Hurricane Melissa was one of the strongest hurricanes to ever appear in the Caribbean Sea. It caused extensive damage in Haiti before making landfall in Jamaica on Oct. 27 as an extremely powerful and destructive Category 5 hurricane. Melissa passed over the island nation heading north to make landfall in Cuba on Oct. 29 as a weaker hurricane with sustained winds of 120 miles per hour.
Michael Scalzi will retire on Dec. 31 as program assistant for Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), a Church of the Brethren program in Brethren Disaster Ministries based at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
Brethren Disaster Ministries, including Children’s Disaster Services, the Rebuilding Program and Global Response, is undergoing a program review that includes a survey (see information below), stakeholder group meetings, interviews with program volunteers, and discussions with church leaders. Input is needed from anyone who engages with Brethren Disaster Ministries or the Church of the Brethren on any level.
Church World Service (CWS) alongside its fellow “Covenant Members”—with the full-fledged support of people of faith, refugee voices, and community leaders across the United States—condemned White House efforts to abandon the US Refugee program. The Church of the Brethren is one of the “Covenant Members” of CWS and also is a founding member.
Learn how to bring comfort and care to children following human-caused and natural disasters. Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) is preparing to hold four volunteer training events in February and March next year.
A number of grants have been made recently from Church of the Brethren denominational funds including the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) for disaster relief, the Global Food Initiative fund (GFI) for food security, and the Brethren Faith in Action fund (BFIA) to support congregational outreach projects.
The Brethren Disaster Ministries team is searching for volunteer or paid consultants to support the completion of a program evaluation of our domestic disaster ministries for future planning and grant possibilities.
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) will be serving on Sunday, Sept. 14, with a team of three volunteers providing care and a calm presence for young children at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds Local Assistance Center (LAC) in Sonoma, Calif. The LAC has been organized in response to the Lightning Fire Complex.
On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane and became one of the most deadly and destructive storms on record. Twenty years later, Brethren Disaster Ministries remembers the impact, response, collaboration, innovation, and recovery on the Gulf Coast.
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) is very excited to have new volunteer trainings scheduled for the Spring of 2026 in addition to the Fall of 2025. Join a CDS volunteer training and learn how to bring comfort and care to children following disasters.
