Across the United States, immigrant and refugee families are living in fear while facing increasing violence, detention, deportation, and dehumanizing rhetoric. These actions are impacting not only undocumented immigrants, but also legally present refugees, asylum seekers, green card holders, and naturalized citizens.
Church World Service (CWS) has announced changes related to its kit program and collections, as the Material Resources program at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor closes by year’s end. Material Resources, the longterm Church of the Brethren program to collect, warehouse, and ship disaster relief and other material goods for CWS and other
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.
Friday, June 20, is World Refugee Day. Please consider taking some time in your worship spaces this month to talk about refugees, to pray for their situations, and to honor their stories.
By Marcia Sowles On May 8, Church World Service (CWS) held a webinar titled “Beyond the Signature” to highlight the steps that congregations that signed the Ash Wednesday Declaration can take to advocate for and support refugees and immigrants. The webinar reviewed the actions taken by the US administration against immigrant and refugees and offered
The Church of the Brethren has signed the “Ash Wednesday Ecumenical Declaration: Defending Refuge” as one of the Covenant Members of Church World Service (CWS).
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.