Emergency Response News Briefs
Feb. 3, 2006 • Archive
CWS Awards Cash Grants from Funds provided by German Partner
Church World Service has awarded 13 cash grants to schools in Mississippi and Louisiana as part of the agency’s overall response to the 2005 hurricanes. The funds were provided through a $620,145 grant from Diakonie Emergency Aid (DEA), a German faith-based humanitarian aid agency and long-time CWS overseas partner.
Thirteen schools in Mississippi and Louisiana applied for the program designed to help support school re-opening efforts. CWS "Gift of the Heart" school and health kits and "Tools of Hope" blankets valued at more than $110,170 were shipped to the schools. Financial grants of $599,095 have purchased computers, library books, teacher supplies, athletic equipment, music program instruments and other equipment for use by a total of 15,673 students and 1,839 teachers and staff.
CWS Plays Key Role in ACT Donors Meeting
Donors to the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International appeal for the Pakistan earthquake met Jan. 30-31 in Geneva and three CWS Pakistan/Afghanistan staff - director Marvin Parvez, staffers Connie Cheung and Denny Hamilton - as well CWS Emergency Response Director Donna Derr attended the meeting. Among the topics discussed were accomplishments related to the current CWS and ACT appeals and to consider a possible rehabilitation/reconstruction appeal to be issued later this year.
CWS helps organize two special events for Hurricane responders in LA and MS
On Jan. 30-31, Church World Service in cooperation with the Louisiana Interchurch Conference, other partner organizations, and FEMA hosted a meeting attended by more than 100 leaders from across Louisiana where the agenda was long-term recovery. Held at a United Methodist Conference Center (The Wesley Center) near Woodworth, participants discussed long-term recovery plans, case management, and emotional and spiritual care with time to network with one another. The FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer, the Executive of the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps, and speakers from Katrina Aid Today (the national case management consortium), and Camp Noah led discussions. CWS Disaster Response and Recovery Liaisons (DRRLs) Lura Cayton, Neil Molenaar, and Charlie Moeller were in attendance. CWS provided a $3,500 grant as scholarship for housing and food for the long-term recovery interfaith coordinators and staff. Faith group representation came from Christian, Ba hai, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish communities.
On February 1, a similar event for Mississippi groups involved in Hurricane Katrina recovery was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gulf Port. Hosted by the Mississippi Coast Interfaith Disaster Task Force, the event brought together more than 200 representatives to discuss the coordination of long term recovery throughout the MS Gulf Coast region. Breakout sessions covered five topics: 1) Case Management/Coordinated Assistance Network, 2) Construction/Warehousing; 3) Unmet needs 4) Long-term recovery; and 5) Advocacy. CWS DRRL Tim Johnson helped develop the curriculum for the event.
Other CWS Domestic Disaster Response Activities
On January 20, Tom Davis presented a workshop on the sequence of delivery of disaster services, to a joint meeting of Lutheran Social Service of Wisconsin and the Farm Services of Wisconsin. These organizations work together in federally declared disasters to provide mental health services. The workshop also focused on the development of long-term recovery organizations and the important partnerships between the faith-based community, non-governmental organizations and government entities. The meeting, held in Wisconsin Dells, had over 50 present.
CWS DRRL Lesli Remaly will present sessions, including "Organizing
for Recovery" and "Care for Caregivers", as part
of a training entitled "Disaster Recovery Training and Tools" on
February 8 in Clewiston, Florida. The training, held in the wake
of Hurricane Wilma for long-term recovery leadership, also features
a number of sessions on all aspects of long-term recovery to be
led by
FIND (Florida Interfaiths Networking in Disaster), United Methodist
Committee on Relief, Southern Baptist, and Lutheran Services. The
location is the Clewiston United Methodist Church and runs from
9:00 to 3:30.
CWS Sends Blankets, "Gift of the Heart" School Kits, and donated wheel chairs to Ghana
A shipment of 1,300 lightweight blankets, 1,500 CWS "Gift of the Heart" School Kits, 46 wheel chairs and 11 walkers, valued $28,410, was sent to CWS partner Concerned Christian Community-Ghana in support of on-going health and education programs which they are facilitating.