wfn.org | Newsline: Brethren Disaster Ministries participates in blitz build in New Orleans

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl Brumbau gh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

BRETHREN DISASTER MINISTRIES PARTICIPATES IN ECUMENICAL BLITZ BUILD IN NEW  ORLEANS

(April 24, 2009) Elgin, IL -- Brethren Disaster Ministries and Church of th e Brethren volunteers are participating in an ecumenical Blitz Build curren tly taking place in New Orleans to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Kat rina.

Brethren Disaster Ministries is providing 15 volunteers per week for all fo ur weeks of the project.

The Blitz Build is sponsored by Church World Service with the participation  of 10 Christian denominations, working with the local New Orleans longterm  recovery organization Crescent Alliance Recovery Effort.

Volunteers began work on April 20 in the community of Little Woods, which i s described as a historic lakefront community in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. T he project will repair or rebuild 12 homes during the four weeks from April  19-May 16.

During the first morning orientation, more than 125 volunteers gathered fro m the 10 Christian denominations, including the Church of the Brethren, acc ording to Brethren Disaster Ministries coordinator Jane Yount. The Blitz Bu ild is gathering the diverse volunteers under the themes, "Working as One,"  and "Rebuilding Homes, Reclaiming Hope." To kick off the event, volunteers  each hammered a single nail into a common board to represent their partici pation in the project.

A link to the photo album by CWS's Matthew Hackworth is provided at www.bre thren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=serve_brethren_disaster_ministries_upd ates.

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.

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>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