wfn.org | Newsline: Children's Disaster Services winds down response to flooding

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

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- July 3, 2008
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

CHILDREN'S DISASTER SERVICES WINDS DOWN RESPONSE
TO FLOODING

(July 3, 2008) Elgin, IL -- Children's Disaster Services is winding down
its response to the flooding in Iowa and Indiana. Children's Disaster
Services is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren, in which trained and
certified volunteers care for children of families affected by disasters.

"We have one center left open in Iowa (there were five), the one in
Indiana closed on Saturday," reported associate director Judy Bezon.
"We determine the date of closing after numbers of children show a
steady decline."

The program has had five teams of childcare volunteers caring for
children of families affected by flooding in Iowa and Indiana. The
teams--representing a total of 29 volunteers--have worked in seven
different locations. Children's Disaster Services has cared for
approximately 550 children in the response to the midwest flooding.

"There were over 40 additional volunteers ready to go had the need
lasted longer," Bezon said, giving credit to the volunteers who were
willing to "put their lives on hold and serve those in need."

The program also has monitored the need for Children's Disaster
Services centers in the response to the wildfires in California. Bezon
reported that there have been only three shelters open in California, with
19, 8, and no clients respectively, with no need for Children's Disaster
Services.

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 more than 125,000
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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