wfn.org | CWS - Cedar Rapids Churches Focus on Vulnerable Flood Survivors

[George Conklin <gconklin@igc.org>]

Church World Service, Cedar Rapids Churches Focus on Most Vulnerable Flood Survivors; Workshops Set

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA, July 15, 2008- With federal figures showing more than
4,000 homes damaged by summer flooding in this city alone, churches,
synagogues, mosques and other faith-based organizations in the Cedar
Valley expect even greater numbers of people to have an especially hard
time recovering.

To insure appropriate response to the most vulnerable among them,
humanitarian agency Church World Service (CWS) is bringing together
members of the Cedar Rapids faith community and several social service
agencies for long term recovery training, on two different evenings:
July 17 or July 24, 6 p.m. at Noelridge Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ), 7111 C Ave. NE in Cedar Rapids.

> WHAT:
> Long-term Recovery Workshops for Cedar Rapids

> WHEN:
> July 17 and July 24, 6 p.m.

WHERE:

Noelridge Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

> 7111 C Ave. NE
> Cedar Rapids

Church World Service now is working with faith-based and secular
organizations in Cedar Rapids and other Iowa communities to facilitate
long-term recovery for those affected by flooding in the region who
have few resources.

"In more than six decades of responding to disasters around the world,
we¹ve
always found it¹s those with the most limited means who have the
hardest
time recovering," CWS Associate Director for Domestic Emergency
Response
Bonnie Vollmering said. "The poorest, the most vulnerable will have
incredible needs as Iowa struggles to recover in the long term."

"Our job is to help the community determine how it will recover, and
that includes how to handle unmet needs," CWS Emergency Response
Specialist Bryan Crousore said.

Most communities end up addressing the needs of vulnerable populations
by forming long-term recovery committees.  These groups bring together
locals from the faith-based and secular worlds to help address cases of
need. The locally based long-term recovery group oversees each case of
need and is most effective at seeking help from, among other resources,
national-level disaster assistance groups.

"³It¹s important for the community to come together and figure out  how
cases of need will be addressed," Crousore said. "There are plenty of
communities affected by this flood where needs will far outweigh what
kind of government
assistance can fix."

There is no charge for the workshop but registrations are encouraged
for planning purposes.  Register by calling Noelridge Christian Church
at
319-393-9532.

The Cedar Rapids Inter-religious Council, Churches United, Rev. Msgr.
Russell M. Bleich, Episcopal Vicar of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, and
Noelridge Christian Church are inviting all clergy and lay leaders in
the Cedar Valley to attend one of the two sessions.

Founded in 1946, Church World Service is a global humanitarian agency,
supported by public donations, grants, and by 35 Protestant, Orthodox
and Anglican denominations in the U.S.  Church World Service assists
communities in responding to disasters, resettles refugees, promotes
fair national and international policies, provides educational
resources, nurtures ecumenical relationships, and offers opportunities
for people to join its network of
local and global caring.
##

Media Contacts

Lesley Crosson, (212) 870-2676, lcrosson@churchworldservice.org
Jan Dragin - 24/7 - (781) 925-1526, jdragin@gis.net

> Church World Service
> 475 Riverside Drive
> New York, New York 10115