wfn.org | NCCCUSA -- Volunteers Rebuild Burned Churches

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the 
U.S.A.
Contact: Carol J. Fouke, NCC, 212-870-2252
Internet: carol_fouke.parti@ecunet.org

NCC5/23/97      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS KEY TO CHURCH REBUILDING 
EFFORT

 NEW YORK, May 23 ---- Many new houses of 
worship will rise from the ashes of hatred this 
spring and summer, as the National Council of 
Churches' Burned Churches Project continues to 
deploy donated funds, lumber and other materials - 
and thousands of volunteers.

 Some 15,000 people from across the United 
States have volunteered to help rebuild burned 
churches through the NCC-sponsored Church Rebuilding 
Project and its partners, and 7,800 of them already 
have been placed on a rebuilding site.  Others are 
being called into service as more churches get ready 
to break ground.  

The NCC Burned Churches Project is working with 
124 "Phase One" congregations, most of them African 
American churches across the U.S. Southeast.  
Project staff carefully have assessed the 
circumstances of each fire, each congregation's 
profile and plans, and other resources available for 
rebuilding, including fire insurance payouts and 
other donations.

Seventy eight of the churches have been voted 
cash grants, totaling $4,654,323, from the Burned 
Churches Fund, initiated by the NCC and supported by 
a broad ecumenical and interfaith community.  The 
fund's purpose is to help rebuild houses of worship 
burned for reasons of hate, and to address the 
racism that underlies many attacks.

Forty-four of the 124 churches have used or 
will be using volunteer support through the Church 
Rebuilding Project, and several others are 
considering using volunteers.  Thirty-two of the 44 
churches have been matched with a Church Rebuilding 
Partner.  (These partners include denominational, 
nondenominational, ecumenical and interfaith 
volunteer ministries, work camps and other groups.)  
Four more went up during the special "Spring 
Rebuild!" and another eight are receiving volunteers 
directly from the Church Rebuilding Project office 
in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The estimated monetary value of volunteer labor 
to date is $780,000 (calculated at $5 an hour times 
an average of 20 hours per volunteer), and will top 
$1 million by the end of summer.  Other in-kind 
contributions to the NCC Burned Churches Project 
have included $2 million in wood products donated by 
the International Paper Company, modular units 
valued at $350,000 from G.E. Capital, and Bibles, 
hymnals, pews, robes, office equipment and other 
articles valued at about $250,000.

* 90 percent of the 15,000 volunteers have been 
given opportunity to serve, but it hasn't been 
possible always to match their availability with the 
need for volunteers.

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