Eastern North Dakota Synod

The earthquake which struck Haiti Tuesday has devastated this island nation claiming thousands of lives and affecting millions of people. Help is needed immediately, especially prayers and financial gifts for the relief effort.

Visit the ELCA Disaster Response (external link) to find resources including bulletin inserts and prayer petitions for use in your congregations. There are ways you can financially help your brothers and sisters in Haiti. If gifts are given through the ELCA Disaster Response, 100% of your gift goes to relief efforts. If your congregation wishes to donate funds through the synod office, make your check payable to Eastern North Dakota Synod with “Haiti Relief” in the memo line. We encourage individuals to give directly through the ELCA.

Other links of interest:

1. Lutheran World Federation (external link)
2. Lutheran World Relief (external link)
3. Church World Service (external link)
4. Thrivent Financial: Helping Haiti (external link)

Thank you for your continued prayers and additional gifts of financial support for the relief effort. Lutheran Disaster Relief of Lutheran Social Service, ND (external link) has compiled a list of suggestions for raising funds for Haiti relief:

Suggestions from Lutheran Disaster Response for Haiti Relief

In this early stage of response it is critical to remember that money is the most needed and the versatile resource.

Ideas for Raising Funds:

• Penny challenges between Youth Groups, Sunday School Classes and other groups or individuals.
• Spare change – empty pockets of change at the end of each day for a specified period of time
• Forego the treats – coffee, candy, movie, eating out, pop, etc.
• Hold a no-bake bake sale (donate $$ = to ingredients/time to make baked goods)
• Random acts of PAID kindness – shovel neighbor’s snow, grocery shopping for elderly neighbor, babysitting, etc.
• Grandma challenge – challenge other grandmothers to have their grandchildren do chores for $
• Give up a week’s allowance
• Holding a silent auction
• Have a pancake, chili, soup & sandwich supper, spaghetti feed, etc.
• Designate offerings or special collections
• Jeans Day
• Candy Sale
• Quilt Auction
• Rummage Sale (don’t send clothes or other items but donate the proceeds)
• Hold a special event: carnival or game night

If you have questions or other great ideas, please share them with Lutheran Disaster Response of Lutheran Social Service of ND so that we can forward them to others. Contact: Sarah Willgohs at 800-950-2901 or e-mail swillgohs@lssnd.org.

In Christ,

Bill Rindy
Bishop of the Eastern North Dakota Synod, ELCA

Download:

• A Word from the Bishop: Haiti Relief (download .pdf file)
• LDR Fundraising Ideas (download .pdf file)