wfn.org | CRWRC Helps Flooded Homeowners in Holland, Michigan

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bill Adams, manager of CRWRC Disaster Response Services, cell 616-560-2782

Beth DeGraff, media contact for CRWRC, cell 616-648-7821 or 1-800-55-CRWRC

CRWRC Helps Flooded Homeowners in Holland, Michigan

July 1, 2009­? Local Disaster Response volunteers with the Christian
Reformed World Relief Committee (www.crwrc.org) are helping Holland,
Michigan, residents clean up and muck out their homes and businesses
after major storms swept over the Michigan lakeshore about two weeks ago.

CRWRC-DRS is partnering with Good Samaritan Ministries in downtown
Holland to connect families to churches, organizations, and
individuals who can help storm victims. The agencies are working with
Maplewood Reformed Church and Holland City officials, among others, to
coordinate services.

Overall, the downpour on Friday, June 19, 2009, dropped 6.8 inches of
rain in five hours, including local reports that 4.3 inches of rain
fell in just one hour during that time. The deluge left washed-out
roads, swamped basements, felled trees, and backed-up sewers, causing
millions of dollars in damage across a three county area.

Bill Adams, CRWRC-DRS director, reports that in some locations people
are still discovering the extent of their losses today as flood water
is removed or recedes from their property.

Those living in the Holland area who are in need of assistance can
call Good Samaritan Ministries at 616-392-7159 to arrange for
assessment and clean-up services. Those who would like to volunteer
can call CRWRC-DRS at 1-800-848-5818 or fill out a volunteer
application at www.greenshirts.org.

Good Samaritan Ministries is an outreach organization with a network
of more than 80 churches that fulfills thousands of local requests for
assistance each year from neighbors who need transportation, child
care, housing, home repairs, and programs for at-risk youth.

CRWRC-DRS has a network of 2,000 trained and experienced disaster
volunteers from across North America who respond to domestic disasters
such as Hurricane Katrina, flooding in the Mid-West, wild fires on the
West Coast, and tornadoes across the country?s mid-section.

Maplewood Reformed Church is offering dumpster service for
flood-damaged items at 133 East 34 Street for South Side residents.
For more information, go to www.maplewoodchurch.org.

Members of the media, call for interview with Bill Adams, CRWRC-DRS
director, at 616-560-2782 or call CRWRC media contact, Beth DeGraff at
cell 616-648-7821, or 1-800-55-CRWRC for more informatino about the
Holland flood response.

For more information about these programs, visit www.crwrc.org or call
1-800-55-CRWRC.

CRWRC is a non-profit agency  of the Christian Reformed Church in
North America ministering in development, relief, and justice
education with people in need in 30 countries around the world since 1963.

> -- Beth DeGraff
> CRWRC Media and Justice Contact
> 2850 Kalamazoo Avenue SE
> Grand Rapids, MI 49560-0600
> 1-800-55-CRWRC
> www.crwrc.org

Note that my email address has changed to bdegraff@crwrc.org.

CRWRC is a registered non-profit agency of the CRC-NA in both the U.S.
and Canada.