Happy 75^th Anniversary, Heifer International!

First known  as  “Heifers For Relief”,  the organization was founded in 1944 by Dan West, a Midwest farmer, and a Church of The Brethren Relief Worker.  He directed a program where hungry children were given rations of milk during the Spanish Civil War in 1938.

West was ladling out milk to these refugee children when he thought, “these children don’t need a cup, they need a cow.”  Dan took his thoughts back home to his neighbors and church.  The project was approved by the USDA and the charity was incorporated in 1944.  The first shipment of 17 heifers was shipped to Puerto Rico.  Local farmers donated the animals.  The first three loaded on the ship were named “Faith”, “Hope”, and “Charity”.  The recipient families had to promise to donate the first female calf to another poor family.

A year ago on March 3, 2018, the Mission and Outreach Committee donated a heifer thru the Lakeview United Methodist Men’s project.  She was given in “Love”, and so was named “Love”.  By now her first offspring should have been passed on and most likely she is pregnant with her second.  Just like the “Love” we receive from God, it never stops, it grows and goes on and on.

At our men’s breakfast meeting on April 7, 2018 the LUMM voted to donate $1,000 for 2 heifers to be named “Hope” and “Joy”.  See what “Love” started and will never stop.