October 2, 2009 – Miami, Florida, United States…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
For the second year in a row, Seventh-day Adventists throughout Inter-America will join in a division-wide initiative to provide meals to the neediest people in their surrounding communities. This one-day event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009.
Called Inter-America's Day of Kindness and Compassion, the initiative was designed to promote awareness for the less fortunate and also to highlight World Hunger Day, celebrated every year on Oct. 16.
Led by Inter-America's youth ministries department and Inter-America's Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), the Day of Kindness and Compassion project has already mobilized thousands of church member volunteers to donate at least one meal worth about $2.00. Members are also preparing for the massive distribution of the boxed dinners.
During last year's Day of Kindness and Compassion, more than 800,000 meals were distributed. Organizers are hoping to provide more than one million dinners this year.
A special live program will be transmitted via satellite from Plaza Santo Domingo in Mexico City, the hub of the event. Esperanza TV and 3ABN Latino will broadcast the program. Over 5,000 of the city's homeless, orphans, and needy will gather at the Plaza to receive medical attention, receive a meal, and enjoy a musical presentation.
“It is very important for us to participate in the Day of Kindness and Compassion as we show that the Adventist Church not only concerns itself with the spiritual needs of people, but to their physical needs as well,” said Pastor Bernardo Rodriguez, youth ministries director for the church in Inter-America. “This event is going to mark a very important milestone toward the missionary project that the Central Mexican church region and the Division has planned to fulfill.”
Wally Amundson, ADRA director for Inter-America, estimates that more than half a million church leaders and member volunteers will participate during the initiative. Amundson, who has coordinated the event since the first one in Colombia three years ago, looks forward to seeing the committed efforts of the membership again.
“It will be exciting to see the enthusiasm of our members as they reach out to the needy,” he said. “I believe our members have found a true expression of their faith with this initiative.”
Church leaders throughout Inter-America's 17 church regions have been working with local government officials to coordinate efforts in the distribution of meals in community centers, parks, prisons, and more.
Tune in to Esperanza TV, 3ABN Latino and at https://recursing-golick.147-182-135-0.plesk.page/ to watch the live program from Mexico City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, starting at 3:00 p.m. Mexico City Time or Central Daylight's Time.
Sources
Esperanza TV
3ABN Latina
