Double your ELCA Hunger Gift between now and Dec. 31

By the Rev. Daniel Rift, director, ELCA World Hunger

You can make a difference in their lives with a gift to ELCA World Hunger. And between now and Dec. 31, all gifts to ELCA World Hunger will be matched entirely -- 100 percent -- thanks to a group of generous ELCA members.

Will you join these ELCA members in making one last gift this year? When you give to ELCA World Hunger, you provide families with food, water, education and heath care to help them escape poverty for good. Your gifts are put to work in almost 60 countries around the world, including the United States. And when you give today, you help our church double its impact in this work.

The need is more urgent than ever. As you know, it’s not just millions of Americans who don’t have enough to eat. About a billion people around the world are hungry.

Share the joy you’ve felt this Christmas and give hope to your neighbors in need. There are three ways to give and double your gift today:

• Donate online by visiting www.elca.org/hungerdonate anytime before the 12:00 a.m. CST deadline on Dec. 31.
• Donate over the phone by calling 800-638-3522 now through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST.
• Donate through the mail by sending a check to ELCA World Hunger, P.O. Box 71764, Chicago, IL 60694-1764. Checks must be postmarked by Dec. 31 in order to be matched and tax deductible for 2011. Please write “Matching Challenge” in the memo line of your check.

God is calling us into the world -- together. Thank you for responding to that call with your generous gifts.

In Christ’s service,