Emergency Disaster Fund gives $162,800 in ten new grants.

The Emergency Disaster Fund, a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board, has given ten grants totaling $162,800, for disaster relief in the US, Kenya, Liberia, and Guatemala.

An allocation of $40,000 was given to a Church World Service (CWS) appeal for a prolonged drought in Kenya affecting some 2.5 million people. The funds will provide food distribution, water for people and animals, restocking livestock, and seeds for the next crop season.

An additional allocation of $35,000 supports the continuing Brethren Disaster Response project for hurricane recovery in Florida, which began in 2004. The project continues in Pensacola and is projected to take several more years. Previous allocations to this project total $80,000.

A grant of $30,000 supports a Brethren Disaster Response project in Mississippi as part of the continuing work following Hurricane Katrina. Multiple project sites are anticipated. These funds will provide feeding, housing, transport, and support for Brethren volunteers at the project.

The sum of $20,000 supports a CWS appeal responding to the Liberian civil war that has left 500,000 people displaced. The money will help with rehabilitation and resettlement and will include food and non-food items, reconstruction of shelters, agriculture recovery, water and sanitation, health assistance, psychosocial support, and peace and reconciliation activities.

An additional allocation of $13,800 continues emergency response work after landslides and floods in Guatemala. An initial grant of $7,000 was given to provide emergency food. The new funds will help rebuild a bridge needed for an affected community to transport coffee beans to market, and purchase an additional three-month supply of corn. The distribution and work related to the grant is being handled by Brethren Volunteer Service worker Rebecca Allen and the General Board's Latin America specialist Tom Benevento.

Grants of $9,000 and $7,200 cover the balance of expenses for Brethren Disaster Response projects in Alabama and Lake Charles, La., which have been closed. The projects did clean-up work following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

An additional allocation of $3,000 continues support of a CWS appeal in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. The money will provide small "seed grants" to local organizations and help the longterm recovery committee begin the work of case management.

A grant of $3,000 responds to a CWS appeal after wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma destroyed more than 500 homes and damaged another 1,200. The funds will provide small grants to longterm recovery work, and help complete needs assessments, case management, and efforts at reconstruction.

A grant of $1,800 covers the balance of expenses for Disaster Child Care volunteers and others working in southern Florida after Hurricane Wilma. This response has been completed.

For more information about the Church of the Brethren General Board's Emergency Response and Service Ministries, go to www.brethren.org/genbd/ersm/DisasterResponse.htm.

Source: 3/15/2006 Newsline
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