Several Church of the Brethren districts have issued calls or started service projects in response to Hurricane Helene and now Hurricane Milton. In addition, reports Brethren Disaster Ministries, “individuals and congregations have been calling and emailing all week asking how they can help in the effort.”
Here are some of the ways districts and congregations across the Church of the Brethren are helping out, as of Oct. 10 (if your district’s or congregation’s response is not included below, please send the information to Newsline at cobnews@brethren.org):
Southeastern District executive minister Andy Hamilton and district disaster coordinator Pam Brady have been working to connect with the churches in the district to see what damage they have had, to identify needs, and to find avenues to provide assistance. Camp Carmel is being used as a staging point for donated supplies and may be providing space for other disaster organizations.
Virlina District has started a Hurricane Helene Response, announcing in an email this week: “As we witness the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on our neighbors in the Southeast, we are driven to lend our support. The Virlina District Church of the Brethren is the closest neighbor to those who were affected and will be centralizing to collect supplies to support the Southeastern District.” Virlina has identified churches that will store supplies that are identified as most needed by Southeastern District and is arranging for those supplies to be delivered by district volunteers. They have engaged a logistics coordinator to help with donations management. On Thursday, Oct. 10, the first load of supplies was delivered to Camp Carmel in Southeastern District, which is serving as a staging area. The delivery included 100 mold remediation 1-gallon jugs, some sprayers, moisture detectors, baby supplies, and a variety of paper products, period supplies, and assorted donated foods. The Virlina Disaster Response Ministries Committee is heading up the district effort with leadership from Mary S. St. John, director; Deidra (Stultz) Fassett, donations coordinator; and district executive minister Daniel L. Rudy.
Brethren Disaster Ministries shared gratitude for the Virlina District leaders and volunteers who “have shown remarkable organization and compassion for those affected by Hurricane Helene in its neighboring Southeastern District. Immediately after the storm they began to organize a collection of supplies and funds to share with Southeastern District,” said a note from Brethren Disaster Ministries staff. Brethren Disaster Ministries is supporting the Virlina efforts by purchasing and sending mold remediation supplies and by coordinating with Shenandoah District and others to deliver additional supplies and CWS kits.
West Marva District, at the initiative of district disaster coordinator Denny Skewaris, has collected pet food to be delivered to an animal shelter in the area struck by Hurricane Helene, and has sent relief supplies, non-perishable food, blankets, sleeping bags, and winter coats to a food bank in North Carolina. The connection to the food bank came through contacts at the Topeco Church in Floyd, Va. West Marva also is exploring options to donate hay through North Carolina VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) contacts and through Southeastern District disaster coordinator Pam Brady.
Southern Ohio and Kentucky District has held a gathering to assemble Clean-Up Buckets for distribution by Church World Service (CWS). The district disaster coordinator is Helen Wolf. Workers have met to assemble more than 500 Clean-Up Buckets. These, along with 500 Hygiene Kits, will soon be shipped to the Material Resources warehouse at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. “Together we can respond and help our neighbors in need. Thank you!” said a district email. The district also shared the need for more volunteers to receive calls from disaster survivors through a Call Center of the Brethren Disaster Ministries’ partners Week of Compassion and Crisis Clean-up. Get more information at www.weekofcompassion.org/virtual-volunteers.html.
Shenandoah District executive minister John Jantzi shared in an email this week that the district has been receiving “many phone calls and requests for information on how best to respond to the tragedy of Hurricane Helene.” The email shared information about collecting and donating Clean-Up Buckets and other CWS kits for hurricane survivors as well as an option to send monetary donations specifically for relief in southwest Virginia and North Carolina. Through district disaster coordinator Jerry Ruff, the district put together Clean-Up Buckets this past weekend to add to the buckets they already had (a total of about 200). These buckets will have CWS stickers added to them and, along with some Hygiene Kits and Period Packs, will be an official CWS distribution. (The Shenandoah District warehouse is a CWS Depot.) “We invite continued concerted prayers and generous responses to these tragedies,” Jantzi wrote.
Mid-Atlantic District disaster coordinator Jeff McKee traveled to the Shenandoah District warehouse carrying mold remediation items (Concrobium, masks, gloves, some Tyvek, and hazmat suits) and boxes for CWS kits that he picked up from Brethren Disaster Ministries in New Windsor, Md. The Clean-Up Buckets and other items will be delivered to Virlina District early next week and will be available for distribution to areas identified by Southeastern District.
In Missouri and Arkansas District, leadership at the Cabool Church has developed a unique way of both getting the word out about the hurricane response through Brethren Disaster Ministries and raising funds. They challenged the congregation to match their $5,000 fundraising goal. A member of the team is involved in the local radio station and has offered some free one-minute time slots to share information about the response in the hope of raising more money.
The Brethren Disaster Relief Auction held annually in Lebanon, Pa., one of the three large auctions supporting Brethren Disaster Ministries, has allocated $50,000 from its auction proceeds for immediate use for the hurricane response.
Atlantic Northeast District has announced a “Disaster Service Project: Hurricane Relief.” Said the announcement in the district’s e-newsletter this week: “Help us fill and deliver Clean Up Buckets to BDM warehouse to replenish supplies–by November 15; other information on monetary donations to COB and Southeastern District.” Ephrata (Pa.) Church of the Brethren is one of the congregations that will be taking part. The church has announced plans to put together 200 Clean-Up Buckets and 300 Hygiene Kits in the coming weeks, coordinating with the district collection for a combined delivery to the Brethren Service Center warehouses in New Windsor, Md., when it is all assembled. The flier below offers more detailed information about the district’s service project.
— Sharon Franzén from the Brethren Disaster Ministries staff contributed to this report.
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