BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)–The WMU Foundation, in conjunction with national Woman’s Missionary Union, has established the HEART Fund to help WMU leaders with emergency ministry needs.
The impetus for beginning the fund was the Sept. 11 events in New York City and Washington, D.C., and the many needs that have been identified since then. The fund will allow WMU and the WMU Foundation to respond to requests from WMU leaders in humanitarian emergencies.
The WMU HEART Fund, which stands for Humanitarian Emergency Aid (for) Rebuilding Tomorrow, will be managed by the WMU Foundation. Contributions to the fund will be used to make grants, except for a $250 corpus, which will always remain in the account.
Grants from the fund will be awarded by a joint decision of the WMU executive director and WMU national president in consultation with the WMU Foundation president and the foundation’s executive committee.
“WMU leaders in New York City and Washington D.C., have talked with me about the many needs created by the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks,” said Wanda S. Lee, WMU executive director. “In each case, I wanted national WMU to help, but I quickly realized that we had no established way of helping meet these needs,” she said, noting that monies held by the WMU Foundation are designated and cannot be used for other purposes.
Mary Helen Dixon, interim president of the WMU Foundation, had approached Lee earlier this fall with the idea of the HEART Fund to help WMU leaders in emergency situations.
“Over the years, we have been approached by WMU leaders across the country about helping meet humanitarian needs generated by various disasters,” said Dixon, who has worked for national WMU as a development officer for 10 years. “This ongoing fund will allow us to have funds on hand that will enable us to help meet needs as WMU leaders across the nation identify them.”
Gifts are tax-deductible and may be made online by visiting www.wmufoundation.com, click on Making Gifts and select HEART fund. Otherwise, gifts may be sent to WMU Foundation, PO Box 11346, Birmingham, AL 35282 or made by calling 1-877-482-4483.
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