{"id":27554,"date":"2026-08-14T19:26:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T19:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=27554"},"modified":"2026-08-14T19:26:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T19:26:17","slug":"edf-grants-support-rebuilding-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/edf-grants-support-rebuilding-2\/","title":{"rendered":"EDF grants support rebuilding in North Carolina and Western Maryland, aid Ukraine, Gaza and the West Bank, the DRC, Nigeria, Venezuela, Cuba"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Brethren Disaster Ministries volunteers at work on the rebuilding project site in Yancey County, N.C. Photo courtesy of BDM<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Brethren Disaster Ministries<\/a> has directed the latest round of grants, made this spring through early summer, from the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Emergency Disaster Fund<\/a> (EDF). The grants support disaster relief efforts and aid in North Carolina, Western Maryland, Ukraine, Gaza and the West Bank, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, and Cuba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out more about Brethren Disaster Ministries<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support this work by giving financially to the Emergency Disaster Fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North Carolina<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An additional allocation of $132,000 supports the Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM) response to the deadly and devastating Sept. 2024 Hurricane Helene.<\/strong> BDM plans to continue the Hurricane Helene recovery program in North Carolina through 2026 and likely for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BDM opened a rebuilding project site in Yancey County, N.C.<\/a>, on June 7, after volunteers served earlier this year in Ashe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties. Yancey County was among the communities hardest hit by the storm. The Yancey County site will remain open through Aug. 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new BDM rebuilding site is scheduled to open Aug. 30 in Buncombe County, and remain in operation through May 15, 2027, in partnership with Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders<\/a>. It will serve qualified families in the ROOTS Community Land Trust, a 50-home affordable housing initiative in Black Mountain, N.C., for families displaced by Hurricane Helene. Many lost not only their homes but also the land beneath them or rental housing to which they can no longer return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BDM will return to Ashe County for a short-term rebuilding project from Sept. 6 through Oct. 31 in partnership with the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church<\/a>. BDM previously served at this location during a two-week project in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Western Maryland<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An allocation of $20,000 supports the Western Maryland Long-Term Recovery Committee<\/a>\u2019s flood response programing<\/strong>. Half of these funds were provided by the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Mid-Atlantic District<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On May 13-14, 2025, a catastrophic flash flood struck the Georges Creek watershed in Western Maryland, affecting Allegany and Garrett Counties. The mountainous terrain funneled that water rapidly into destructive flash floods in Georges Creek, a Potomac River tributary, Wills Creek in Cumberland, and the North Branch of the Potomac. Seven communities bore the brunt of the flooding: Midland, Lonaconing, Nikep, Moscow, Barton, Franklin, and Westernport. This area includes parts of the denomination\u2019s West Marva and Mid-Atlantic Districts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FEMA denied assistance when requested and on appeal. The State of Maryland has provided $12 million in assistance. The Western Maryland Long-Term Recovery Committee was organized to respond to the unmet needs as a nonprofit coalition of faith-based, government, and community organizations operating under the County United Way. The Church of the Brethren is represented on the committee by Denny Skeweris, the West Marva District<\/a> disaster coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This grant supports the goal of repairing 70 to 80 damaged homes and building 2 to 4 new homes for families whose houses were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. During the last week of April, a team of BDM volunteers helped with home repairs as part of a short-term response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BDM also applied for a Verizon Community Resilience Grant, managed by the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster<\/a>, and was awarded $100,000 to support the recovery work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukraine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An allocation of $75,000 supports the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC)<\/a> response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. <\/strong>The ongoing focus of the BDM response is to identify and support those who remain underserved. By focusing on vulnerable populations and countries getting less news and attention, grant funds will have a larger impact and be more effective. With about 67 percent of Ukrainians identifying as Christian Orthodox, IOCC has been effective at reaching people in need that few other aid groups can reach by focusing response programming in Ukraine, Romania, and Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 grant request from the IOCC continues a focus on equipping displaced and conflict-affected women with livelihood training and resources so they can support their families. The goal is to support women from the regions of Odessa and Mykolaiv. The program is providing a general business training course for some 60 beneficiaries, providing business planning courses for some 25 beneficiaries interested in applying for business grants, providing career guidance training for some 20 beneficiaries interested in applying for vocational grants, issuing business grants to the 17 beneficiaries with the highest quality business plans, and providing vocational training grants to 17 selected beneficiaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaza<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An additional allocation of $50,000 supports the IOCC response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. <\/strong>The grant will provide 300 children with psychosocial, recreational, and nutrition support to improve their mental wellbeing and help them to better cope with the trauma of war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2026, Gaza remains in a condition of prolonged humanitarian emergency rather than recovery. Israeli forces continue to be deployed in significant portions of the territory, restricting civilian movement and access to agricultural land, the coastline, and key infrastructure. Airstrikes, demolitions, and sporadic ground operations have continued, causing ongoing civilian casualties and displacement. Large areas remain contaminated with unexploded ordnance. Gaza\u2019s health system is only partially functional, and food insecurity remains widespread, with many households being almost entirely dependent on humanitarian assistance. Water and sanitation systems have not been fully restored, contributing