The Church of the Brethren’s aid and relief response following Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton continues on the denominational, district, and congregational levels. Here are some updates
Church World Service (CWS) is sharing updated kit distribution numbers and information about relief efforts following on the recent hurricanes. To date, CWS has coordinated the shipment of 4,372 Clean-Up Buckets, 8,720 Hygiene Kits, 5,890 blankets, 1,205 Menstrual Hygiene Kits, 590 School Kits, and 72 Welcome Backpacks to partners in Florida and North Carolina (a
Brethren Disaster Ministries as well as local emergency authorities are strongly advising those who would like to help out NOT to travel to the areas affected by Hurricane Helene, while the roads are not safe and search and rescue is still happening.
However, here are opportunities to help from home:
In April there is a meat canning project that brings volunteers together in Pennsylvania. The Church of the Brethren receives part of the finished product. Our Material Resources staff recently shipped three pallets, or nearly 7,000 pounds of the canned meat, to California, destined for Mexico.
Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to send $100,000 to the work of Church World Service (CWS) with Ukrainian refugees, $30,000 to l’Eglise des Freres au Congo (Church of the Brethren in the Democratic Republic of Congo or DRC) to provide food aid following flooding, and $7,500 to support an epidemic relief program of ASIGLEH, the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela.
On Feb. 14, Belinda Addae, a representative from Church World Service, presented a Legacy Congregation Award to Mountville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren in recognition of years of support for their kit programs.
The $7,241 raised by Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., in last fall’s CROP Hunger Walk, warranted the congregation a Certificate of Appreciation from Church World Service.
Material Resources staff at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., have been very busy with a number of recent shipments of relief goods
Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage along Florida’s southwest coast on Sept. 28 when it made landfall near Fort Myers. More than a week later, first responders are still out searching the hardest hit neighborhoods for survivors. With the death toll over 100, this storm is one of the deadliest in the state’s history. The level of damage has impeded relief and response efforts as volunteers come to help. Shelter and rental cars are scarce in the state, with many volunteers driving over two hours to get to the damage zone each day.
During the week of July 25, a single storm system moved across multiple states causing flash flooding from Missouri to parts of Virginia and West Virginia. The flooding resulted in damaged homes and buildings, loss of life, and whole towns left underwater, especially in the greater St. Louis, Mo., area and a large area of southeastern Kentucky. Brethren Disaster Ministries and the Material Resources program have been responding as possible and requested.
