Share Food this Christmas

Christian World Service is inviting people to remember God’s promise to people who do not have enough food in this year’s Christmas Appeal.

Central to the Christmas Appeal is the story of Somawathie, a small-scale farmer who has to contend with wild elephants. The elephants have knocked down her home and destroyed her crops many times. As temperatures warm and climate change begins to bite, she is worried about the future and how she and the elephants will survive. Support for this year’s Christmas Appeal will help families meet these challenges.

The last few years have pushed more people into poverty. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates 122 million more people experienced hunger last year than in 2019 before the pandemic. Some regions were more affected than others.

In places like Sri Lanka where Somawathie lives, CWS partners are working to improve opportunities for families and prepare for natural disasters. Many teach low cost or regenerative agricultural methods or set up local markets. Others promote education and life skills training for children and young people. What sets them apart is the way they work with communities to tackle the causes of poverty and find new pathways for the future.

Money raised in the annual Christmas Appeal will enable local partner groups to respond to often hard to reach communities in practical ways. In Haiti, rural children will be able to attend school. People who have experienced war firsthand in Gaza and Ukraine can receive psychosocial support. More Tongan families can raise their own chickens to improve their livelihoods after last year’s eruption.

Stories, videos and worship material are available. Please Share Food this Christmas by making a gift through your parish, phoning 0800 74 73 72 or at: christmasappeal.org.nz