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For the first time in history the human race has the technical knowledge and the financial resources to eradicate the most extreme poverty in the world.  The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) are designed to make extreme poverty history.  The eight MDG's are:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental stability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

The Episcopal Church has adopted the Millennium Development Goals as the focus of our mission, and we at the Chapel are making small strides towards doing our part.  Approximately 45% of our pledging members have committed to giving at least 0.7% of their income towards the MDG's (in addition to their pledges to support the Chapel).  Furthermore, the first Sunday of every month we take up a special collection for Food for the Poor's feeding programs in Haiti.  The coffee that we purchase and drink at our coffee hours and other social functions is all fair trade certified coffee.  (Paying a fair price for the goods and labor of Third World workers is an important component of achieving the MDG's.)  Every Sunday we pray for two of the Millennium Development.  As a part of our college ministry, we sponsor a pre-Christmas sale of fair trade gift items on campus in the fall.