Posts Tagged: presbyterian committee on the self-development of people

OGHS – Fideicomiso, Puerto Rico

  ‘We saw you’ In all her 66 years, Magda Cruz had never witnessed anything like Hurricane María’s power to destroy. The Category 4 hurricane ravaged the island of Puerto Rico. Many residents lost large parts of their roofs, so they had to either abandon their homes or sleep in unsafe conditions. Thankfully, Fideicomiso [fee-day-cō-mē-sō],… Read more »

OGHS – Self-Development of People

Embodying Kindness   For Shawn Duncan, it’s the little things — like getting a birthday card — that mean a lot. Perhaps it’s because Shawn, a military veteran living in Las Vegas, hadn’t had a mailbox in years. Or a home. A native of Michigan with no strong family ties, Shawn had been struggling for… Read more »

OGHS – Presbyterian Hunger Program

  Leading With a Purpose   Although the women of Malawi are accustomed to doing anything and everything to support their families — from farming to running small-scale businesses — Tropical Cyclone Freddy sorely tested Tinenenji [tee-nan-an-gee] Kalamba’s resilience. Tinenenji was already proving to be an exemplary leader in the Kasupe [kuh-soo-pay] Women’s Bakery and… Read more »

One Great Hour of Sharing

    Repairers of the Breach – Fixing What’s Broken “In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with… Read more »

OGHS – Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

    Living on the Brink of Disaster   Bernadette thought that she had seen the worst of it. For well over a decade, she and her family withstood Syria’s ever-worsening humanitarian and economic crisis, the country’s ongoing localized hostilities and its collapsing infrastructure. But following the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey… Read more »

OGHS: Building Connections to Last… Advocating for Environmental Justice

What does July 16 mean to you? If you are part of the Navajo nation, or have connections near Church Rock, New Mexico, that date might stir a heartbreaking memory of a preventable disaster that continues to have disastrous impacts. Over 40 years ago, the earthen dam of a nuclear waste disposal pond broke near… Read more »

Pentecost: Living the “DREAAM”

Tracy Dace, a passionate advocate for at-risk youth had just relocated to Champaign, Illinois, to start a doctoral program in special education at the University of Illinois when he found his heart calling him back into the community and, eventually, through the doors of a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) congregation. As Tracy was working in schools,… Read more »

OGHS: Because We are the Church, Together

Life during COVID has been challenging. That feels like an understatement, right? At times, we have all felt disconnected, confined. Missing family, missing friends. Lonely. Worried about the groceries holding out. Unsure of what the future may hold. Imagine feeling all of those things but living in a place or in a situation that was… Read more »

OGHS: Because Healing Empowers

“Mama O” is a survivor, a healer. Her moment of greatest need led her to Black Women’s Blueprint, a civil and human rights organization headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. Since 2008, Black Women’s Blueprint is specifically focused on the needs of Black women and girls. At 65 years of age, Mama O is among the… Read more »

OGHS: Building a Household with the Suffering and Vulnerable

What is a household? Close your eyes and consider the word “household.” What comes to mind? Caring people? A table with food, shared with family and friends? Shelter? Warmth? Friendly voices? Love? I imagine we all think of many of these same things when we think about a household. Yet there are many in this… Read more »