{"id":24493,"date":"2024-10-11T05:18:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T05:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=24493"},"modified":"2024-10-11T17:23:32","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T17:23:32","slug":"cws-distributes-thousands-of-kits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2024\/cws-distributes-thousands-of-kits\/","title":{"rendered":"Church World Service distributes thousands of disaster kits, offers support to survivors in wake of hurricanes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Church World Service (CWS) is sharing updated kit distribution numbers and information about relief efforts following on the recent hurricanes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 value of more than $561,000) while working with various groups that are assembling kits and establishing temporary depots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One family has been placed in temporary housing with several other possible placements in the pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to Milton\u2019s landfall in Florida, CWS local offices were preparing by contacting all clients to inform them of evacuation notices, providing cash assistance and certain emergency supplies. Offices were closed and staff personally prepared to work from home. Post storm, CWS\u2019s Tampa office remains closed today but operations for Jacksonville, Miami, Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Orlando are expected to resume today. Yesterday staff began the process of reaching out to clients and no major needs have been reported. However, this process could take several days as cell service and power are not consistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Church World Service is collecting donations for distribution of Clean-Up Buckets following the recent hurricanes. Photo courtesy of the Church of the Brethren Material Resources <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (EPRR) team of CWS is standing by to support the CWS Southeast team as needed in upcoming days and weeks. Two shipments of kits are already enroute to CWS offices in Tampa and Orlando.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important ways the EPRR team is supporting early responders, and the broader disaster response community is by being a connector and a trusted source of information. EPRR has already made several important introductions between grassroots groups and established response organizations, especially those that work with undocumented individuals and migrant farmworkers. Additionally, the team has been synthesizing and curating valuable information for survivors that will aid them on their road to recovery. This information is being sent through CWS regional and local networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zach Wolgemuth, EPRR director for CWS, as he shared the above updates from CWS wrote: \u201cAlso, I want to give a shout out to the Church of the Brethren and Disciples of Christ for the coordinated kit building projects that I\u2019m aware of,\u201d wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI suspect others are engaged in kit building projects as well, please let me know if that\u2019s the case so we can recognize their efforts as well and please share our deepest appreciation and thanks with your congregants!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out how to contribute to the kit collection at www.brethren.org\/bdm\/kits<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Find more Church of the Brethren news:<\/p>\n\n\n