The Church of the Brethren disaster response program is based on the admonitions of Matthew 25 and the Annual Conference Priority for 1974-75 which reads: Disaster, relief and rehabilitation response both at home and abroad, which can respond with a flexibility that utilizes both a Brethren and interdenominational approach depending upon situational needs. Guidelines for the program include:

1. To maintain an organization capable of responding to human need which is the result of natural and/or human-caused disasters, with initiative first from local congregations and districts, and with General Board support when a specific disaster is beyond local and/or district capability.
   
   
2. To serve the needs of people regardless of race, creed or economic status, and to concentrate on assistance to the poor, elderly, handicapped, and uninsured for long-term relief and reconstruction.
   
   
3. To recruit volunteers, skilled and unskilled, from our constituency to meet the needs (physical and spiritual) of persons in disaster situations.
   
   
4. To provide trained and certified volunteers to care for children impacted by disasters.
   
   
5. To provide funds for basic support (food and lodging)of volunteers on the project, and to ask volunteers, local congregations or district offices to assume any travel expense to and from the project.
   
   
6. To continue to develop the capacity to operate our own projects in areas of Church of the Brethren population concentration, and to always be open to cooperation with other organizations engaged in disaster response, including Interfaith organizations, American Red Cross, unmet needs committees, recovery groups, etc.
   
   
7. To maintain a working relationship with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other government agencies involved in disaster operations.
   
   
8. To plan operations in reconstruction on the basis that all building materials will be supplied by the person(s) being assisted, but to consider providing grants not to exceed $1,000 in cases of special need.
   
   
9. To enable those persons who might be unfavorably affected by legislation or policy to explore sources of funds for cleanup and/or restoration of damaged or lost property.