The Lincoln times., 1955-01-31
Protestants Seek
N,500,000 For
Overseas Relief

Setting their sights at a rec
ord-high target. major Protestant
and Eastern Orthodox churches of
America are asking S9.500,000 in
cash for 1866 programs of relief
and reconstruction in overseas
areas of need.
This was announced today in
New York by Harper Sibley. chair
man of Church World Service. CO.
incident with the launching of the
1855 United Appeal of the chur-
ches for relief and reconstruction
funds with which to meet the con-
tinuing urgency Of relief needs and
the vital necessity for economic
and spiritual rehabilitation
throughout the world.
This years S9.500,000 goal of the
denominations represents an in
crease Of approximately $780,
900 over that of 1854.
Highlight Of the 1855 United
Appeal vii be the One Great
Hour of Sharing" observances
on Sunday, March 20, with spe-
cial services in thousands of
American churches, at which
special relief offerings will be
made. 4 major portion of the
funds necessary for this years
overseas program will be raised
at these observanceS. This will
be the seventh annual coopera-
tive effort of the churches work
ing together in ministry to hu-
NAV rr,is~rv and despair in areas
of need abroad.
MILLIONS TAKING PART
Literally millions of church.
goers will join in this simultane-
Gus outpouring Of Christian Amer
lean friendship and compassion for
their hungry. homeless and desti-
tute brethren Of other lands. vic
tins Of the ravages Of war. floods,
famines or other national disas-
ters, and for other emergency SER
vices Of similar nature.
Major overseas areas to be aid
ed include Germany, Greece, Aus
tria. Yugoslavia, Korea. India,
Pakistan, Indonesia. Okinawa, ia
pan, Hong Kong, Wet Nam. Lii
IBERIA, Haiti and the Near East.
Appeals from Kenya, French West
Africa, Nigeria. Sierra Leone and
Cuba are also under consideration.
Emergency relief - food, shelter,
clothing and medicine - is des-
perately needed in these parts of
the world to relieve suffering and
want.
THE 1855 program" Mr.. Sib-
ley said in announcing the 1855
appeal, will make it possible
for our churches to meet more
of the overseas needs than ever
before, both through additional
funds anticipated and through
the use of surplus farm COM
modities.
"The funds being asked will suS-
tain s5.5G0,O00 in individual de-
nominational projects in addition
20 joint programs through Church
World Service, in which the chur-
ches cooperate in their ministry
to the stricken.
SHARE-SURPLUS PROGRAM
Included in the S9500 900 total
is the 1855 portion of the three
year Share-Our-Surplus program
under which surplus U, S. govern
ment foods are being distributed
free to the hungry abroad. this
accounting for a major part of the
increase in askings.
"A portion of these funds will
finance processing, shipping and
distributing of contributed cloth
ing and food. including the sos
foreign commodities. Resettlement
of refugees in the United States
under the Refugee Relief Act of
1853 also is aided through the
United Appeal"
Administration of the CWS re-
lief program overseas, Mr.. Sibley
said. is either in the hands of spe-
cial CWS staff there or is carried
on by committees or agencies rep
resentative of the indigenous
Christian communities. which pro-
vide the staffs for handling in
vestigation and distribution.