Material Resources program ships supplies to hurricane survivors.

"In response to Hurricane Gustav we loaded a trailer Friday night destined for Hammond, La.," reported Loretta Wolf, director of the Church of the Brethren’s Material Resources program. "The trailer started in Harrisburg, Pa., picking up 1,008 Emergency Clean-Up Bucket Kits and stopping in New Windsor to add 624 more clean-up kits."

The Material Resources program is a Church of the Brethren ministry located at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The Material Resources staff process, warehouse, and distribute disaster relief materials on behalf of a variety of ecumenical partners including Church World Service (CWS).

The shipment of Emergency Clean-Up Bucket Kits responding to Gustav "used all the kits we have on hand," Wolf said. She encourages congregations, groups, and individuals to donate the urgently needed CWS Emergency Clean-Up Bucket Kits. Information is online at www.churchworldservice.org/news/archives/2008/06/906.html for assembling the kits. The buckets provide cleaning supplies for people to clean up their homes following floods and other disasters.

In other shipments related to the recent hurricanes, CWS Hygiene Kits were shipped to a number of locations in Louisiana in response to Gustav, including Donaldsonville, Point Couppee, Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Pierre Part, and Thibodoux. "One small request was received from Nacogdoches, Texas, to send two bales of blankets and one carton of Hygiene Kits related to Hurricane Ike," Wolf said. "It is likely additional shipments will go out this week once needs are assessed."

Other recent Material Resources work has included a shipment on behalf of Lutheran World Relief (LWR) to Azerbaijan; an LWR shipment to Tanzania; a 40-foot container of supplies to Georgia as a cooperative effort of LWR and International Orthodox Christian Charities; a shipment to Jordan on behalf of International Orthodox Christian Charities; a shipment on behalf of IMA World Health to Armenia; domestic CWS shipments to respond to flooding in Iowa, Wisconsin, Texas, and Alaska; CWS supplies sent to New York for use with migrant farm workers; and CWS supplies for homeless shelters in Minnesota and New Mexico.

Source: 9/17/2008 Newsline Extra