HELPING HANDS NEWSLETTER
Leave a Legacy With BGR
Please consider designating BGR as a beneficiary for a portion of a fund, trust, or life insurance policy. Legacies through future gifts will benefit the needy long into the future. We expect BGR to continue to thrive, and the gift you give by naming us as a beneficiary will directly benefit hungry people, give poor girls the chance to attend school, and enable women to start right livelihood projects to support their families.
Burmese Buddhism Under Siege
On February 1, 2021, Myanmar’s forward momentum towards becoming an open and free democracy was brought to a crashing halt. Under the false pretext of fraudulent elections, the military arrested political leaders such as Aung San Suu Kyi, and took over the government. In a flash, the country was returned to the dark and repressive days of military juntas past.
Why Is There Hunger in the Midst of Plenty?
In an interview on Democracy Now!, Ricardo Salvador, director of the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, raises the question: Why, when the planet is producing more than enough food to feed everyone, do millions still face chronic hunger and starvation?
Urgent Aid to Women and Children in Cambodian Prisons
A BGR project with LICADHO (the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights) provides critical aid to incarcerated pregnant women and new mothers and their children.
BGR Provides $5,000 Emergency Grant to Relieve Hunger in Texas
In response to the ongoing crisis in Texas, this past week BGR made an emergency grant of $5,000 to Feeding Texas, the largest hunger relief organization in the state.
Two New Additions to BGR Board of Management
Buddhist Global Relief is happy to inform the readers of our newsletter that we have recently added two new members to our Board of Management. One is Bhikkhuni Dhammadīpā, a nun at Aloka Vihara, in Placerville, California. The other is Bhikshu Jin Chuan, a monk at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery. Here are brief bio-notes on these two additions to our Board.
Statement from Buddhist Global Relief in Regard to the Shootings in Georgia
We lament the premature and senseless loss of eight precious lives that took place in Georgia. The rise in anti-Asian bigotry and violence cannot be viewed in isolation but must be seen as connected with bigotry, misogyny, and culture of white supremacy.
A Partnership to Promote a Better World
On December 6, BGR’s new European partner, Mitgefühl in Aktion, held its first online international gathering. Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi was invited to be the keynote speaker. What follows is an edited version of his presentation.
Empowering Widows and Single Mothers in Cameroon
A BGR project with the Centre for Community Regeneration and Development (CCREAD-Cameroon) provides vocational training for marginalized women.
COVID-19 and Hunger: A Double Crisis of Inequality
Before the pandemic began, there were about 135 million people in the world who faced crisis levels of hunger. According to a report by the UN World Food Programme’s executive director, David Beasley, that number will double over the next year, to some 270 million who will be “marching towards the brink of starvation.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP
During the coronavirus crisis, Buddhist Global Relief is continuing to fund projects providing food, education, and other necessary support to the world’s most vulnerable people. Many of the communities we serve worldwide are experiencing immense need as this epidemic spreads among vulnerable and medically underserved populations. If you have the ability to help, please consider donating to BGR. You can contribute by PayPal or credit card here or by check mailed to: Buddhist Global Relief, 2020 Route 301, Carmel, NY 10512, USA.
