wfn.org | TCN: Churches seek youth to help young typhoon victims

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3000 Edition

>August 24~30, 2009

Churches seek youth to help young typhoon victims

>Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan

>Written by Lydia Ma

After Typhoon Morakot rescue and relief efforts come to a close,  relocation and

rebuilding must begin. The most important rebuilding of all may be  the emotional

>healing of victims.

Just before students start school again, churches housing typhoon  victims have

asked college students to help children and youth who lost their  homes during the

typhoon by offering tutoring sessions and leading group activities  and games

According to reports, children make up a significant percentage of  victims

temporarily housed by churches. For example, of all the victims  staying at

Kangshan Presbyterian Church in Kaohsiung County, about 25% are  less than

16 years old, and about 50% of victims staying at Mucha  Presbyterian Church in

>Kaohsiung County are children and youth.

Since children are normally carefree, full of energy, and  accustomed to running

around like they did while living at home, living in churches has  its constraints for

them. Furthermore, their parents are now focused on getting jobs  and securing

government compensation, and most likely don’t have enough  time or energy to

play with them or help them rediscover laughter.

Fully aware of these children’s needs, the Presbyterian  Church in Taiwan Youth

Ministry Committee Secretary Itan Pavavalong and Tainan Presbytery  Beimen

Church Pastor Rev. Chi Chia-sheng decided to ask youth from  churches not

affected by the storm to become volunteers. They want to ask youth  fellowships

from these churches to sponsor one church each and take turns  volunteering.

Chi said he hopes youth from Tainan presbytery will volunteer to  help as it would

give them an opportunity to participate in typhoon relief efforts  as well. Because

students will soon start school again, volunteering activities  will be scheduled

>during weekends.

When offering assistance, volunteers must first ask churches or  shelters what

kind of help is needed, plan ahead instead of arriving empty  handed and starting

from scratch at the scene (for example, prepare appropriate books  and songs

beforehand), plan various short activities during their visits but  commit to

volunteering at a shelter for the long term, assess their own  gifts, abilities, and

limitations, and extend empathy instead of patronizing victims or  church staff.

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