Brethren program receives American Red Cross grant for work following Sandy.

Brethren Disaster Ministries has been awarded a grant of up to $280,010 from the American Red Cross to rebuild homes in response to Hurricane Sandy, or Super Storm Sandy as it was called when it hit the East Coast of the United States in 2012. After an initial disbursement of $50,000, the remainder of the grant will be disbursed quarterly based on the Brethren Disaster Ministries financial and project reports.

The grant will give funding for Brethren Disaster Ministries to set up at least two rebuilding sites and repair or rebuild at least 75 homes that were damaged or destroyed by Sandy. The grant will cover volunteer support and housing and transportation, tools, and more.

“Part of what makes this grant so nice is it supports how we work in community with Long Term Recovery Groups,” commented Roy Winter, associate executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries and Global Mission and Service for the Church of the Brethren.

Brethren Disaster Ministries’ current home rebuilding projects include a project site in Toms River, Ocean County, N.J., among the worst affected regions of the mid-Atlantic coastline. The county saw more than 50,000 homes and 10,000 rental properties damaged or destroyed. Such extreme devastation has severely limited housing availability for displaced renters seeking alternative housing, and Brethren Disaster Ministries is partnering with OCEAN, Inc., a local non-profit, in a project aimed at increasing the supply of safe and affordable rental housing for Sandy survivors.

For more information about the work of Brethren Disaster Ministries go to www.brethren.org/bdm.

Source: 8/30/2013 Newsline