A group from the Cooper House Presbyterian Campus Ministry at Virginia Tech visited the offices of the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations on January 11. The visit was part of their 2011 Winter Break Alternate Mission Trip. Six students and Acting Campus Minister Jan McGilliard made up the group.
Our conversation focused on why the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a ministry at the United Nations and what that ministry does.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were also discussed. Together we explored ways that individuals and groups can help support the achievement of the MDGs.
The Virginia Tech group was the first Presbyterian group to hear about the UNICEF Tap Project that seeks to provide the world’s children access to safe, clean water.
Nearly 900 million people worldwide lack access to safe, clean water – and nearly half of those people are children. Waterborne illnesses are the second highest cause of preventable childhood deaths in the world. Millennium Development Goal 4 focuses on child health.
The group plans to learn more about the Tap Project and how they might get involved with it and with other ways to help the nations of the world meet the MDGs.
After the conversation, the group went across the street to tour the United Nations building. They then returned to the Church Center for the United Nations to visit the office of Global Action on Aging.
It was a blessing to have them include the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations as part of their New York experience.
Contact the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations to schedule a visit or a seminar on a topic of your choice.
Support the Presbyerian Ministry at the United Nations.
The photo is by Ricky Velez-Negron.