Bishop Hee-Soo Jung and District Superintendent Forrest Wells have gathered clergy and laity from the Kenosha area churches to offer support and care and to work together to collaborate in writing a grant to help fund justice and peace ministries as well as hope and recovery ministries. The churches are already offering tangible help and presence in Kenosha through daily prayer services, pastoral care, witness for justice and ongoing outreach with food and other resources. Here are stories from three churches as they envision ways a grant might help further their outreach.
Rev. Marino Chacon, Iglesia Metodista Principe de Paz
In the wake of the incident that occurred on Sunday of confrontation between the authority and Jacob Blake, there have been many protests in support of the person who was injured, but this degenerated into violence in the city, burning buildings, destroying businesses and even a church, affecting trade and endangering the community. Our community has felt the psychological, emotional and economic impact. There have been many restrictions from the authorities to bring order. We have lived through times of despair, worry because there have been threats of even burning houses in the city. Our Latino community has felt the impact because there have been limitations in jobs and this affects church and community families financially. That's why we need to create a program that can somehow help our community heal. We hope you can understand our concern.
Español
A raíz del incidente que ocurrió el Domingo de confrontación entre la autoridad y Jacob Blake se han dado muchas protestas en apoyo a la persona que fue herida pero esto se degeneró en violencia en la ciudad, quemando edificios, destruyendo negocios y hasta una iglesia afectando el comercio y poniendo en peligro a la comunidad. Nuestra comunidad ha sentido el impacto psicológico, emocional y económico. Han habido muchas restricciones de las autoridades para poner orden. Hemos vivido tiempos de desesperación, preocupación porque han habido amenazas de hasta quemar casas en la ciudad. Nuestra comunidad latina ha sentido el impacto porque han habido limitaciones en los trabajos y esto afecta económicamente a las familias de la iglesia y comunidad. Por eso necesitamos crear un programa que pueda ayudar de alguna manera a nuestra comunidad para sanar. Esperamos puedan entender nuestra preocupación.
Rev. Peter Lee, Immanuel UMC and Kenosha Korean UMC
Immanuel has served with the Shalom Center as a homeless shelter from about 1995 through 2018 and is currently a soup kitchen site on Monday nights. We have hosted concerts to raise money for homeless services. We have a local missions fund to purchase gas cards, bus tokens, clothing and groceries for people in need. If we can have a support fund, we can expand our soup kitchen ministry by inviting more people or preparing nice meals and deliver to seniors who live alone and families who have been impacted by demonstrators.
Kenosha Korean UMC is planning to visit around 50 families in the Korean community in Kenosha who have been impacted directly or indirectly. And the church will prepare a gift bag with necessities and a comfort letter for them. There are three families whose business building were burned. If we have enough funds, it will be great if we can support them to recover.
케노샤 한인연합감리교회는 이번 케노샤에 일어난 사태로 인해 직접 또는 간접적으로 피해를 입은 한인 50 가정을 직접 방문하고 위로하려고 합니다. 특히 생필품 선물들을 준비하여 위로의 편지와 함께 각 가정마다 전달하려고 합니다. 그리고 이번에 화재와 약탈 피해를 입은 3가정에는 후원금이 지원된다면 큰 위로와 힘이 되리라 생각합니다.