wfn.org | FLORIDAšS LONG-TERM RECOVERY NEEDS FUNDING SAYS CHURCH WORLD SERVICE

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

CONTACTS:
Ann Walle/CWS/New York
Phone: (212) 870-2654
e-mail: awalle@churchworldservice.org

Jan Dragin/New York/Boston - 24/7
Phone: (781) 925-1526
e-mail: jdragin@gis.net



FLORIDA9S LONG-TERM RECOVERY NEEDS FUNDING, SAYS CHURCH WORLD SERVICE

Agencies Already Reporting Emergency Fund Shortfalls from Charley9s First
Punch - CWS Sending Special Trauma Team to Support Exhausted Caregivers


Orlando/New York City- Sunday September 5- Church World Service, the
humanitarian agency whose emergency responders focus on long-term recovery
needs, is urging supporters not to relax because Frances has been downgraded
to a Category 1 hurricane.

  "This one is about water, not just wind," says Church World Service
Director for Emergency Programs Rick Augsburger.  "Serious flooding, the
storm9s slow movement across Florida and storm surges over two high tide
cycles are just as dangerous to life, property and the land as high winds,"
Augsburger said.

Combined with the extensive damage of Hurricane Charley just three weeks
ago, agencies are reminding people in the rest of the country that financial
help beyond FEMA funds and insurance "will surely be needed," according to
Augsburger.

Hurricane Frances is bringing flooding and winds today that will cause
significant damage, especially from rains which may amount to 20 inches or
more in some places.

"It9s more difficult for those watching television or seeing newspaper
photos to grasp the dangers of flooding," says Augsburger,  "or to recognize
the internal damage that occurs to flooded properties. But," he says, the
results of flooding sometime take the longest to recover from."
Historically, more people have died from flooding caused by hurricanes than
from winds.

Emergency responders are already noting that the anticipated damage from the
rains, flooding and possible storm surges will put an added strain on the
response to Hurricane Frances.
Coupled with that, some aid agencies are reporting they already have little
cash resources left to work from after responding to Hurricane Charley,
which hit three weeks ago.

CWS9 Augsburger stresses the need for financial support to address several
efforts. "Church World Service9s assessments so far from Charley9s damage
are telling us that there will be a body of vulnerable, un-insured and
under-insured people impacted by Charley and Frances who will need help," he
says.

Augsburger counsels those who want to help to "look to experienced volunteer
disaster response agencies first, like Church World Service, one recognized
for a particular role in disaster response. These agencies provide valuable
assistance for people to rebuild their lives physically and spiritually.
Yet they9re often strapped for funds for these vital services."

CWS Dispatching Trauma Specialists to Support Already-Exhausted
Emergency Workers, Area Caregivers

Emergency workers are also suffering- from the strains of storm response
that just keeps on going. Augsburger said, "Emergency workers and caregivers
are already exhausted from the past weeks. So in addition to direct,
immediate emergency relief for storm victims, care for the caregivers is
equally important. Partners have asked Church World Service to provide our
expertise and support in this arena," he said.

Members of the CWS Interfaith Trauma Response Team include specialists in
trauma counseling and training for pastoral, mental health and community
caregivers. The team9s experience has spanned work following the Oklahoma
City bombing, natural disasters and September 11.

"CWS is expediting the deployment of its Interfaith Trauma Response Team,"
Augsburger reports.  "That team9s members will come from across the U.S. to
the affected area early next week, to provide care-for-caregiver9 support
that can enable responders and leaders of the faith community to get the
help they need to keep on going."

In addition, CWS Associate Director for Domestic Emergency Response Linda
Brown reports that Church World Service domestic disaster response teams are
positioning now to respond to Hurricane Frances. Brown notes that the global
agency9s response in Florida "is unprecedented for the agency as a U.S.
mainland relief mission to a natural disaster- and is part of the largest
national response since September 11."

Agency Will Continue Long-Term Recovery Efforts Already in Progress from
Charley

CWS Emergency Program staff, who have worked across Florida since Charley
hit, will continue to work with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
the Red Cross and other emergency workers, to set strategies and support for
long term recovery.

Brown predicts that, "Church World Service responders will be in Florida for
a long time to come. We9re anticipating that recovery groups with faith
community participation will be established in numerous counties, and they
will focus specifically on helping the most vulnerable. Brown says, "CWS
helps disaster-impacted areas form a community-based organization solely
dedicated to helping those affected find help." She cites a typical example:

"The elderly or those with fewer resources may buy a mobile home. When the
home is destroyed, funds received may not be sufficient for another home.
The community based recovery organization can often help find alternative
funding sources or voluntary help to rebuild."

In addition to shipping emergency relief supplies such as health and cleanup
kits, CWS is increasing its initial Florida emergency fund appeal to
$200,000, to assist in long term recovery from Hurricane Charley.  The
appeal will be increased again to encompass the needs in response to
hurricane Frances anticipated damage.

About $30,000 in material assistance shipments so far have included CWS
"Gift of the Heart" baby kits and health kits to Sacred Heart Catholic
Charities/Sacred Heart parish Center in hardest-hit Punta Gorda and health
kits and cleanup kits to Agencia de Servicios Sociales Pentecostales (ASSPEN
-the Pentecostal Social Service Agency) in Orlando.

Church World Service is an international non-governmental humanitarian
agency providing sustainable, self-help development, emergency relief,
advocacy and refugee assistance.

EDITORS NOTE: Please add the following source to your listings of agencies
accepting contributions for relief assistance to victims of Hurricane
Charley:

To support relief efforts for victims of Hurricanes Charley and Frances
through Church World Service: phone (800) 297-1516; make a secure credit
card contribution online at www.churchworldservice.org; or send your check
by mail to: Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515

###