wfn.org | ABCUSA: OGHS Grants Assist Hurricane Katrina Victims

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Rich.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

American Baptist News Service (9/16/05)--A total of $40,000 in emergency
grants has been released by American Baptist Churches USA Office of
World Relief and National Ministries' Office of Direct Human Services to
aid Hurricane Katrina victims.

Kenneth L. George, who coordinates national disaster response for
National Ministries, announced that the One Great Hour of Sharing funds
will provide emergency kits of hygiene, baby and school supplies and
seed grants for long-term recovery through Church World Service (CWS).

Funds also will go to Sunlight Baptist Church in Lake Charles, La., to
assist in their meal program that serves 300 people daily. An advance
team from American Baptist Churches of Nebraska visited the church and
learned that most people were taking care of seven or eight of their own
family members, while many families were still searching for missing
members. The church is housing 40 people temporarily in 10 Sunday School
rooms.

Additionally, funds will go to the American Baptist Churches of the West
region where people lost many relatives during the storm; in five
congregations alone, members lost 100 relatives and many more are
missing. Churches are adopting families being relocated to the region,
while pastors are faced with the heightened spiritual and emotional
needs of their congregations. "My prayer is that our ABCW congregations
will continue to show the love of God as we feed, provide housing, and
help those whose lives have been shattered by this powerful storm," said
the executive minister, Dr. Paul D. Borden.

"Undesignated gifts provide a 'bank account' from which we can draw when
disasters occur and people need life-sustaining assistance without
delay," said George.  "The initial $10,000 released was available from
the undesignated contributions of American Baptist congregations to the
2005 One Great Hour of Sharing offering."

For the extraordinary needs related to Katrina recovery efforts, CWS
recently raised its national fund-raising goal to $9.5 million and has
set more comprehensive goals for both immediate and long-term recovery,
including trauma counseling, spiritual care and relocation assistance
for people outside the disaster area. With almost 60 years of experience
in disaster response, CWS is the only national resettlement agency with
a disaster response and recovery unit.

American Baptists wishing to support Katrina relief efforts can go
through their church's monthly report of mission support, designating
contributions "OGHS-Hurricane Katrina." For online contributions, access
www.nationalministries.org/katrina and follow instructions to "Give Now
to Katrina Relief" or go to the "Give Now" option available on either
www.abcusamissions.org or www.abc-usa.org.

K/2005ABNS/05ABN102

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA
x2077 / (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org