NEW YORK – The Bowery Mission, one of New York City's largest and oldest Christian rescue organizations, is celebrating this Thanksgiving the way it does every year – by serving the hungry and homeless. But the nonprofit organization is also playing an important role in helping victims of Hurricane Sandy get back on their feet.

The charity organization has been serving the homeless and the hungry since 1879, and is celebrating its 133th Thanksgiving this year. The staff and volunteers are needed now more than ever as New York City faces a record number of homeless citizens and is recovering from Sandy, one of the most devastating storms to hit the Tri-state region in recorded history. The hurricane killed over 200 people in seven countries and destroyed thousands of homes, impacting and changing many lives.

The Bowery Mission offers a number of ways for people to give and help during this important time of the year, which includes volunteering opportunities, raising funds, donating food and clothes, and spreading the message of goodwill. James Winans, Chief Development Officer at The Bowery, says that like many organizations, theirs has faced significant challenges as a result of the storm. He thanks people for their generosity this season – but noted in a conversation with The Christian Post that help is also greatly welcomed at other times of the year. more >>

WASHINGTON – Gene Robinson, the first openly homosexual bishop in The Episcopal Church, believes that voucher programs that benefit religious schools are a "tragedy."

The controversial bishop of New Hampshire told The Christian Post on Monday his views on vouchers at an event sponsored by the Center for American Progress on the issue of poverty reduction.

"I am a believer in public education and I believe every dollar diverted from public education either by religious schools or by charter schools is a tragedy," said Robinson. more >>

More than 1,300 volunteers of a New Jersey church plan to make Thanksgiving weekend about more than sitting down with family to share a holiday meal. Their main focus is to come alongside Staten Island, N.Y., residents who are still suffering from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and help in any way they can.

Having already "mucked out" (cleaned and gutted) almost 200 homes in three tri-state area regions over the last two weeks, Liquid Church of New Jersey is now sending its army of volunteers to the hardest hit region of the Northeast. Hundreds more damaged homes will be gutted and tons of critical-need supplies, water and meals will be distributed this Thanksgiving weekend.

"When we asked who would be willing to give up their Thanksgiving and go serve we had over a thousand people volunteer to cancel their Thanksgiving plans and go out and serve in both New Jersey and Staten Island," the church's pastor, Tim Lucas, told The Christian Post Monday. more >>

A renewed effort is needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of cutting global hunger in half by 2015, a group of Christian leaders announced Monday.

In 2000, international leaders agreed to a set of MDGs, including universal primary school enrollment, reducing child and maternal mortality, reducing infectious diseases, improving gender equality and environmental sustainability, and cutting the proportion of people living in hunger and poverty by half.

Tremendous progress has already been made toward eradicating global hunger and poverty. The goal of cutting poverty in half was achieved this year and the international community is halfway to achieving the hunger goal. more >>

An interfaith group that brings Christians and Jews together for common goals, including the support of Israel, announced on Friday that it will increase its funding of emergency aid for families in southern Israel. Rocket attacks on cities in southern Israel occurred this week and are said to be continuing as the IDF launches a wide assault on what it describes as "terror activity sites" and military infrastructure in Gaza Strip.

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) said that $2.7 million in funds will go to an emergency and security aid package that includes supplies for the people in communities under fire, including Netivot, Sderot, Kiryat Malachi, Kiryat Gat, Sdot Negev, and Eshkol.

"With 20 percent of the nation's people in bomb shelters today, improving the security of the residents of the south is a vital priority for The Fellowship," said Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder and CEO of The Fellowship. "The untenable situation of more than 1 million residents living under constant threat of rocket fire must top the list of concerns of every friend of Israel. We are working hand-in-hand with the Israel Ministry for Home Front Defense and the IDF, and we will continue to cooperate to ensure the security of Israel's people." more >>

NEW YORK – President Barack Obama encouraged Staten Island, N.Y., residents yesterday when he visited the New Dorp Beach area of the borough, a place hit extremely hard by superstorm Sandy.

The president arrived in Miller Field, a former Army base located behind New Dorp High School, around noon, where he met with FEMA and American Red Cross workers assisting in the relief efforts.

After a short meet and greet inside the tents where many New Dorp residents have received aid over the past few weeks, the president then worked his way up to the nearby Cedar Grove Avenue, where he met with families whose homes were destroyed by Sandy. more >>