Brethren funds disburse grants for disaster relief, food security.

Two Church of the Brethren funds--the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) and the Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF)--have given a total of $88,000 in recent grants.

An EDF grant of $50,000 has been given for the Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding program at Hurricane Katrina site 4 in Chalmette, La. The grant continues support for the rebuilding project, as well as travel expenses, leadership training, tools and equipment, and food and housing for volunteers.

An additional allocation of $3,000 from the EDF supports the work of Children’s Disaster Services to aid families affected by Hurricane Ike in Texas. A previous grant of $5,000 was not sufficient to meet the food and shelter needs for volunteers who worked at four shelters in Texas.

A GFCF grant of $15,000 supports Church World Service (CWS) partner Christian Center for Development in Haiti. The grant will help coordinate food and livelihood security programs.

An allocation of $10,000 from the GFCF supports a CWS appeal for agricultural and technical assistance to 500 poor farm families in Pakistan, as well as the distribution of cans for safe water storage and hand pumps.

An allocation of $10,000 from the GFCF has been given to Proyecto Aldeal Global in Honduras to support 1,000 families in rural, flooded communities with emergency replanting of corn and bean crops.

Source: 11/19/2008 Newsline