Annual Conference Offerings
Mozambique Initiative Support Prenatal & Maternal Health
The Center of Hope is a faith-based community health promotion program located across from the Chicuque Rural Hospital and has active grants from the Imagine No Malaria, UMCOR’s Global Health arm, and the United Methodist Global Aids fund totaling more than $150,000. In an effort to allow for full implementation of these grants, the Center of Hope, the 2016 Mozambique Initiative Annual Conference Offering will go toward purchasing a vehicle for proactive health outreach in order to prevent complications, diseases, and deaths.By beginning with currently funded grant projects, this vehicle will directly benefit more than 5,900 children under the age of 5 and more than 1,300 pregnant women in their communities by having trainings and monthly visits to increase child and maternal health in their home communities.
The Center of Hope is working to decrease baby and maternal health concerns after a 2014 Mozambique Ministry of Health report showed that not seeking health services pro-actively pre-or-post birth was the leading cause of health complications of mothers and babies.
Haiti Clean Water Project
For the last five years, Missourians and Haitians have partnered to secure access to clean water for people living in Haiti. Following the devastation of the 2010 earthquake, the goal of this work has been to provide individuals with a way of eating, drinking, and cleaning without fear of becoming ill from the water they use. This work has been extremely successful!2016 will be an exciting year for the Haiti Clean Water project. As international giving decreases in Haiti, Missouri Methodists are ready to engage even more. Building on our half decade of effort on the island, we have the opportunity to build on relationships that have developed to partner in ministry with Haitians. With your support, we can not only continue to work with Haitians to secure clean water but also explore other ways in which we may partner in ministry in the years to come.
Restorative Justice
There is a rising epidemic of numbers of children of prisoners in America (2.7 million). One in every 28 children has a parent incarcerated. They are seven times more likely to be locked up one day. One in 10 will be incarcerated before adulthood and are six times more likely to be suspended or expelled from school.
What can we do to help break this cycle of social and moral decay? Research shows that earning college credit while in high school improves helps create the academic momentum necessary for students to complete college degrees.
Your support of the New Direction Scholarship Fund will provide an incentive and hope for children of incarcerated adults. We are partnering with Central Methodist University to provide access to a brighter future by helping these students earn college credit while in high school. Your generosity will give them a major step toward success and personal rest.