Brethren Give Grants for Tornado Outbreak, Syria; CDS Begins Care for Affected Children

The tornado outbreak that began on Feb. 28-29 and continued March 2-3 was one of the largest ever recorded in March, according to Brethren Disaster Ministries. The program has requested a preliminary grant from the denomination’s Emergency Disaster Fund in response to a plea from Church World Service (CWS) for funds for affected communities. Another EDF grant has been given to aid those affected by violence in Syria. Also, Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) is sending volunteers to Multi Agency Resource Centers in Moscow, Ohio, and Crittenden, Ken., and waiting for confirmation of another location in Missouri.

Children’s Disaster Services Schedules Spring Training Workshops

Several volunteer workshops are sponsored this March and April by Children’s Disaster Service (CDS), a ministry of the Church of the Brethren that cares for children and families following disasters through the work of trained and certified volunteers.

Children’s Disaster Services: Helping Turn Helplessness into Hope

June 2. 9 a.m. Lisa, five years old, walked through the maze of cots in the Joplin Red Cross Shelter with her mother to the Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) child care center. Lisa’s family lost everything in the Joplin tornado, and had been living in the shelter more than a week.

Children’s Disaster Services Announces Upcoming Workshops

Children’s Disaster Services ( www.brethren.org/cds ), a Church of the Brethren program serving children and families affected by disasters, has announced three workshops this fall. Each offers basic training for volunteers who are interested in working with the program.

Brethren Affected by Flooding in Pennsylvania

Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have been in communication with Brethren districts and churches in Pennsylvania, following the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Lee. The BDM office is urging individuals who are affected to apply for FEMA assistance in the Pennsylvania counties where they are eligible.

Newsline for August 11, 2011

Newsline for August 11, 2011: Stories include 1. Capitol Building Prayer vigil participants arrested. 2. Training schedule announced by Children’s Disaster Services. 3. McPherson College recognized for community service. 4. Brethren Benefit Trust hosts Church Benefits Association. 5. New Windsor Conference Center Director resigns. 6. Ronald E. Wyrick to serve as Interim District Executive.

CDS Volunteers Go to Springfield, Complete Joplin Response

A new response site for Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) is Springfield, Mass., which was hit by a tornado on June 2. A team of five CDS volunteers began work there late last week in response to a call from the American Red Cross. Meanwhile, CDS volunteers are completing a project to care for children of families living in shelters in Joplin, Mo.

Emergency Disaster Fund Makes Grants for Tornado Response

Two grants have been given from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) for disaster response work following recent tornadoes in the United States. A grant of $15,000 responds to an expanded appeal from Church World Service (CWS) following a weekend of tornadoes that affected seven states from Oklahoma to Minnesota, and $5,000 is supporting the work of Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) volunteers in Joplin, Mo.