Your love reaches one million people
LCA overseas aid and resettlement agency Australian Lutheran World Service helped one million people in 2016 through its international partnerships and thanks to your support.
- Read this week’s story
- Download a printable colour or black – ideal for inserting in your congregation’s pew bulletin
- View all the stories from 2017 in our online book
- View all the Stories of the Week on your LCA YouTube channel
One million people.
Stand them shoulder to shoulder, and you have a line of people stretching from Adelaide to Melbourne.
That’s how many people our Lutheran family helped through Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) – in 2016 alone.
Working through ALWS partner Lutheran World Federation, you go to people living in or fleeing some of the most troubled places on earth – including South Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
You welcome refugees with food, water and the loving care which shows people they are not a number, or a case, but a person. Each one is important.
At times of crisis, conflict and disaster, your help targets those most at risk – the elderly, the sick, children, pregnant women, and those who have suffered abuse or trauma. Just as Jesus sought out those who were forgotten or rejected, so do you.
Meanwhile, for people living in poverty and facing injustice in countries like Cambodia and Nepal, you back long-term rights-based development that supports people to become self-sufficient and independent.
Countries like Papua New Guinea and Indonesia see your ALWS support delivered through local Lutheran churches and service groups, reaching out to their communities with practical action.
In every action we take, the special needs of children are held precious and protected.
ALWS is fully accredited by the Australian Government. This enables the generosity of the Lutheran family to be matched with government grants (more than $2 million in 2016), thus helping our impact to grow and increasing our efficiency.
In fact, the five-year average for ALWS ‘overheads’ is just 11.3 per cent (fundraising and administration costs according to the ACFID Code of Conduct).
One million people. Each one precious. All blessed because humble members of the Lutheran family in Australia and New Zealand stand shoulder to shoulder, and turn words into action, kindness into care, and good intentions into good development through ALWS.
This is what love looks like when it comes to life!
News flash: You may have seen recent news reports of severe flooding in Nepal. Almost 50,000 homes have been submerged, 115 people reported killed, and a total of six million people affected. On your behalf, ALWS has committed $100,000 to support emergency action for Nepal.
To find out more about how you can bring love to life through ALWS:
p: 1300 763 407
alws.org.au
PO Box 488 Albury NSW 2640
Read the full Story of the Week in The Lutheran. Full colour, 32 pages. 11 editions/year. Only $44 (Aust), $46 (NZ). Gift subscriptions available. To subscribe: online www.thelutheran.com.au email lutheran.subs@lca.org.au phone 08 8360 7270