wfn.org | Newsline: Brethren funds give grants for disaster, hunger response in US and Africa

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Feb. 26, 2009
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

BRETHREN FUNDS GIVE GRANTS FOR DISASTER, HUNGER RESPONSE IN U.S. AND AFRICA

(Feb. 26, 2009) Elgin, IL -- Grants have gone out from two Church of the Br ethren funds--the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) and the Global Food Crisis  Fund (GFCF)--to respond to disaster and hunger domestically within the US a s well as in Kenya, Liberia, and Darfur, Sudan.

International grants include: 

-- $40,000 from the EDF to support a Church World Service (CWS) appeal for  continuing humanitarian needs in the Darfur region of Sudan;
-- $30,000 from the EDF for a CWS appeal following a declaration of famine  from the government of Kenya, where an estimated 10 million people are affe cted; and
-- a GFCF grant of $5,000 to assist Church Aid Inc., in a program of seed d istribution and skill training in Liberia.

Domestic grants include:

-- $35,000 from the EDF for an ongoing Brethren Disaster Ministries project  in Johnson County, Ind., following heavy rains and flooding last year;
-- an EDF allocation of $10,000 for the Brethren Disaster Ministries progra m in Rushford, Minn., repairing and rebuilding homes of flood survivors;
-- an EDF allocation of $5,000 supporting a CWS appeal after a destructive  spring storm season across the US in 2008; and
-- a grant of $5,000 from the EDF to assist people who are ineligible for f ederal funding following major flooding in Hawaii, aiding work by the Hawai i State VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster).

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continu ing 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 t raditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated it s 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 Nig eria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org