Brethren response efforts continue: Shipments of relief materials, grant allocations, Disaster Child Care trainings.

In an update on Church of the Brethren denominational response to the Gulf Coast hurricanes, shipments of relief materials continue from the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.; the Emergency Disaster Fund has provided a grant for work related to Hurricane Rita; and Disaster Child Care has announced a new training workshop for volunteers.

As of today, Oct. 6, shipments of relief materials related to the Gulf Coast hurricanes totaled 27,900 blankets, 98,595 Gift of the Heart Health Kits, 10,500 School Kits, 525 Baby Kits, 304 Kids Kits, and 4,115 Clean-Up Buckets. These shipments by the Service Ministries program of the General Board were made on behalf of Church World Service.

An allocation of $10,000 from the Emergency Disaster Fund supports Church World Service work in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. The money will be used for material resource shipments of blankets and deployment of Disaster Response and Recovery Liaisons, as well as spiritual and emotional care support.

A new Level I training for Disaster Child Care volunteers has been scheduled for Friday, Oct. 21, at Mount Morris (Ill.) Church of the Brethren (409 W. Brayton Rd., Mount Morris, IL 61054), from 9 a.m. through 6 p.m. Previously announced training dates and locations are Oct. 22-23 in Norfolk, Neb., and Nov. 11-12 in Brook Park, Ohio. Disaster Child Care is expanding its training schedule because of the need for new volunteers following Hurricane Katrina.

For more information about Emergency Response/Service Ministries see www.brethren.org/genbd/ersm. For more about Disaster Child Care and training registration see www.disasterchildcare.org. For specific information about the Mount Morris training, call local coordinator Uldine Baker at 815-734-6434.

Source: 10/06/2005 Newsline Special Report
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