ADRA Appeal
Bringing some of the latest news from ADRA. The October Appeal is just around the corner. Other highlights include an ADRA supported Cocoa farmer won first place in the recent Solomon Islands Chocolate week, and locally one of the Vive Café guests recently committed to follow Christ and was baptised.
This annual October fundraising campaign supports those in need both locally and overseas.
Volunteers in all states and territories in Australia will be publically raising funds through door knocking and public place collections and this year it is hoped that $1 million will be raised to support and empower those most vulnerable to violence and abuse, in Australia and overseas, by improving their literacy, education and livelihood opportunities so they can stand against mistreatment, realise their potential and thrive.
In Australia, the funds raised will help provide support to people struggling with abuse, mental disorders, broken relationships, lack of education and other challenges by meeting their needs through ADRA-run op shops, community centres, youth resilience projects, crisis relief centres, social inclusion programs, women’s refuges, retreats and more. While overseas funds help in the South Pacific, Asia and Africa by implementing projects that improve access to food, health and education, promote small businesses and strengthen communities to help sustain themselves.
“Because of the blessings we have received, we feel compelled by love to help people flourish – both locally in our Australian neighbourhoods, and overseas in poorer countries,” ADRA Australia CEO Mark Webster said. “It is possible to make the world a brighter place.”
Want to help? Talk to your church’s ADRA representative and see how you can be involved.
International Program updates
- 5 out of the top 10 cocoa farmers at the recent Solomon Islands Chocolate Week were ADRA supported, including the first place winner. The competition provides an opportunity for participating farmers to learn from international chocolate experts about how to improve the quality of their cocoa beans so they can sell to international chocolate makers.
Caption Cocoa bean grower Elsie Vota (centre) receiving the serial No 1 chocolate bar (in the run of 600) from the ADRA Solomon Islands country director Stephen Tasker (right) and the ADRA Cocoa Livelihoods manager Patrick Mesia (left)
- A Youth Resiliency Curriculum for schools and churches, developed by ADRA Vanuatu, is being rolled out nationally by the Vanuatu government.
- 27 church mission representatives in PNG attended a recent Gender Inclusion Training workshop in Lae. Pastors in PNG have committed to gender and social inclusion in their churches.
- A group of youth involved in the Bougainville Youth Initiative received a number of awards recently for their activities including poultry farming and rice and cocoa farming. The team received a positive report from the Australian government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Local Project Updates
- A guest from Vive Café was baptised in July at the Oasis SDA Church – praise God! He will also be training in management at our new ADRA Op Shop in Boronia.
- Through our Settle Assist project in Dandenong in partnership with Afri-Aus Care, 5 African youth have joined the Healthy Cooking on a Budget program via the courts.
- The Longwarry Adventist Church has recently had a container delivered at the church to support a new op shop and food pantry for the local community.
- 3 new community volunteers have started at the ADRA op shop in Boronia. It’s great to see the impact that the new store is having. In August and September if you purchase a hot drink from Forage Café – 157 Boronia Rd, you will receive 20% off your purchase.
- Rowville – Lysterfield Church and Vive Café in the Eastern suburbs will become hubs for SecondBite deliveries. The Northpoint Centre is also another hub in the North-West of Melbourne. This means that agencies and people in need can pick up their orders from these allocated sites. This has occurred due to a recent meeting with SecondBite to help provide support for their distribution of fresh food for people in need and will also help to raise the profile of ADRA and the Seventh- day Adventist Church.
- Our Social Enterprise training will commence on September 7th for newly arrived migrants. For more information email [email protected]
