| Most investments make money;
few make a real difference. But your Investment in Hope through
Oikocredit will make both. The financial return on your investment
may be modest, but the impact can be life-changing:
- a job upon which to build a life;
- a small business to support a family;
- enough extra income to send a child to school.
Around the world, Oikocredit,
an international Christian credit organization, turns investments
into loans that bring hope. In our global economy, credit is
often prohibitively expensive for self-help groups. And it often
comes with "strings" that can lead to outside control
of developing economies. Oikocredit offers an alternative: an
affordable loan that encourages self-control. The projects financed
are often small — a sewing machine to start a new shop,
an improved market facility, machinery for processing crops
— but they are critically important to the people who
seek the loans to support them. "Oikocredit doesn’t
change the world," says its annual report, "but we
do help change the worlds of our partners."
Investing in Hope, a part of Enough For Everyone,
encourages PC(USA) congregations to invest in Oikocredit. Investments
can be made for as little as $1,000. It is a perfect way to
put some of your investment funds to work for people who are
working hard to help themselves. Remember, we’re not talking
about gifts; we’re talking about an investment. Your money will
be available when your church needs it. The fixed interest rate
is 2% (or less if you choose). The payoff? A new relationship
with the world’s poor ... one based on trust, accountability,
and hope.
Investing in Hope links investment and mission, putting the
dollars in your Building Fund or Contingency Fund to work in
a way that witnesses to Jesus Christ, who came to bring good
news to the poor.
The information contained on this Web site is not an offer to
sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any investment product.
That offer is made only in the prospectus that will be sent
upon inquiry.
Celebrate World Fair Trade Day
World Fair Trade Day is Saturday, May 10, and congregations and communities are celebrating all month long. People in 70 countries around the world will hold events such as Fair Trade food tastings, house parties, speakers, festivals, concerts, and fashion shows to mark the day and highlight the importance and benefits of Fair Trade.
A number of organizations in the US are working together to make WFTD 2008 the largest celebration of its kind. Many communities are celebrating WFTD over a period of two weeks, May 3-18, America’s First Fair Trade Fortnight. Plan an event or participate in one of more than 100 events taking place around the nation.
World Fair Trade Day is endorsed by IFAT (the International Fair Trade Association), a global association of over 300 organizations in 70 countries.
Learn more about PC(USA) involvement in fair trade and economic and environmental justice through the Presbyterian Coffee Project, the Global Marketplace, the Campaign for Fair Food, Sweat-Free Ts and Just Trade.
'Enough for Everyone' song!
Bryan Field
McFarland's latest CD, All that Matters, includes the song "Enough
for Everyone." The song is a beautiful lyrical testament to the reality that
there is enough for everyone. The song reflects a strong sense of call to share
our resources with one another. Instead of wasting our abundance, we can share
our excess to ensure there is enough for everyone. A portion of every CD will
benefit Enough for Everyone and the Presbyterian Hunger Program. Read
the review of All that Matters by Presbyterians Today. If you
are interested in purchasing or downloading the CD, you can visit
CD Baby's online store or Apple's
iTunes store. We hope you enjoy this wonderful new resource! |
