Download the PDF label at www.jamaaletu.org.
By Barbara Dadd Shaffer
Like all families, it costs money to raise children in the Congo, too. The annual “Jars” campaign is a great way to raise funds for the support of the two Jamaa Letu Orphanages (JLO) in the Congo. The 60 children and teens (as of the last quarterly report) benefit directly.
“Jars” is typically collected during Eastertide until Annual Conference. The most common way is to print jar labels for people to take home. Coins and even folding money are dropped in the jar until early June when the contents are brought to their local church. Sometimes churches set up large jars in the entry way or near the coffee hour tables to collect the money from the jars and additional donations. The funds are brought to Annual Conference (converted to a check) or sent to the conference treasurer with other remittances.
The orphanages are a ministry of both the South Congo Conference and The Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church, each with different and important roles. The Congolese provide direct care and cultivate relationships with churches and agencies in the Congo. Within the PNW Conference, there is the opportunity for prayers for children and staff as well as financial donations.
Visit our website and Facebook pages for the printable label, ideas for the “Jars” campaign and information about the ministry of the two orphanages.
Barbara Dadd Shaffer serves as the chair for the Bishop’s Task Force, Hope for the Children of Africa.
