—Supporting “Support Groups for Those in Need”—
Every year the Kyodan Committee on Social Concerns supports social welfare organizations related to each district. COVID-19 gave us a new perspective, and we consulted about what to do in the new situation facing all the districts and churches as they tried to cope with this pandemic. As restrictions due to the pandemic greatly affected economic activity, several organizations and groups have been working to serve people in poverty as well as foreign workers whom governmental support doesn’t reach. We decided to support these groups and established “Support for Support Groups for Those in Need During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” using relief funds.
We asked all the districts to name such groups, and 28 groups applied from 10 districts. The Committee examined the applications and contributed Y100,000 to each of the groups in March 2021. The names of groups are listed below.
Hokkai District: (1) Commission for Migrants, Refugees and People on the Move, the Catholic Diocese of Sapporo, (2) Sapporo Kodomo Nihongo Club (language service for children from foreign backgrounds), (3) Free Homemade Lunch Box Service of Sapporo Toyohira Church, Japan Christian Church
Tohoku District: (4) LETS Sendai (shelter and support for women in need), (5) Sendai Children’s Cafeteria (free food and consulting support for abused children)
Tokyo District: (6) Katori Area Welfare Group (support for people in need and people with disabilities), (7) Children’s Cafeteria Sanbonmatsu
Nishi Tokyo District: (8) Ushiku Support Group (support for people in custody at Higashi Nihon Immigration Center), (9) Nan-ki-ren (Christian Coalition for Refugees and Migrant Workers), (10) Provisional Release Association in Japan (support for those who were provisionally released from immigration custody), (11) Ijuuren, Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan, (12) Tenohashi (free meal for the homeless), (13) Ashinaga Ikueikai (educational support and emotional care for orphaned students)
Kanagawa District: (14) Shin-Ai-Juku (educational and life support center for foreign residents), (15) Kotobuki Area Center (support for the homeless and people in need)
Kyoto District: (16) Kyoto Yomawari (support for the homeless and people in need), (17) Seiran Minna-no-Shokudo (children’s cafeteria and food bank)
Osaka District: (18) Yurun (children’s cafeteria and support for women), (19) Kyoto Nambu Church, the Korean Christian Church in Japan (children’s cafeteria), (20) National Church Women's Association, the Korean Christian Church in Japan (free food distribution for single-parent homes and migrants)
Hyogo District: (21) Kobe-Fuyu Organization (free meals and support for the homeless), (22) NGO Network for Foreigners’ Assistance, (23) Fureai Circle Rainbow (free meals and food distribution for the homeless)
Higashi Chugoku District: (24) Kizuna (support for the homeless), (25) Foodbank Yamaguchi
Nishi Chugoku District: (26) Free meal distribution for the homeless by Hiroshima Nagarekawa Church, Noboricho Catholic Church, and Hiroshima Gakuin High School, (27) Yomawari (support for homeless workers), (28) Children’s Cafeteria Aiko
These groups and organizations support children and homes in need of food and clothes, homeless people, migrants, refugees, those provisionally released from immigration custody, and foreign residents by distributing daily necessaries and coping with their problems together. The Kyodan Committee on Social Concerns does not avoid social issues under any circumstances and proceeds with groups and organizations that support people suffering due to various social difficulties. (Tr. SK)
—Kaneko Naoko, member
Committee on Social Concerns
コロナ禍を共に生きる ～「困窮者支援活動団体を支える支援」を通して～
日本基督教団社会委員会では、教区がさまざまな形で関わっている社会福祉施設への支援を毎年行っています。この働きに新たな視点を加えたのがCOVID-19でした。全国の教区や教会がかつてない感染症対応に追われる中、教団社会委員会として何ができるかを協議しました。その結果、緊急事態宣言下で経済活動が滞り、生活苦にある個人や家庭あるいは外国人労働者のような行政支援の行き届かない方々のために活動している団体に対しての支援を決めました。救援対策支援金を活用した「コロナ禍での困窮者支援活動団体に対する支援」です。
委員会のこの思いを各教区に伝え団体紹介を募ったところ、10教区28団体の申請書が届きました。委員会内で検討し、21年3月に、これらすべての団体に各10万円の支援金を届けることができました。以下、団体名です。
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北海教区 |
カトリック札幌司教区難民移住移動者委員会、札幌子ども日本語、日本キリスト教会札幌豊平教会「手づくり弁当」 |
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東北教区 |
LETS仙台、特定非営利活動法人せんだいこども食堂 |
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東京教区 |
NPO法人香取の地域福祉を考える会、子ども食堂・三本松 |
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西東京教区 |
牛久入管問題を考える会、難キ連（難民・移住労働者問題キリスト教連絡会）、仮放免者の会、移住連、ホームレス支援団体てのはし、あしなが育英会 |
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神奈川教区 |
NPO法人在日外国人教育生活相談センター信愛塾、寿地区センター |
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京都教区 |
きょうと夜まわりの会、青嵐学区みんなの食堂 |
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大阪教区 |
NPO法人「ゆるん」、在日大韓基督教会京都南部教会、在日大韓基督教会全国教会女性連合会 |
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兵庫教区 |
NPO法人神戸の冬を支える会、NGO神戸外国人救援ネット、ふれあいサークルレインボー |
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東中国教区 |
NPO法人岡山ホームレス支援きずな |
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西中国教区 |
NPOフードバンク山口、子ども食堂あいこう、広島流川教会・カトリック幟町教会・広島学院炊き出し、野宿労働者の人権を守る広島夜回りの会 |
これらの団体は主に、食事や衣類にも困窮する子どもや家庭、路上生活者、移民・難民、入管収容から仮放免された人、在日外国人への支援や相談活動を日常的に行っています。
教団社会委員会は、いかなる時代にあっても社会の課題から目をそらさず、さまざまな活動団体と共に支援の歩みを続けます。
日本基督教団社会委員会 金子直子
