Emergency Response News Briefs

April 8, 2008 • Archive

Nearly 60 people representing more than a dozen disaster-response agencies participated in this years CWS Domestic Disaster Ministry Forum. Under the theme Economics and Justice in Disasters, speakers addressed topics from predatory lending to green building. A key theme to arise out of the event is how faith-based disaster response agencies should be greater advocates on legal and policy issues.

CWS Emergency Response Specialists led trainings in two recent disaster sites. ERS Lura Cayton assisted long-term recovery leaders in Watseka and Pontiac, Ill. who are trying to recover from devastating floods. ERS Heriberto Martinez traveled to Fernley, Nev. to train those working to recover from a catastrophic levee break that flooded around 700 homes.

Emergency Response Specialists recently met with representatives from affiliate agencies of CWS Immigration and Refugee program. These affiliates help CWS resettle refugees new to the U.S., and could be used as a resource to aid in the relocation of those displaced within the U.S., such as was the case following Hurricane Katrina.

Ivan DeKam, ERP International Response & Recovery Liaison, recently accepted a position with Lutheran World Federation / World Service to serve as Coordinator of Programs in Sierra Leone. Ivan will reside in West Africa in his new role. We wish him well in his new endeavors.

CWS consultant Bill Sage recently returned from a monitoring trip to Liberia, where he assessed the impact of CWS material resource shipments. In the last year, CWS has provided partner agencies in Liberia with nearly $250,000 in material resources. Widespread flooding in Missouri prompted an intense need for CWS Emergency Clean-up Buckets. CWS supplied Whole Health Outreach of Ellington, Mo. with 50 buckets at a value of $2,250. Our inventory of CWS Clean-up Buckets remains desperately in need of replenishment... visit the CWS Clean-up Buckets page for instructrions on assembly.