The staff of Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) have been working on a shift to new ways of serving children who are affected by disasters this year. The pandemic is affecting how volunteer organizations respond to disasters as they operate with caution and adapt to restrictions on face-to-face contact. During a time when CDS volunteers may
Church of the Brethren congregations and districts may now apply for grants from the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) in a new program responding to the humanitarian needs caused by the COVID-19 crisis. “Working together and supporting each other we can share God’s light and love even in the hardest of times,” said an announcement. The
Etienne Nsanzimana, a leader of the Rwanda Church of the Brethren, reported the church’s gratitude for an $8,000 grant from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund, (reported on March 28, see www.brethren.org/news/2020/edf-grants-respond-to-pandemic-in-africa ). “We have been distributing one month of food to 250 families composing over 1,500 people in four local churches of the Church
Ron Lubungo, a leader in the Church of the Brethren in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), reported on the use of an Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) grant from the Church of the Brethren for COVID-19 relief. A grant of $12,000 to the Brethren in the DRC was given to provide emergency food to 550
In recent weeks the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) has disbursed several grants, directed by the Brethren Disaster Ministries staff. The largest are helping to continue hurricane recovery work in Puerto Rico ($150,000), the Carolinas ($40,500), and the Bahamas ($25,000). Grants for COVID-19 response are going to Honduras (two grants for $20,000
The staff at Brethren Disaster Ministries have requested an additional allocation of $300,000 from the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to cover remaining program expenses for the Nigeria Crisis Response program for 2020 and to carry the response through March 2021. Since 2014, the Nigeria Crisis Response has provided more than $5 million in ministry resources
The staff at Brethren Disaster Ministries have directed grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in two countries in central Africa: Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In response to the pandemic, governments all over the world are closing borders, restricting travel, and
Brethren Disaster Ministries temporarily suspends volunteer travel to rebuilding sites, Children’s Disaster Services postpones spring training workshops today. “After considerable discussion and prayer, BDM has made the decision to temporarily suspend all volunteer travel to rebuilding sites.” Two upcoming Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) trainings are being postponed and rescheduled to minimize non-essential travel for trainers and
The town of Garkida in northeast Nigeria was attacked by Boko Haram the night of Feb. 21-22. Garkida is considered the birthplace of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN–the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) as the place where the Church of the Brethren was started in Nigeria in 1923. Many buildings were burned in the
The town of Garkida in northeastern Nigeria was attacked by Boko Haram the night of Feb. 21-22. A number of buildings were burned, including the church building for Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN—the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). The EYN women’s fellowship of Garkida district was having its annual conference at the church that
