Traveling overseas? Looking for medical supplies? Visit our Suitcase Ministry and learn more about what's available through GHM.
Helping the Hands that Heal!
Where do you want to make a difference in the world?
There are many ways to get involved in the mission of Global Health Ministries.
We invite you now to explore the possibilities through the options presented below.
Global Health Ministries continues the healing ministry of Jesus Christ through support of the health care programs of Lutheran Churches in 30 countries of the developing world. Requests for project funding are regularly by these Churches and approved for solicitation and funding by the GHM board of Directors. Click here to download Projects for Funding brochure (PDF). They represent the priority needs of our partners to maintain and strengthen their capacity to provide hope and healing to the poor. We are pleased to present them to you as opportunities to be instruments of God's grace and engage in global health mission with general or specific project gifts.
Dental clinics overseas often receive old, inappropriate, or incomplete equipmet from donors with good intentions. Instead of sending more of the same, GHM is committed to sending reliable and effective dental equipment and supplies to our partners overseas.
GHM is excited to annouce a challenge match grant totaling $96,415. The grant will match one dollar for every two dollars contributed to the GHM shipping program (#99-S0001) or shipping to any particular country of the donor’s choice. Consider a generous donation today in support of GHM shipping!
In 2011, GHM will be making 22 shipments of medical supplies and equipment to Lutheran hospitals in nine countries. These donated articles are of immeasurable assistance to Lutheran health care programs overseas, often making the difference between continuing or closing. GHM's goal for 2011 is to raise $180,000 for the shipping program. Project 99-S0000 Shipping.
Volunteer locally at Global Health Ministries to support the shipping program. We are growing in mission and we are searching for MORE volunteers!
In 2011, GHM will be making 22 shipments of medical supplies and equipment to Lutheran hospitals in nine countries. You can make a great contribution to this effort by joining other GHM volunteers who gather, sort, repair, catalog, pack and ship items ranging from needles, syringes and bandages to incubators, computers, ultra sound and operating tables as donations to 24 hospitals. Read more: Volunteer Locally
The cost of sending one 8 by 8 by 20 foot container is approximately $12,000. Over 100 suitcases filled with medical supplies for mission teams will be packed as well! These shipments and supplies are of immeasurable assistance to Lutheran health care programs overseas, often making the difference between continuing or closing. GHM's goal for 2011 is to raise $540,000 for the shipping program. You can help us reach that goal with a contribution to Project 99-S0000 Shipping, or for shipping to a country or hospital of your choice. ELCA synods are encouraged to adopt a shipment to your companion church as part of your global mission commitment. Read more: Shipping Campaign
Many volunteers assist the shipping program by gathering and delivering donated medical supplies to GHM from local hospitals, clinics, dentists and health care programs such as hospice. Read more: Supplies Needed
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America established years ago the Companion Synod Program that pairs synods of the ELCA with Church bodies in other countries. There is tremendous potential for enhancing hope and healing for the people of your companion synod overseas when medical mission becomes a component of these church-to-church relationships. Read on if you would like to learn how Global Health Ministries can collaborate with you in developing this emphasis in global health mission.
Read more: GHM/ELCA Synod Collaboration in Global Health Mission
Volunteer locally at Global Health Ministries. We are growing in mission and we are searching for MORE volunteers!
NOTICE: GHM at MOA! Global Health Ministries is going to be involved in a unique volunteer/service project. Hands on Volunteers, an organization that provides volunteer opportunities to people across the Twin Cities is sponsoring a Volunteer Expo at the Mall of America on February 18th. We have been selected as one of their “speed volunteer activities” for the day. The idea is to involve people walking by to participate in producing hospice kits for us to send to the palliative care program in Tanzania.
Our goal is to produce 300 hospice kits. We are in need of donated supplies to fill those kits. Obviously, the people walking by will not have the supplies and so we want to have them on hand. We will need those supplies by February 11th, so that we can make sure of our supply level. If you would like to assist in assembling the kits we will be at the Mall of America in West Market from 9am to 3pm. We are looking forward to this event as a way to promote Global Health Ministries as a great place to volunteer.
In the past few years, we have doubled the number of sea containers that we have shipped to our overseas partners, and more requests are coming in all the time! In order to keep up with growing opportunities to serve, we need more volunteers to:
So what does it mean to volunteer at Global Health Ministries?
Let's ask some current volunteers:
Doug Tasa, Faith Lutheran Church, Coon Rapids, MN:
"I have had a good life and want to give something back."
Ruth Meier, St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Bloomington, MN:
"I always wanted to be a missionary but wasn't able to, so volunteering at GHM is a way for me to contribute."
Pat Krengel, St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN:
"I enjoy the people and I am excited about the ministry of GHM."
Myrtle Noss, Christ Lutheran Church o Capital Hill, St. Paul, MN:
"I was a missionary in Cameroon. Now I am continuning the mission work through GHM."
How can YOU become a part of this wonderful ministry?
Call GHM at 763-586-9590 or stop in for a visit, take a tour and get excited about our mission. Come and work with the current volunteers Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday any time between 9:00am and 4:00pm, or Tuesday evening 6-8:30pm. You're not trained in a medical field? No problem - our staff and volunteers will show you what to do.
Feel free to contact the GHM office if you have any specific questions or concerns.
Our partners often identify practices in health care administration and governance that they would like to learn more about or strengthen. One way in which GHM responds to requests for such assistance is to send qualified teams of volunteers to provide training and consultation services. We regularly assess the need for and then recruit and send people with expertise in every facet of health care services and hospital management for training and consultation missions when asked by partner churches overseas.
The GHM program that manages this service is called Global Health Administration Partners (GHAP). Often, a companion church will benefit less from money than from the knowledge and encouragement imparted by a professional who can assist them to grow in capacity to serve their people and manage their health ministry. In fact, if you work just about anywhere in a hospital or health care program, chances are there is an overseas Lutheran hospital or health care program that could benefit from your training, gifts and experience. For more information, visit the GHAP website at www.ghapartners.org or call us at 763-586-9590.
The purpose of the Community Based Primary Health Care (CBPHC) Interest Group is to gather and share information, experiences and resources on CBPHC, and to learn from mutual consultation and analysis, regarding implementation/application of CBPHC in and with GHM’s various partnerships and projects.
The CBPHC Interest Group is open to any interested persons. We’re interested in adding to the membership of this Interest Group (names on list serve for email, and invitation to join teleconference calls). Please forward this to others that you think may be interested. To join the list serve, just go to:http://server.ghm.org/mailman/listinfo/cbphc , pick a password and complete the form. Then you’ll receive news of future calls.
The CBPHC Interest Group also has a facebook group page to reach out to a broader audience and to facilitate communication between teleconference calls. Put “Community Based Primary Health Care – GHM” in the search line of your facebook page and you should see a “request to join” option. Click on it and the request will get accepted.
The CBPHC Interest Group is guided by GHM’s CBPHC Advisory Group, which also makes recommendations to the board and staff of GHM regarding CBPHC matters. The membership of the Advisory Group is listed under the “People” section below, along with the small steering group which plans and schedules teleconference calls.
Read more: Join the Community-Based Primary Health Care Interest Group