to ongoing outbreaks of diarrheal diseases, hepatitis, and skin infections, particularly among children. Shelter conditions remain dire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the midst of this crisis, the children of Gaza are enduring a humanitarian catastrophe that has dismantled the foundations of a safe childhood. The months of relentless conflict and recurring displacement have left an entire generation at risk of profound, permanent psychological trauma. UNICEF reports that over one million children now urgently require mental health support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 IOCC program supports 300 conflict-affected children in central Gaza, enhancing their psychological and physical well-being by providing a protective environment that integrates therapeutic recreational activities with nutritional support. Children will participate in 12 specialized therapeutic activity sessions with trained facilitators. The goal is for at least 80 percent of the participating children to demonstrate a measurable reduction in signs of acute distress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaza and the West Bank<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An additional allocation of $20,000 supports ongoing programing of the Shepherd Society of Bethlehem Bible College<\/a> to provide food and medical assistance to vulnerable families in Gaza and the West Bank, emphasizing children who are often disproportionately affected.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This latest grant is for a program designed to provide essential food assistance and medical support to vulnerable families by prioritizing accessibility, consistency, and dignity\u2014ensuring that children are not only included in assistance efforts but are intentionally centered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Gaza, assistance will be delivered through church-based shelters and distribution points using a community-based model that relies on local partnerships, coordinated locally through a small team responsible for beneficiary coordination, distribution logistics, and follow-up. Locations will be where families already gather for safety and support. Food distributions will include both parcels and prepared meals, reaching approximately 150 families over a period of three months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the West Bank, medical assistance will continue to support individuals requiring medications, treatments, and surgeries. Support is anticipated to reach approximately 200 children over the course of this project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democratic Republic of Congo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An allocation of $13,500 supports medical care for a leader of l\u2019Eglise des Freres au Congo<\/a> (Church of the Brethren in the Democratic Republic of Congo).<\/strong> The grant funds back surgery for the general secretary of the church, Shabani Bitien, following an auto accident that occurred while he was providing crisis relief to refugees in Burundi in Sept. 2025. On a trip from Bujumbura, Burundi, to a refugee camp in southern Burundi where Congolese refugees were sheltering, the vehicle carrying church leaders and the disaster response team was in a serious accident. Most of the team sustained minor injuries but Bitien suffered a back injury that caused bilaterial impairments. Leaders of the Congolese church developed a budget for the surgery and three months of care in Kenya including providing for the assistance of a family member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nigeria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An allocation of $10,000 supports the Anabaptist Peace Center<\/a> in Jos, Nigeria. <\/strong>The center has required facilities repairs following storms and also aid for programing for families affected by violence.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Jos and the surrounding region, violence targeting Christians increased dramatically between Palm Sunday and Easter this year, resulting in approximately 30 deaths and a 48-hour curfew imposed to maintain public safety. This was followed by severe storms that damaged homes and property, including the facilities of the center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Anabaptist Peace Center is not a program of the Church of the Brethren but includes some members of Ekklesiyar Yan\u2019uwa a Nigeria<\/a> (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) among its supporters and those it serves. Since 2019 it has worked to respond to ongoing communal violence, focusing on peacebuilding, trauma recovery, and economic empowerment, and fostering sustainable development through holistic interventions and community-led initiatives. Sharon Brugger Norton, executive director of Global Mission<\/a> for the Church of the Brethren, is a member of its board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Venezuela<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An allocation of $5,000 supports the initial phase of earthquake response by ASIGLEH<\/a> (the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela), following the double earthquake that struck on the evening of June 24. <\/strong>ASIGLEH reported no damage to congregations and limited damage affecting church members, but organized to aid others more badly affected. The church has provided some initial relief of food and water while making plans for a larger long-term response. The church\u2019s short- to mid-term response plans included establishing a donations collection site, identifying families in need of assistance, providing post-traumatic stress relief programing, and supporting the basic needs of orphaned girls in a partnership with Casa Abribo Para Ninas (Girls Home).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An allocation of $5,000 supports ASIGLEH\u2019s relief program providing building materials, food, water, and blankets for families affected by a June 2025 strong tropical wave<\/strong> that unleashed catastrophic flooding and landslides across western and central Venezuela. In ASIGLEH, 10 congregations and many church members were directly affected by the flooding. An initial grant in 2025 provided relief and support to 500 children, 300 adults, and more than 100 families from 8 churches and surrounding communities. A year after the flooding, many families are still recovering and in need. This grant continue the church\u2019s response, with 12 congregations providing assistance including house repair materials, bottled drinking water, sheets, blankets, and logistical support for aid distributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An additional allocation of $5,000 to ASIGLEH continues the Venezuelan church\u2019s support for hurricane recovery in Cuba. <\/strong>Hurricane Melissa hit Cuba on Oct. 29, 2025, at a time when the country was already in a state of economic collapse facing a severe reduction in fuel availability \u00a0due to US sanctions, leading to cascading reductions in essential services. Leadership from the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela had developing relationships with pastors in Cuba, which appears to be leading toward the creation of a Church of the Brethren in Cuba. In solidarity with this relationship, the grant helps aid Cuban church leaders with food, household supplies, and bedding for families impacted by the storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving<\/p>\n\n\n\n

———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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