Title: Disciples relief flowing to Texas and around the world
Date: June 18, 2001
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
01c-34
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Week of Compassion (WOC), the disaster relief and humanitarian assistance fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), has sent $21,000 of emergency flood relief funds to the Coastal Plains Area of the Christian Church in the Southwest. The homes of at least 74 Houston, Texas-area Disciples families in some 14 congregations were damaged in flooding brought on by Tropical Storm Allison.
At least five Disciples congregations sustained varying levels of damage to their church buildings and equipment. They are: Cypress Creek Christian Church, Spring; Bellaire Christian Church, Houston; Heights Christian Church, Houston; Woodland Christian Church, Houston; and Oaks Christian Church, Houston. Water also damaged Woodland Christian Tower, Houston, a residential facility of the National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
The Rev. Johnny Wray, WOC administrative director, says there is a need for gifts designated for Texas flood relief. Such gifts may be sent to Week of Compassion, P.O. Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN, 46206. Donations should be marked "floods."
Meanwhile, an 11 percent increase of Disciples giving to Week of Compassion through April enabled the fund's oversight committee to allocate additional funds for emergency response as well as long-term development efforts.
The Committee on Week of Compassion met June 8-9 in Fort Worth. Co-chairing the meeting were the Rev. Dan Webster, First Christian Church, Wilmington, N.C.; and Judy Meneghin, Murray Hills Christian Church, Beaverton, Ore.
According to Johnny Wray, $100,000 of the increase will be added to the response fund budget. This is much needed, the director said, "since the high number of disasters had caused us to spend half of our yearly budget by the end of April." Those disasters include massive earthquakes in India and Honduras. In that time period WOC responded to some kind of disaster or emergency somewhere in the world once every 1.9 days.
The committee approved $44,000 for four emergency needs during its meeting. That aid will address a health crisis in the Congo, famine in Ethiopia and refugee emergencies in Angola and Indonesia.
Some $50,000 in additional funds were also added to the budget for priority projects. At the meeting the committee approved $191,000 for 23 projects.
Wray highlighted two of the projects: For only $21,500, Disciples will help vaccinate 330,000 persons in Honduras. For less than .08 cent per dose, persons will be vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella. The program will be administered by the Christian Commission for Development, longtime Disciples partners.
Another grant will enable Disciples to be part of Connections 2001, this year's camp at Ferncliff, Ark., for youth who are survivors of violence. This is the fourth year of the camp which invites youth who were part of the tragic events at schools in Jonesboro, Ark; Paducah, Ky.; Littleton, Colo.; etc. The purpose of the camp is to provide opportunities for sharing and grief, but more importantly, to bring hope.
Six youth from Disciples-related All Peoples Christian Center, Los Angeles, will also participate and be sponsored by WOC.
Additional information about Week of Compassion outreach is available on the Internet at: www.weekofcompassion.org or at 317-713-2442.
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