IRD Honors Humanitarian Work of Liberia’s Bishop Innis
International Relief & Development
ARLINGTON, VA – International Relief & Development (IRD) honored Bishop John Innis for his humanitarian work in Liberia, during a reception on October 26 at IRD Headquarters, organized by Lloyd Rollins, IRD Senior Technical Advisor for Relief & Humanitarian Aid. Bishop Innis has dedicated his life to bringing peace to the men and women of Liberia, educating the children of this worn-torn country, and transforming lives through the power of the Church. His efforts were also instrumental to IRD starting operations in Liberia.
Liberian Ambassador Nathaniel Barnes and his wife, as well as officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for International Development, attended the event to recognize Bishop Innis for his lifetime of service.
Bishop Innis is a member of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church. He serves as President of the Liberia Council of Churches and the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia. Prior to this, he also worked with the Liberia Annual Conference as a teacher, principal, pastor, and administrative assistant and with the United Methodist Committee on Relief as Executive Director of Development and a field representative for disaster assessment in West Africa.
Earlier this year, IRD began work in Liberia on a three-year food for education program, funded by USDA, which will encourage parents to send their children to school. In partnership with Shelter for Life International, World Initiative for Soy in Human Health, and Liberia Education Action for Development, the program will target children in grades 1 through 9, their teachers, their families, and communities.
IRD operates programs in twelve African countries. Together with local communities, IRD works to expand healthcare, increase economic opportunities, rebuild infrastructure damaged by conflict or neglect, and accelerate agricultural development, as well as respond to emergency needs such as floods and droughts. In addition, IRD provides food aid and operates food-for-work programs in order to improve the quality of life for vulnerable groups, including displaced persons and refugees.
For more information about IRD and its programs in Africa, visit www.ird.org.
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Melissa R. Price, Communications Officer
International Relief & Development o: 571.366.1596
mprice@ird-dc.org
