Newsline: Brethren Disaster Ministries reports on completed and new projects

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl
Brumbaugh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

Brethren Disaster Ministries reports on completed and new projects

(March 1, 2011) Elgin, IL -- "The cycle of disaster recovery continues as 
projects are completed and new ones open," said this week's report from 
Brethren Disaster Ministries. The report from coordinator Jane Yount announced 
that a rebuilding project in Winamac, Ind., has now been completed, and gave a 
first report from a new project site in Tennessee.

The final home rebuild at the Winamac project was completed by the end of 
January, except for a powered lift for a member of the homeowner's family. The 
project repaired and rebuilt homes affected by flooding.

The local recovery group, DANI, has almost raised the $10,000 needed for the 
cost of the lift, Yount reported. "We were particularly amazed and heartened to 
learn that Bridgewater (Va.) Church of the Brethren adult Sunday school classes 
raised $650 toward the lift," she added. "Thank you to any of you who donated 
and/or raised funds for this need."

The new project site that was started in Ashland, Tenn., on Jan. 30 this year 
is in response to flood damage. Three days of heavy rain in May 2010 dropped as 
much as 20 inches of water on Tennessee, causing severe flooding from Nashville 
to Memphis and completely submerging many homes. In this area, 578 households 
are in need of assistance, including 41 homes destroyed and 76 in need of major 
repair.

"Project leader Jerry Moore reports that the work (in Tennessee) is going 
really well," Yount wrote. Brethren Disaster Ministries volunteers in Tennessee 
are doing repair work and some new construction. Major repair work includes 
insulation, drywall, laminate flooring, painting, trim work, siding, and decks.

A third Brethren Disaster Ministries project site continues in Chalmette, La., 
following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. This project carried out in 
cooperation with the local organization St. Bernard Project, is expected to 
close in June this year.

For information about Brethren Disaster Ministries and how to volunteer with 
the program, go to www.BrethrenDisasterMinistries.org or contact a district 
disaster coordinator. Find new online photo albums from BDM project sites: 
Winamac and Delphi, Ind. 
www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?view=UserAlbum&AlbumID=14037; Chalmette, 
La. www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?view=UserAlbum&AlbumID=14036; Hammond, 
Ind. www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?view=UserAlbum&AlbumID=14053; blitz 
build in Cedar Rapids, Iowa 
www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?view=UserAlbum&AlbumID=13997; American 
Samoa www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?view=UserAlbum&AlbumID=13995.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing 
the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in 
community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith 
traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated its 
300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 123,000 members across the United 
States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, 
Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org