The winner of the Self-Development of People T-shirt design contest is Mark Wong, a senior at Hastings College, a Presbyterian affiliated college in Hastings, Neb.
The announcement was made during SDOP's 40th anniversary celebration in Philadelphia last month.
Wong, who has also been awarded a $2,000 scholarship for his Hastings tuition, is a member of First Presbyterian Church of Yuma, Ariz.
"Thank you very much for awarding me with this scholarship," he writes. "I am truly honored!"
Presbyterian youth and young adults in ninth grade through their fourth year of college were invited to enter the contest, which asked contestants to submit designs depicting the mission and work of SDOP.
SDOP is a ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that works to demonstrate God's justice and wholeness, especially among the economically poor and oppressed by partnering with them for projects that seek to improve their lives and communities.
Wong's design will be used on T-shirts promoting SDOP visibility among young adults — including at events such as Presbyterian Youth Triennium, as discussion starters among college students and the broader community, at community presentations and to increase visibility and awareness of SDOP within PC(USA) communities.
In the past 40 years, SDOP has awarded more than $95 million to communities of economically poor, oppressed and disadvantaged people in 68 countries — affirming God's concern for people. SDOP’s primary funding source is the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, which is collected by the PC(USA) during the Lenten and Easter seasons.
SDOP projects funded through the years have ranged from assisting a group of women who formed a cooperative that produces and markets mango-derived products to a capacity-building project in which immigrant workers learn leadership and job-procurement skills.