Church of the Brethren aid and relief response continues following Hurricanes Helene and Milton

The Church of the Brethren’s aid and relief response following Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton continues on the denominational, district, and congregational levels. Here are some updates:

Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) has sent new volunteers to serve affected children and families, as the first two CDS teams to work in North Carolina following Hurricane Helen have completed their service in shelters there, serving with the Red Cross, and have returned home. At least 162 “child contacts” have been made so far by the CDS teams, which now includes a team on the ground at a Family Assistance Center. CDS also is preparing to send another team as well. “Please pray for all those affected by disasters: victims, survivors, and responders. CDS is grateful for our volunteers who show compassion to young children in this difficult time,” said Carolyn Neher, associate director of Children’s Disaster Services.

Districts working with Brethren Disaster Ministries in collaborative efforts have included volunteers with Shenandoah District who have been filling Clean-up Buckets and going through Hygiene Kits to prepare supplies for distribution to flooded areas in southwestern Virginia. The Shenandoah District newsletter reported that 28 volunteers helped out on a recent day at the Kit Depot behind the district office to load 192 Clean-up Buckets, 405 personal kits, and 345 Hygiene Kits. “These desperately-needed supplies were transported to the Summerdean Church of the Brethren in the Virlina District to aid disaster response to Hurricane Helene in that region,” the district reported. “While unloading the truck at Summerdean…volunteers learned that the personal kits were going to Damascus, Virginia, immediately.”

Brethren Disaster Ministries staff added the information that the supplies delivered to Summerdean Church of the Brethren on Oct. 15 were immediately loaded onto a rental truck, along with supplies staged at the church, and delivered to Walnut Grove Church of the Brethren for distribution in the Taylors Valley area of southwest Virginia. The additional items included Clean-up Buckets; feminine, baby, and personal hygiene/sanitary items; and assorted baby foods.

Virlina District also delivered donated items to Camp Carmel, a camp of Southeastern District located in Avery County, N.C., on Oct. 10. These items included mold remediation supplies purchased by Brethren Disaster Ministries and sent directly to the Virlina District office; paper products; Clean-up Buckets; garbage bags; non-perishable food, including for babies and children, and #10 cans; feminine, baby, and personal hygiene items; cleaning supplies; water; extension cords; tarps; and sleeping bags. The camp held a community dinner on Sunday, Oct. 13, using some of donated #10 cans of food, and invited those who came to take some donated items that they needed. Some items will be delivered to Asheville. N.C., by Southeastern District executive minister Andy Hamilton. “Virlina volunteers have so far donated over 100 volunteer hours with these activities,” said the Brethren Disaster Ministries report.

Also in Virlina District, the congregations of Topeco, Red Oak Grove, and Spruce Run donated, collected (from local churches and individuals), and delivered money and supplies to three locations in or near Asheville, N.C., on Oct. 15. The congregations first connected with a local personal contact to find out where to donate and what the needed items were, said the report from Brethren Disaster Ministries. Locations included Manna Food Bank and BeLoved Asheville in Asheville; and a Red Cross Shelter located in the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher (the same location where CDS volunteers have served). Over $10,000 in money and donated items were delivered. The three congregations donated an estimated 135 volunteer hours. This included four men spending two hours helping out at BeLoved Asheville after unloading their delivery (while facing a four-hour return trip home).

In Middle Pennsylvania District, the District Disaster Team is inviting help to replenish the supply of Clean-up Buckets and relief kits for Brethren Disaster Ministries and Church World Service. “We will collect kits and buckets until November 30 and our disaster team will see that they are delivered to New Windsor,” said a district announcement. New Windsor, Md., is the location of the Brethren Service Center and the Material Resources warehouse where donations are being received for processing and shipping.

An update on the activities of West Marva District also was received through the Brethren Disaster Ministries staff. At the initiative of district disaster coordinator Denny Skewaris, the district collected relief items for use in North Carolina. Pastor Carl Fike of Oak Park Church of the Brethren contacted ABCCM, the Asheville (N.C.) Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, and arranged for the donations to be sent there. The donations, collected by Oak Park as well as two other local churches and the community, consisted of general supplies (hygiene items, baby items, cleaning items, water, and non-perishable food) as well as four tons of livestock and pet food.