Open Door Mission provides 400 safe beds to men, women, and children, and serves 1,700 hot meals a day. The average age of a homeless person is 9 years old, and families with children make up 33% of all homeless. Omaha has a shortage of 4,000 units of affordable housing, exacerbating the problem of homelessness in Omaha and Nebraska. The Mission also provides preventive measures to 250 families living in poverty. One of the services the Open Door Mission provides to help prevent homelessness is a kid’s camp during the summer that provides children with a safe place to go and three hot meals every day. The interns were able to help with the camp and spend some time with the kids, teaching them about the Bible and just having fun. The interns went with the kids to Lake Manawa for swimming, to the Durham Museum, and they did arts and crafts. The Micah Corps had a great time spending time with the kids at the Open Door Mission.

Micah Corps at the Children's Annual Conference

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At this year’s annual conference the Micah Corps had the unique opportunity to have a discussion with the United Methodist Children’s Annual Conference. The interns talked to the kids about the problem of access to water and safe drinking water throughout the globe. Furthermore, the interns had the kids play a game whereby they had to carry the water a short distance. This is because millions of people, mostly girls, must carry buckets of water for miles. In addition, the interns talked about how much water the USA uses versus Africa, as well as the fact that one billion people (or one in six) struggle to find safe water every day. The United Methodist Church is working to solve this problem through the Millennium Development Goals, which specifically aim to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015. Also, the goals focus on environmental sustainability. In the video you will notice some part time work on behalf of the Micah Corps in the form of a child videographer! Overall, the Micah Corps was extremely happy to get in touch with Nebraska kids about such a pertinent issue.

Nigeria/Nebraska Partnership Breakfast and "Feed the Future"

The Micah Corps had the awesome opportunity to eat at the Nigerian/Nebraska Partnership breakfast. This breakfast commemorates United Methodist support for 48 children at an orphanage in Nigeria. Such continued support is a great example of charity at it’s finest. However, in the midst of this charity at work, the Micah Corps took the time to ask fellow United Methodists to write Senator Johanns and Senator Nelson in support of the “Feed the Future” program. This program will follow country-led investment plans, in an effort to increase the incomes of over 40 million people in 20 countries over 10 years through agricultural development. This coordinated global effort will help reach 25 million children with nutrition interventions, while helping to end hunger and move closer to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. A program such as “Feed the Future” displays the type of advocacy for justice that coincides with the necessary work of charity. We ask all United Methodists, heck all people, to write or email their senators in support of the “Feed the Future” program. Senator Ben Nelson may be reached through an email server, at http://bennelson.senate.gov/email-issues.cfm, and Senator Johanns may be reached at mike_johanns@johanns.senate.gov. Thank you for your support on this issue!

Class Advocacy, Frisbee, God's Renewed Creation...and much more!

Today was an educating and eye-opening day for the Micah Corps! Kathy Moore and Jill Westfall, both from the child-advocacy non-profit organization Voices for Children, came and spoke about the many ways in which the children of Nebraska are harmed by poverty and neglect throughout the state. Their presentation highlighted the facts of children in poverty, as well as an educational seminar on case versus class advocacy. Furthermore, Darcy Tromanhauser, from the Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest, spoke about the facts and circumstances surrounding immigration. Specifically, the need for immigration reform that offers workable solutions that uphold our values and help us move forward together. Lastly, Zach Anderson, Assistant Peace and Justice Coordinator for the Nebraska Conference, spoke to the interns about the pastoral letter from United Methodist Bishops, “God’s Renewed Creation.” Zach discussed environmental degradation, global poverty, and weapons proliferation with the interns, while also helping to promote the document’s call for all United Methodists to get involved in eliminating many of the dire justice problems in our society. The day was filled with much work and preparation, however, the interns did take a short break to play Frisbee (which can be seen in the video!). Thank you again for all your mission share dollars that make this program possible, and we look forward to keeping everyone updated on the work and progress of the Micah Corps!

First Day of Micah Corps--Biblical Social Justice w/ Rev. Secundino Morales

On the first day of Micah Corps the Rev. Secundino Morales came and spoke about social justice from a biblical perspective. Rev. Morales serves as the District Superintendent for the Gateway District, but is also a member of the Risk Taking Mission and Justice Ministries Team. The Rev. Morales touched on his childhood in Panama, where his family emphasized personal salvation, however, Rev. Morales’ words concerning uplifting the poor and healing the oppressed in this world demonstrate an imperative for not only personal salvation, but also justice for the “least of these.” In the video Rev. Morales describes the need to create a better world, a better society, a better community, but also the need to experience new cultures, and to continually practice open hearts, open minds, and open doors in acquiring a new global perspective that welcomes all strangers in creating a world more similar to God’s vision (most notably described in Isaiah 65:17-25). Stay tuned as these interns continue to live and learn about Jesus’ message in the coming days!

Meet the Micah Corps Interns of Summer 2010

Thanks to the mission share dollars contributed by so many kind and caring United Methodists across Nebraska, five interns will once again begin a summer in the Micah Corps Young Adult Leaders internship program, sponsored by the Risk Taking Mission and Justice Ministries Team. The below video includes short introductions to the five interns who will begin a journey of prayer, study, and action. Stay tuned as these interns will continually update fellow United Methodists concerning their experiences, from enlightening prayer and study to interesting discussions and lectures about the necessity of heeding Jesus’ call to care for the “least of these.”