wfn.org | Newsline: Church of the Brethren begins response to Haiti earthquake

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

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

>CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN BEGINS RESPONSE
>TO HAITI EARTHQUAKE

(Jan. 13, 2010) Elgin, IL -- The Church of the Brethren
has begun its response to the devastating earthquake that
hit Haiti yesterday evening, with plans for work to support
Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Haitian Church of the
Brethren) and continuing disaster relief efforts in the
Caribbean island nation. The Brethren effort will be a
cooperative one, involving Brethren Disaster Ministries
and the church's Global Mission Partnerships.

A powerful 7.0 earthquake struck 10 miles from the
capital city of Port-au-Prince at 4:53 p.m. yesterday.
"The Church of the Brethren has three congregations
in the heavily impacted areas. Thus, we anticipate
many Church of the Brethren families have lost homes,
friends, and possibly loved ones," reports Roy Winter,
executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries.

The Church of the Brethren and its Brethren Disaster
Ministries program has established resources and
capacity to respond already in place because of the
current rebuilding project following the four hurricanes
and tropical storms that hit Haiti in 2008.

Brethren Disaster Ministries will be working with the
church's mission department and the Haitian Brethren
congregations on a long-term response to this earthquake,
Winter said. "In the coming days we will combine our
efforts with other organizations to provide emergency
relief. We anticipate humanitarian needs in the heavily
impacted areas and along the border of the Dominican
Republic as Haitians try to seek assistance in their
neighboring country. Of great concern is that civil unrest
and violence may once again erupt as people become
desperate for water, food, and shelter," he said.

A conference call yesterday evening was held with the
church's Haiti Working Group, which has been helping
guide the current rebuilding effort in Haiti. The group
includes Haiti mission coordinator Ludovic St. Fleur,
pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens in Miami, Fla.,
who has been a guiding force in the establishment of a
Brethren church in Haiti. Eglise des Freres Haitiens now
includes several congregations and preaching points in
various areas of the country including Port-au-Prince.
Jeff Boshart, coordinator of the disaster response project
in Haiti as well as Winter and others were on the conference
call. But the group was unable to communicate with anyone
in Haiti yesterday evening.

>From the news reports coming out of Haiti since the earthquake,
Winter said in a phone interview this morning that he fears
"this will become a multi-fold disaster." From experience
with previous such disaster situations, more deaths may
follow the initial event if needs for water, food, and shelter
are not met, he said, and disease and civil unrest may become
a factor in widespread disaster situations, he added.

Winter and his staff are working to monitor the disaster,
contact Brethren in Haiti, and confer with ecumenical partners
such as Church World Service. He also has been in conversation
with Irvin Heishman, Church of the Brethren mission coordinator
in the Dominican Republic--which shares the island on which
Haiti is located.

Brethren Disaster Ministries announced that it is unknown
whether the earthquake will affect plans for the Haiti
workcamp which was to start on Jan. 23.

Leaders from a Church of the Brethren partner, IMA World
Health, were in Port-au-Prince for meetings when the quake
struck, but they are uninjured, reports Brethren Disaster
Ministries. IMA World Health has its headquarters based at
the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.

A second Church of the Brethren conference call involving a
broader range of church staff was scheduled for later this
morning to address how the Brethren response to the earthquake
may best be carried out. Also under discussion is funding for
the effort, and how church members and congregations may
take part.

How to contribute to the Church of the Brethren disaster
relief effort in Haiti:

Congregations and church members and others are invited to
help contribute to the effort in Haiti through a special donations
page that will be available later today at www.brethren.org<http://www.bret hren.org>.
"Your support of this response is desperately needed. Please
give to Church of the Brethren Haiti Relief," Winter said.

A special website, 'Prayers for Haiti,' also is now available
at https://secure2.convio.net/cob/admin/SurveyAdmin?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_A CTION_PREVIEW_SURVEY&SURVEY_ID=2280&pps=true
 giving an opportunity to write prayers to be shared with
Brethren in Haiti.

"Today we know many church members here in the US have
direct connections to Haiti, including friends that are trapped,
churches that are likely damaged or destroyed," Winter said.
"Please take time to stop and pray for our brothers and sisters
in Haiti, and all Haitians."

Relief supplies also will be needed. Brethren Disaster Ministries
requests donations of Gift of the Heart Hygiene Kits and School
Kits, which will be in large demand. The kits should be sent to
the Brethren Service Center, P.O. Box 188, New Windsor, MD
21776. For instructions to make the kits, go to
www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=kits_main<http://www. churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=kits_main

Donations of food and water supplies as well as clothing will not be
needed at this time--food and water supplies will be purchased in
bulk by the agencies doing the disaster response.

More news will be released later today as information becomes
available. Look for more to come at www.brethren.org<http://www.brethren.or g

># # #

>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