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This appeal covers:

• April Nor’easter flooding in New York
• April Nor’easter flooding in New Jersey
• April tornado in Eagle Pass, Tex.
• May flooding in Aberdeen, S. D.
• May tornado in Greensburg, Kan.
• May flooding in Kansas

This update includes responses to:

• Flooding in New York and New Jersey
• Greensburg, Kan. tornado and Kansas flooding

Flooding in New York and New Jersey
Westchester Interfaith/Interagency Network for Disaster and Emergency Recovery (WINDER) held its first board meeting May 29, adopting a mission statement and a scope of response. WINDER is adopting memoranda of understanding with key agencies to define roles, and is in the process of raising funds. The group has $100,000 for unmet needs assistance, and is asking for an additional $100,000 from denominations and secular outlets to maintain the recovery effort, plus an additional $30,000 to hire three case workers and a bilingual office assistant at the Hispanic Resource Center, which will assist the county’s large Latino community. In addition to case management training requested of the United Methodist Committee on Relief, and a needs assessment from the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, WINDER will ask for disaster child care training and services from the Church of the Brethren.

Another long-term recovery group is taking shape in nearby Orange County, N.Y. under the auspices of the United Way, with involvement from the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA/PDA) and the United Church of Christ.

Four long-term recovery groups are coming together in New Jersey in affected counties: Passaic, Somerset, Morris and Bergen. New Jersey Interfaith Partnership is assisting all four groups with help from the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross and Catholic Charities. Past recovery efforts mean New Jersey groups already have significant training in case management, which could expedite recovery.

Disaster Response and Recovery Liaison (DRRL) Joann Hale is the Church World Service contact for New York and New Jersey recovery efforts.

Greensburg, Kansas
A long-term recovery committee will be coordinated by the Rev. Kathleen Blair, of Wellsford Community Church. Voluntary agencies are pledging case workers with Salvation Army promising two, the American Red Cross pledging two and Lutheran Disaster Response providing one. Community groups in Greensburg are worried about the expense of hiring paid staff. The Disciples of Christ and the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee are examining how to house volunteers in a community where little to no housing is left. The next meeting is Tuesday, June 12.

The recovery office is in downtown Haviland, Phone: 620 862 5882. E-mail: scktro@havilandtelco.com (as in South Central Kansas tornado recovery office).

The recovery group is looking for a construction coordinator (paid) and other volunteer positions. Building & volunteer management committees will meet later this week. Kelly Gindlesburger, Disciples of Christ, will chair the volunteer committee temporarily.

CWS DRRL Cherri Baer offers insight into the challenges of ministering to Greensburg’s population:

One pastor asked me about emotional care for the children. I told him about Camp Noah. He invited me to a special meeting of the County Ministerial Alliance the next day. They were all agonizing over what to do about Bible School. I was honored to be the only 'outsider' to be allowed to join them in their very long, emotional prayer time. The Kiowa county ministerial alliance is phenomenal. They have been so very supportive of the affected pastors in so many ways. And, the Greensburg pastors have done a tremendous job shepherding their congregations,dispersed tho' they are. The shock is over and they are really grieving their own and their congregants' losses.

Elsewhere, Kansas is recovering from flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reports 500 applications for assistance in the Topeka area. Baer reports involvement by federal and local authorities/human services agencies. A long-term recovery meeting was held Friday, June 8, the next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 14 at 4 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the First Christian Church at 1880 S.W. Gage Blvd. Representatives from local congregations are urged to attend in order to help building the recovery structure.

VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES WATCH: NY/NJ

The Hispanic Resource Center in Westchester reports it has received 210 cases of need in four weeks. There is widespread concern in both states for undocumented immigrants who are likely most affected by flooding. In New Jersey, Somerset County in the Manville area has many Eastern European, Polish and Slavic immigrants who rarely embrace others outside their own heritage, and may resist offers of help.

CWS RESPONSE: CWS DRRLs continue to be in contact with faith-based and community representatives in each area of response. CWS has deployed DRRLs and provided material resources following these disasters.

Contributions to support these efforts may be sent to your denomination or directly to:

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