By Carolyn Neher and Michael Scalzi
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) deployed a local team of volunteers to Ventura County, Calif., providing a calm presence to children affected by the recent Mountain Fire. Volunteers living within a two-hour drive served at a Local Assistance Center (LAC) in Camarillo, Calif., by setting up a care center and utilizing a Kit of Comfort containing play materials and activities specifically chosen to help children begin the healing process.
By creating a safe and nurturing environment, volunteers helped children process their experiences related to the wildfire. Strong Santa Ana winds had quickly spread the fire, which began on Nov. 6, causing significant damage to homes and property. By Nov. 16, the fire had burned almost 20,000 acres.
CDS has trained and certified volunteers living in different regions of the US. This year, CDS has increasingly responded to children’s needs with volunteers living local to the disaster areas. This has decreased the amount of travel time experienced by volunteers.
We are grateful to our volunteers who often respond promptly when receiving the call. Please join us in praying for those affected by the wildfire including firefighters, first responders, and all who have lost homes or loved ones.
To learn more about CDS and how to support this work, visit www.brethren.org/cds
— Carolyn Neher is associate director of Children’s Disaster Services. Michael Scalzi is program assistant for CDS.
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