wfn.org | Newsline: Church of the Brethren responds to disasters with grants totaling $117,000

["COBNews Newsline" <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- May 28, 2008
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN RESPONDS TO DISASTERS WITH
GRANTS TOTALING $117,000

(May 28, 2008) Elgin, IL -- The Church of the Brethren has responded to
recent disasters around the world, and to the world hunger crisis, with
grants totaling $117,000. The grants focus on the China earthquake and
the cyclone in Myanmar. The grants were given from the denomination's
Emergency Disaster Fund and Global Food Crisis Fund.

In other disaster news, a Church of the Brethren congregation in
Windsor, Colo., has escaped all but minor damage from a devastating
tornado that hit the town on May 22.

The two funds--Emergency Disaster Fund and Global Food Crisis Fund--
each provided a grant of $30,000 to support Church World Service
(CWS) and its partner agency Amity Foundation following the
earthquake in China. The initial response by CWS and Amity
Foundation includes immediate relief supplies of food, quilts, and shelter
materials. A longterm response will include rebuilding of homes,
schools, hospitals, and safe water supplies.

The Global Food Crisis Fund gave a grant of $30,000 to support CWS
hunger development work in Myanmar. The money will help purchase
rice seed that is urgently needed for this planting season. Another
allocation of $15,000 from the Global Food Crisis Fund supports Heifer
International designated hunger development work in Myanmar,
assisting 1,700 families toward achieving sustainable food sources and
income over the next three years.

A grant of $7,000 from the Emergency Disaster Fund responds to spring
storms in the United States, given to a CWS appeal. The money will help
provide material aid, staff deployment, training, and financial support  for
longterm recovery groups in parts of Georgia, Maine, Missouri, and
Virginia.

An allocation of $5,000 from the Global Food Crisis Fund assists with
distribution of 250,000 packets of seeds in Liberia. The logistics for the
project are handled by Church Aid Inc., Liberia, a Global Food Crisis
Fund partner.

In other news, members of Northern Colorado Church of the Brethren in
Windsor escaped harm and serious damage to their homes, and the
church building received only minor damage in the tornado. "We were
out of the path," said pastor John Carlson. "We do need to be in prayer
for the people who have lost so much," he added. Some 100 or more
homes were severely damaged or completely destroyed in Windsor, a
town of around 19,000. One person was killed in the storm.

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 almost 130,000
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 General Board
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org

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