World AIDS Day - Christian Groups Continue Ongoing Efforts

Janet Chismar, Crosswalk.com Faith Editor

Each December 1, members of the global community come together to demonstrate a shared commitment to turning the tide against the spread of HIV/AIDS. And while a number of Christian organizations mark World AIDS Day with special events or campaigns, most continue the fight year round. Food for the Hungry President Ben Homan was among leaders from across the United States called by The White House on Nov. 30 to honor and bring attention to World AIDS Day. "This is a prime opportunity for Food for the Hungry to walk with leaders in expressing our care and concern as Christians for those suffering from the HIV/AIDS crisis," said Homan. "Each day requires a pledge to end this deadly disease, and World AIDS Day is a time to strengthen our commitment." Globally, there are nearly 40 million people living with HIV virus or who have AIDS. Deaths have left more than 14 million orphans and if left unchecked, will leave 40 million more. In Africa alone, more than 8,000 people die from AIDS every day. With a recent federal grant of more than $8 million to Food for the Hungry, which stemmed from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the relief organization is leading a coalition of eight additional faith-based organizations in fighting HIV/AIDS through education and abstinence-based programs in three African countries and Haiti. Each of the partner agencies is a member of AERDO. "With 15,000 new infections every day, the HIV/AIDS war is far from over," Holman said. "It has left countless orphans and widows. The statistics tallying millions upon millions of infections numb the mind. But we are determined to reach more people with Christ-centered, compassionate action that saves lives." Shine Your Light One area of progress in the fight against AIDS is the success of Mobilizing for Life, World Relief's global HIV/AIDS prevention and care program. World Relief works through indigenous churches and community organizations to build sustainable, locally initiated AIDS projects. From the beginning of its involvement in the AIDS crisis in Malawi and Swaziland in 1992, World Relief has worked to raise awareness and increase its corporate commitment to AIDS. World Relief now fields AIDS programs in nine countries worldwide, and AIDS is integrated into all of World Relief's core programs. Building on that success, World Relief is launching a new initiative called Shine Your Light - a way for youth groups to raise awareness and money for AIDS prevention and care in developing countries, while learning about the benefits of practicing abstinence in their own lives. While funds are being raised for AIDS education, youth will have the opportunity to discuss issues relating to peer pressure and understanding their sexuality. Participants will have access to accurate facts and statistics about AIDS. The money that is raised from Shine Your Light will go to support World Relief's AIDS work in Rwanda, Mozambique, Malawi, Haiti, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cambodia and China. Mobilizing For Life helps the Church respond to the AIDS crisis with care and compassion using three major strategies: 1) prevent the spread of AIDS by promoting healthy patterns of family life and sexual practice; 2), mobilize and equip churches to bring care and hope to persons and families affected by HIV/AIDS; and 3) enable individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS to live with dignity by effectively addressing the economic burden of this disease. Precious In His Sight On Dec. 2, World Vision will premiere their TV program, Precious In His Sight, a special on the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa and throughout the world. Precious In His Sight features author and professor Dr. Tony Campolo and internationally acclaimed actress Jennifer O'Neil, along with World Vision U.S. President Rich Stearns. Nationally, it will air on ABC Family on Dec. 3. Check your local listings for other cities and dates. "Precious in His Sight is a way for people to see some of America's media icons walking amongst communities that have been heavily impacted by AIDS and HIV infection," said Steve Haas, the vice president of World Vision. "It will show this disease up close and personal. We hope with Precious In His Sight people will realize, 'this is a mom, this is a dad, this is a little kid. This is what they look like. This is where they live.' Then they can begin to understand that this disease is not simply huge numbers, it's individual faces and names that are precious to God." Precious in His Sight is just one of many World Vision initiatives. The Christian humanitarian organization has made AIDS prevention, care and advocacy a top priority. In 1990, World Vision began helping orphans in Rakai, Uganda - the epidemic's ground zero. Other early programs included serving Romanian children infected with the AIDS virus and providing support for Thai women and girls trying to escape prostitution. By the mid-1990s, World Vision started to incorporate HIV/AIDS-related training into all of its health programs. Today, World Vision has AIDS programs in several nations, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where nearly 30 million people carry the virus. For More Information: Food for the Hungry: Food for the Hungry was founded in 1971 and provides emergency relief to countries all over the world. The organization helps some of the world's most disadvantaged people in more than 35 countries through child-development programs, agriculture and clean-water projects, health and nutrition programs, education and micro-enterprise loans. For more information, visit www.fh.org www.fh.org World Relief: World Relief is the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, representing 45,000 churches, 51 denominations and a constituency of 30 million Americans; its mission is to alleviate human suffering and poverty worldwide. World Relief programs serve everyone in need, regardless of religious affiliation. Shine Your Light incorporates Bible studies, testimonies and a comedic short film, as well as leader and participant guides to help facilitate honest discussion. Anyone interested in learning more should visit World Relief's website, http://www.worldrelief.org. World Vision: World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. World Vision serves the world's poor - regardless of a person's religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, visit www.worldvision.org. ---------------- * Copyright 2004 Salem Web Network and its Content Providers. All rights reserved.