In Troubled Economy, People Learn How to Respond to Poverty and Homelessness

Some 37.3 million Americans live in poverty. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2007

NEW YORK, June 1, 2009—The homeless man sitting on the sidewalk notices that people often avert their eyes, pretending he's not there.  But Compassion by Command is teaching Christians nationwide to stop looking the other way-and mobilizing them to help people struggling with poverty.

Since 2001, hundreds of U.S churches have used the award-winning curriculum, Compassion by Command, to learn how to effectively reach out to the poor.  The faith-based educational program explores the issues of poverty and teaches biblical directives related to helping the poor.

Compassion by Command, a product of national inner-city ministry Here's Life Inner City, is a Silver Award winner for Best Curriculum from International Christian Visual Media. 

Incorporating real-life video case studies and the film God Bless the Child-starring Academy Award nominee Mare Winningham (Saint Elmo's Fire, Turner & Hooch)-Compassion by Command offers an interactive Bible study appropriate for any small group. 

"Our hope is that people will gain a broader understanding of Scripture and what God says about His heart for the poor," said Ted Gandy, national director of Here's Life Inner City.  "The true stories about poor families provide gripping case studies about how people can impact the lives of the poor beyond just giving financially."

For more information about Compassion by Command, visit www.CompassionbyCommand.com. 

About Here's Life Inner City (Click here for press kit)

Since 1983, Here's Life Inner City and more than 1,300 partner churches and organizations have responded to the growing epidemic of poverty and despair in America's inner cities. Their wide-ranging efforts have provided the poor with food and other basic necessities, life skills, career development and youth development programs.

Here's Life Inner City, the urban ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ International, is dedicated to equipping churches to provide help and hope to the poverty-stricken in their communities. For more information about Here's Life Inner City, visit www.HLIC.org.  

Click here for a Here's Life Inner City interactive map of ministry locations.

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