• The World Bank defines extreme poverty as living on less than US$ 1 per day, and moderate poverty as less than $2 a day, estimating that 1.1 billion people had consumption levels below $1 a day and 2.7 billion lived on less than $2 a day. That equates to 40% of the population of the world lives on less than $2 a day!
• All over the world -men, women, and children live and work in massive garbage dumps scavenging every day just to stay alive. They sustain themselves by selling the things that others throw away and eating the food that they can find. The children who work along side their parents have no access to education, medical treatment, and nutritious food.

Every day, trash is being generated and disposed of in massive garbage dumps all around the world. In many third world countries people live and work in these dumps and when the garbage trucks arrive to dump waste, the children and adults rush to the new heaps of trash to pick out what can be used, sold or eaten. To these people, this is the only way to survive.

In 2003, when Mustard Seed Communities first became aware of this and saw firsthand the destitution and devastation in the dumps, they developed a program to feed, empower and pray with the people living in these deplorable situations. MSC began distributing food packages to people in a dump in the Dominican Republic and followed in 2004 with feeding people in a dump in Nicaragua. The program is called Christ in the Garbage Ministries (CIGM). For many years MSC missionaries have been assisting CIGM, but in June, 2008, CIGM - USA was formally started. Fr. Gregory Ramkissoon plans to identify 33 garbage dump communities around the world and assist the residents of these communities with the creation of a center near the dump to serve some of their basic spiritual, physical and educational needs.

Dear Jesus, Thank you for opening my eyes to the plight of my poorest neighbors who live and work in the garbage dump communities around the world. Burn in me a desire to change this unthinkable situation by prompting me to pray, tell others and take action. Take care of them today & always with nourishment for their body and soul. Protect them from harm's way. I give you my life as well - & ask you to teach me what it means to adopt them as my own extended family. Show me how to love them more deeply through caring, sharing and training; thereby giving them dignity and hope. Use me Lord! I am yours.

Christ in the Garbage Ministries (CIGM) is committed to the call by Jesus Christ to provide spiritual direction, caring, sharing and training for the most vulnerable members of society-specifically people that are living and working in city garbage dumps in third world countries.