Letter to Editor: amazing efforts focused on the common good in Decorah

(The following Letter to the Editor has been submitted by Julie Fischer of Decorah):

"Representatives from six churches and Rotary Club met recently to remember and celebrate the year-round gifts our churches and nonprofits give to our community. The purpose was to highlight social actions of each membership for the common good. The resulting list amazed us.
 
Most groups were involved in some way in preparing or hosting the bi-monthly Community Meals, which bring a wide spectrum of people together to eat and get to know each other. From there we see great diversity: support for heating assistance, "Project Care", Thunder Road, River View Center, "Wings of Refuge", Kids Lunch Club, The Backpack Program, college scholarships, Mom's Day Out, a comprehensive sexual education program "Our Whole Lives", Ramadan Meals, an Emergency Fund, Free Clinic, and Food Pantries. And these efforts are just on the home front!

Each of these groups also supports work with foreign countries to build bridges of understanding and resource sharing. Good Shepherd has been working to resettle refugees from S.E. Asia for 40 years. The Friends (Quakers) in Africa do Peace Reconciliation Training. First Lutheran "Wings of Refuge" helps victims of human trafficking (often from other countries) to free themselves and start a new life. The United Methodists fund their UMCorps (world relief and recovery work similar to the Red Cross) and a Sister Parish Program with El Salvador. Rotary has worked since 1970 to eradicate polio, and the goal is in sight.They also fund "Project Wash" which provides rain water catchment and hygiene training to prevent dysentery.  The Covenant Church helps build hospitals around the developing world and does basic services ministry in conjunction with pastoral development in Haiti.

And this is not an exhaustive list of all we discovered that day! Because we mostly attend only one congregation, we often do not know about the efforts of all the others. What an antidote to despair! Those who shared that day expressed a desire to meet again in a few months and invite more into the circle. The Peace and Justice Center offered to host this. Contact 382-5337 to be included."