In 1945, our Lutheran forebearers joined together to be the Body of Christ in the world, responding boldly to the needs of our neighbors in Europe after World War II.
For 80 years, you have served our neighbors in their greatest hour of need. Because of the generosity of donors like you who have pledged gifts in their wills, your love goes where no one else goes, and it stays as long as needed to minister to neighbors affected by poverty, hunger, sickness, violence and more.
"NO MATTER HOW FAR..."
Floods, earthquakes, war and other emergencies affect everyone, but it’s the world’s poorest who suffer most. Estate gifts enable us to be there to offer help and hope, wherever and whenever disaster strikes. Clean water. Nourishing food. Safe shelter. Emergency supplies. Time and again, you act quickly to rush aid where it’s needed most.
Did you know gifts in wills fund nearly a quarter of our emergency response efforts?
Here's why that matters:
- It helps us "hit the ground running" after an emergency — before we have received a single cash gift.
- It helps us respond to emergencies around the world while continuing our ongoing poverty-fighting work.
- It's a powerful way that our friends who have gone on before us continue to share their love with neighbors in need for a long time to come.
Here are some of the ways the love of Lutherans has served our neighbors in need over the past 80 years:
YESTERDAY
Following World War II, Lutheran World Relief distributed hot meals to displaced children. For more than 80 years, your compassion has been there, reaching the most vulnerable in their darkest moments.
TODAY
For more than 80 years, your compassion has been there, reaching the most vulnerable in their darkest moments.
In Indonesia, you empower farmers with training that results in more abundant crops, with less overhead.
Through a waste management program, farmer Rehmuli br Sembiring and her husband Adit Sinulingga learned to produce organic fertilizers. Besides being better for their lands, it’s also less expensive, meaning the savings can go towards the children’s education.
TOMORROW
Education is the best path out of poverty, but in Sierra Leone, 70% of women have received no education at all.
You’re changing that for girls like Salamatu Conteh, who at only 13, is at risk of dropping out of school. Your compassion is providing opportunities with cash grants and innovative technology to keep girls in school. By addressing both financial and non-financial barriers, you are helping our neighbors beat the odds to stay on a path to a brighter future.
IN THE LONG TERM
Emergency relief is essential in a crisis, but you don’t stop there.
The world’s poorest families need lasting solutions, not just relief. Generous donors like you make this type of transformation change possible. By supporting farmers, creating job opportunities for youth and improving health and education, we can help break the cycle of poverty together.
Sustainable development takes time, but love is patient. And although this work rarely makes the news, your faithful stewardship truly transforms lives for generations.
YESTERDAY
In 1962, displaced children in Jordan received School Kits.
School kits, educational resources and training, made possible through your love, have empowered both teachers and students for decades and helped pave the way to brighter futures.
TODAY
Mary and her children live in a displacement camp in South Sudan.
Thanks to your support, they received emergency care plus the tools to stay healthy for the long term. Mary now grows a variety of nutritious foods for her family in her own garden.
TOMORROW
Diseases like cholera claim millions of lives each year, particularly in areas without access to clean water.
In Guatemala, health promoters transform communities by teaching safe hygiene practices and improving access to clean water.
Thank you for the kind of intense compassion that reaches through the decades to neighbors in the farthest, most remote corners of our world. Your love today creates brighter futures tomorrow.
See more of the 80 years of your impact at lwr.org/80. ;