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This year we are working to support the Empowering Women Farmers program in Nepal. It has been active since 2017 and is now in its second phase. Demand for goat milk and meat is high, so learning animal management skills and gaining access to feed and other resources empowers farmers to grow their businesses and incomes. The first phase helped train 308 community health workers on things like vaccinations and deworming- which establishes local expertise and creates a source of income for other community members. In the second phase, Heifer is working with cooperatives to analyze demand and support farmers in retaining more of their profits through processing and branding. With increasing skills and profitability, the goal is to end poverty for a half a million families by 2023. Read the full story from Heifer International at https://www.heifer.org/our-work/flagship-projects/empowering-women-farmers-in-nepal.html.
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We are excited to support CWS in these efforts. If you'd like to learn more about their work with refugees and immigrants, please visit https://cwsglobal.org/learn/refugees-and-immigrants/.
It was about 0 degrees outside on the January morning I was scheduled to deliver 760 hygiene kits to the women at the correctional facility in Vandalia, MO. To enter the facility, I had to receive prior approval from the Department of Corrections and set up a time to drive through the back gate to access the dock. This type of delivery requires timeliness and preparedness. I had allowed for extra time with my travels that morning, but I had failed to account for the effects the freezing weather might produce. Bundled in my gear, I went out to unlock the trailer to load the 3 pallets of goods, when I was greeted by a very stubborn, and very cold lock. I tried and tried with all my mite. Physical force wasn’t working, so I went and found the key, also no luck. I went to a local store and purchased lock deicer, but it still wouldn’t budge. I was feeling defeated and running out of options. Finally, a last-ditch effort found me dragging the longest extension cord possible and a small space heater outside to try and warm the lock. This probably looked funny from a passerby, but within about a minute I heard the lock release, and I was back in business. I was loaded and ready to go within a few minutes and had just enough time to get to the facility at exact time I was scheduled for. The things you learn in this role are funny and never cease to surprise me.
The most important part of the story is that the rest of the delivery went very smoothly, and I was ever so thankful. Ideally, these kits would get delivered in December so they could be a Christmas gift. But with supply chain issues lately, we couldn’t make our desired deadline this year. Since we were already into a new year, I did not want the frozen lock to be what stood between these women receiving fresh bottles of shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, lotion and an emery board. We are very thankful for the few groups of volunteers- some local families and an elementary school leadership class- who helped assemble and prepare these kits. We nearly tripled the number of kits we’ve been providing the last few years and were able to share a kit for every woman in the facility. We celebrate the opportunity to share God’s love and light through these hygiene kits. Health literacy is important for everyone to be aware of because at one time or another, we all must find, understand, or use health information and services. Each day we take steps to care for our health, so health literacy can help us prevent health conditions or better manage them if they arise. It is more than just being able to read, though, it also encompasses understanding medical terms, interpreting statistics or evaluating risk, understanding complicated care regimens, and more. Organizations who provide health information play a role in health literacy as they try to enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services for health-related decisions. Limited health literacy negatively impacts the financial resources in our health systems and contributes to higher than necessary illness and death. 
We're online again this year, yay! We are so excited to share the auction site with even more friends near and far who will be able to view and bid the quilts in their own time and space. Please feel free to visit the website now to brows the pictures and quilt details at getabidauctions.com/festivalofsharing.
So how does it work? Live bidding will open at 10 AM CST on Nov. 7 and close at 10 AM CST on Nov. 13, 2021. Quilt photos, details, and bidding information can be found at https://www.getabidauctions.com/FestivalOfSharing. The proceeds of the online auction will still support the work of the Church World Service (CWS) Blanket program. As we see the ways CWS is responding during the pandemic and natural disasters of 2020, we are reminded of the impact our gifts and auction contributions can make. What will I need to participate? Access to the internet, whether that's through a phone, computer, or tablet, and an email address. When you find the quilt that's just right for you, all you have to do is click "Bid on This Item Now" and if you're new, it will take you to a registration page where you can enter your name and email or phone number. Make sure to select how you want to receive notifications so you can stay up-to-date on the items you're interested in. I submitted the winning bid. Now what? Congrats and thank you! If you have the winning bid on a quilt(s), you will be notified of the total amount due. At that time, you will enter your credit card information (or note if you're paying by check) and let us know if you want your items to be shipped, or if you will pick them up November 16th or 17th from 4-7 PM (3601 Amron Ct, Columbia, MO 65202). Local pick up will be free, while shipping and processing will be $12 for one item or $15 for multiple items. The proceeds of the online auction will still support the work of the Church World Service (CWS) Blanket program. As we see the ways CWS continues to respond during the pandemic and natural disasters of 2021, we are reminded of the impact our gifts and auction contributions can make. Festival of Sharing has been long time supporters of international and domestic agencies who are working to equip, encourage, and empower individuals and communities through sustainable tools. Sometimes that is through education like how Rainbow Network partners with communities to provide primary and secondary education. Sometimes it’s through advocacy like how Bread for the World addresses policies that impact hunger and nutrition. It’s also through actions like disaster response where Church World Service sends blankets and emergency clean-up buckets as well as training like Heifer International provides to entrepreneurs across the globe. No matter the approach, we appreciate the work these agencies engage in as they work to reduce poverty and hunger, increase access to fresh water and nutritious foods, and share the love of God through dignity and empowerment.  We greatly appreciate your support as we work to keep our events safe! Please check our website and Facebook for the most up-to-date information.
September 11th, 2021 Northeast Region- Macon UMC Donation drop-off: 9:30-11:30 AM West Region (KC Area)- St. James UMC (Paseo Campus) Donation drop-off: 9:30-11:30 AM September 18th, 2021 Southwest Region- Hood UMC Donation drop-off: 9:30-11:30 AM September 25th, 2021 Central Region- Tipton UMC Donation drop-off: 9:30-11:30 AM New date alert! October 2nd, 2021 Southeast Region- FUMC of Dexter Donation drop-off: 9:30-11 AM October 2nd, 2021 Northwest Region- Cameron UMC Donation drop-off: 9:30-11:30 AM October 9th, 2021 East Region (STL Area)- LifeWise StL Donation drop-off: 9:30-11:30 AM Asset based community development is a strategy that builds on the assets found in communities and mobilizes individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to realize and develop their strengths. The premise is that communities can drive the development process themselves and thus respond to and create local economic opportunity. The process includes identifying the assets of individuals, associations, and institutions. Those individual assets are then matched with people or groups who are interested or in need in that area. Some of the guiding principles in this practice are acknowledging everyone has gifts, relationships build a community, listening conversation, and citizens at the center. This topic closely relates to a previous term we defined, social capital. ABCD has a core focus on social relationships. The formal and informal networks and associations are a means to mobilize other assets in the community.   Dignity affirms that a person has the right to be valued and respected, and to be treated ethically. How can we uphold this in mission and service work? This takes conscious action on our part to evaluate the programs, services, and language we use. You might have heard before the difference of a “hand up” and a “hand out.” There is value in addressing the immediate needs of a human being, providing them food, water, clothing, or shelter. Jesus provided many healing ministries to people and we celebrate the opportunity to do so for our siblings in Christ. Once the immediate need is met, the next step should be working together with that person to see what their goals or desires are for the longer term. If they are unhoused, maybe they need help getting connected to an organization that has a work exchange program. Or if they are unemployed, maybe they could use support in terms of job skills training or resume writing. There are a variety of ways to show support and encouragement to someone using their own skills and abilities coupled with access to resources. Ultimately, our words and actions in mission and service work should uplift people through recognizing and building upon their gifts and talents.
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