wfn.org | Brethren Disaster Response project expands its work

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

Date: Sept. 29, 2005
Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
V:  847/742-5100 F: 847/742-6103
E-MAIL: _CoBNews@AOL.Com_ (mailto:CoBNews@AOL.Com)

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN NEWSLINE
Sept. 29, 2005

Brethren Disaster Response clean-up project expands its work

Sept. 29, 2005 (Elgin, IL) --  A Brethren Disaster Response clean-up  project
in Citronelle, Ala., in partnership with Southeastern District and Cedar
Creek Church of the Brethren, has begun adding home repairs to its clean-up
work. Brethren Disaster Response is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren
General Board.

Work has been coming from two sources, reported  disaster project director
Mike Walker of Glenville, Pa. "The Cedar Creek church  has created an active
committee which works with us and provides a listing of  both members and
non-members who need help, and the Mobile VOAD (Voluntary  Organizations 
Active in
Disaster) is providing the balance of our clients," he	said.

"We are a long way from finished with the debris problems," Walker said of
the project that covers a broad area of service across Mobile County and
southern Washington County. "Presently, we are still working in the early 
stages
of recovery, which is basically debris removal, tarps, roof repair, and more
extensive repairs due to fallen trees on homes." For example, in Chatom, a 
tree
 fell destroying a bedroom that an elderly woman had just left to be with
her
 husband in the living room. No one was injured, but the house is having
extensive repair work done.

The volunteers commuting the greatest distance begin their day by leaving  at
5 a.m. in order to be on roofs before the heat of the day turns them into
slippery slopes of hot tar and shingles, Walker reported. "We start early, 
we go
 strong, we are exhausted. But we are happily doing God's work," he said.
Full  volunteer crews will be needed for many months to successfully 
complete the
work  at hand, he added.

For more about Brethren Disaster Response see
_www.brethrendisasterresponse.org_ (http://www.brethrendisasterresponse.org)
.

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 celebrates 
its  300th
anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the United
States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Brazil, the
Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nigeria.

# # #

For more information contact:

Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
Director of News Services
Church of the  Brethren General Board
1451 Dundee Ave.
Elgin, IL 60120
847-742-5100  ext. 260
_cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org_
(mailto:cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org)

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The  Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford,
 director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board.
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