Lutheran World Relief

Lutheran World Relief envisions a future where all people, in every corner of the world, can live full, dignified lives. Founded by Lutherans in the United States at the end of World War II, grounded in Lutheran theology and building on decades of experience, Lutheran World Relief tackles global poverty by helping people adapt to the challenges that threaten their livelihoods and well-being.

They work with people based on need, regardless of race, religion, or nationality, and do not evangelize. We provide aid in emergencies and help families restore their lives. We partner with communities to build and grow rural economies. We break the cycle of poverty, so families and communities can thrive. Our goal is to help people build self‐sufficiency and create new community‐owned approaches to problem‐solving that will last long after our projects end.

In 1945, World War II left an estimated one-fifth of the world’s Lutherans homeless. Here in the United States, Lutheran churches in at least 20 states mobilized to help in Europe through a new agency called Lutheran World Relief. Lutheran World Relief was there in the late 1940s when 800,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes by the creation of the state of Israel, in the early 1950s when Hong Kong, Korea, and Bangladesh and much of Asia was mired in strife, and during the 1970s and ’80s when civil wars and drought plagued Africa.

Much has changed in nearly 75 years. But in thousands of congregations, in millions of offerings, and in uncounted prayers, U.S. Lutherans continue to support Lutheran World Relief’s work. Today, Lutheran World Relief operates in East and West Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East, helping some of the world’s poorest communities build the resilience they need to thrive.