Seminar Aimed At Equipping Faith-Based Groups To Help The Needy
Posted
Tim Robertson-trobertson@timesuniononline.com
WINONA LAKE - Local church and community members will gather Thursday for a seminar focused on helping those living in poverty in Kosciusko County.
The seminar is an effort of the faith-based sub-committee of the Kosciusko Community Foundation's Helping Overcome Poverty's Effects initiative to help local faith communities find ways to fight poverty in their communities.
"We're looking at how our group can help the faith-based community where they have so many people coming into the churches who want help and who are dealing with poverty," said sub-committee member Dee Anna Muraski.
Muraski said churches and other community faith-based organizations are seeing an increase in demand for help with basic necessities.
"All of them are seeing an increase in people coming in needing aid," said Muraski. "With the current recession and unemployment rate, we're rated No. 9 in the state right now with unemployment rate. We don't want to hide the problem. We are being proactive in doing things that will help this community to address poverty and find ways to give people the resources they need in order to succeed."
Seminar facilitators will focus on helping those in attendance see the need in the community through role-playing scenarios in which attendees are given a problem associated with poverty and asked to think of a solution.
Then, Bruce Wrightsman, assistant pastor at South Whitley United Methodist Church, will talk about specific actions churches can take to help those in their communities who are facing poverty.
The seminar will close in a time of prayer and call to action to care for those in need.
"This is meant to be informational," said Muraski. "We are hoping to create a poverty volunteer network from this seminar."
The seminar will begin at 6 p.m. at McClain Hall on the Grace College Campus, Winona Lake. For more information, see www.freewebs.com/hope4kosciusko
