Three organizations carrying out relief efforts in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian have received grants directed by Brethren Disaster Ministries from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund. The grants, each for $10,000, are going to the Church World Service (CWS) Development and Humanitarian Assistance Program, Feed the Children, and Mercy Chefs. The Brethren
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), a program of Brethren Disaster Ministries, stood ready to assist where needed once Hurricane Dorian made its impact on the US. The American Red Cross requested CDS deploy two teams to provide childcare in evacuation centers in North Carolina prior to the hurricane’s arrival. Two additional teams were on stand-by for
“Please keep our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico in your prayers with Hurricane Dorian heading their way,” said Brethren Disaster Ministries director Jenn Dorsch-Messler in an email. The National Hurricane Center upgraded Dorian from tropical storm to hurricane status at 2 p.m. today. A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning is in effect for
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) deployed two Critical Response Care teams at the request of Red Cross in response to two mass shootings in the past month. CDS Critical Response Care teams are specially trained CDS volunteers who work with children after an incident such as terrorism, transportation disasters, or mass casualty events.
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) has announced its fall training workshop line-up. The training workshops are for those interested in volunteering with CDS, and for returning volunteers to re-certify. Go to www.brethren.org/cds for more information and to register.
More than six months have passed since the destructive Camp Fire burned through most of the northern California town of Paradise and the surrounding area. The work in the community at recovery efforts and the making of plans for rebuilding the town continue to move forward, but the pace has been slow–in part because of a rainy winter and spring that settled over much of the area.
Members of the Church of the Brethren’s Southern Ohio and Kentucky District have begun responding to those affected by the tornadoes that hit west-central Ohio, in and around the city of Dayton, on Monday, May 27.
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) has begun a response to the tornadoes that devastated areas of Missouri and Iowa in recent days. CDS is a program of Brethren Disaster Ministries that since 1980 has been meeting the needs of children and families by setting up child care centers in shelters and disaster assistance centers. CDS volunteers are specially trained to respond to traumatized children by providing a calm, safe, and reassuring presence in the midst of the chaos created by disasters.
Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed two grants from the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to support relief efforts in southern Africa following Cyclone Idai. The two grants are given to longterm partner organizations of the Church of the Brethren. A grant of $40,000 has been given to ACT Alliance, and a grant of $30,000 has been given jointly to IMA World Health and Lutheran World Relief.
At her 72nd Annual General Church Council Conference, or Majalisa, Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) appointed three directors and an advisor and awarded six members. The conference title “Jesus the Author and Finisher of Our Faith” was taken from the book of Hebrews 12:2, and held between April 2-5 at the EYN Headquarters, Kwarhi, Hong LGA, Adamawa State. About 1,700 participants attended the highest decision-making body of the 96-year-old denomination, which has faced the terrible experience of insurgent activities.
