Brethren Disaster Ministries has received an additional grant from the Greater Dayton Disaster Relief Fund of The Dayton Foundation. This $10,000 award will cover a portion of the final expenses of the Brethren Disaster Ministries tornado rebuilding site in Dayton that will be completely closed by Thanksgiving. Supported expenses include various volunteer housing and meal support; tools, equipment, construction materials and supplies; and vehicle-related expenses and fuel.
When we at Eglise des Freres Haitiens in Miami, Fla., decided to ship a container to Haiti, we had no idea how it would play out. We didn’t know how much it would cost and whether we would have enough money to ship. We didn’t know whether we would have enough supplies to fill a 40-foot container. We didn’t know anyone in Haiti who knows the custom system, with the connections to help us. But we didn’t give in to the fear and concerns that we have felt. We stepped out in faith and God made it all possible.
After Hurricane Matthew in 2016 caused widespread destruction in the same area of Haiti affected by the recent earthquake, a joint project of Brethren Disaster Ministries and L’Eglise des Freres d’Haiti (the Haitian Church of the Brethren) brought relief and recovery to the town of Saut Mathurine.
Kim Gingerich has been hired as program assistant for the rebuilding program of Brethren Disaster Ministries, based out of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. She will begin in this position on Oct. 25.
In two new efforts related to Church World Service (CWS) work for refugees, immigrants, migrants, and most recently Afghan evacuees, the ecumenical humanitarian organization has announced “Together We Welcome: A National Faith Gathering to Strengthen Support for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants” and a new “Welcome Backpack” kit.
Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have directed a grant of $7,500 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to fund a two-week response in King’s Lake, Neb., following spring flooding in 2019.
A new joint Church of the Brethren and Church World Service (CWS) effort supporting the resettlement of Afghan evacuees in the US has received support from the Mission and Ministry Board and a grant of $52,000 from the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF).
The month of September has been a busy one for Children’s Disaster Services (CDS). With pandemic protocols in place, CDS volunteer teams have been responding to many requests to serve.
Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have directed an additional grant of $25,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to support repair or rebuilding of 54 homes damaged in the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo. The volcano erupted near the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on May 22.
Ilexene Alphonse, pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens, a Haitian Brethren congregation in Miami, Fla.; Jenn Dorsch-Messler, director of Brethren Disaster Ministries; and Eric Miller, co-executive director for Global Mission traveled to Saut Mathurine in southwest Haiti in the second week of September.
