Title: Disciples respond to areas hit by spring storms
Date: April 27, 1998
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
98c-24
As damage from spring storms in the United States mounts, Disciples are responding through Week of Compassion. A total of $42,500 has been shared so far this year just for North American disasters.
In the most recent tornados, April 16, some 20 Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) homes in the Nashville, Tenn., area were damaged. Also damaged was the Eastwood Christian Church. An initial grant of $3,000 has been sent from Week of Compassion.
Some seven mobile homes have also been donated by a Disciples businessman to assist victims in Tennessee. This brings the number of mobile homes donated in the past year to disaster victims to 30.
The April 8 tornados in the Southeast affected families in four Atlanta-area Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregations. At least 15 Disciples families have damaged homes; destruction varies from severe to moderate. Grants totaling $3,500 have been sent to the congregations. No Disciples families were affected in Alabama; no churches were damaged in either state.
In Georgia and Alabama, Week of Compassion is also working with pastors and Church World Service disaster response consultants. This aid is a long-term, faith-based response to meet both physical and spiritual needs of the survivors. Already $12,000 has been given by Week of Compassion for the long-term effort in the Southeast.
In mid-April, WOC sent $5,000 to the Christian Church in Illinois/Wisconsin to help low-income people in Bath and Mattoon, Ill. Tornadoes ravaged those central Illinois towns April 7. That assistance is being coordinated by the Illinois Council of Churches. One of the trailer homes was also sent to a disabled man in Bath whose house was destroyed.
Towns in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota are still in various stages of recovery and rebuilding after floods and tornados. Other communities in Alabama and Georgia suffered flood damage.
Other North American disasters assisted by Week of Compassion this year are:
$1,000 - First Christian Church, Haines City, Fla., tornado assistance
$4,500 - Church World Service, winter ice storms in the US and Canada
$3,000 - Christian Church in Northern California, Nevada, flood assistance
$1,000 - Devine, Texas, hailstorm assistance
$6,000 - CWS, California floods and storms
$1,500 - First Christian Church, Albany, Ga., flood
$1,000 - Stoneville (N.C.) Christian Church, tornado
$1,000 - First Christian Church, Mankato, Minn., tornado
Disciples who would like to respond to the church's assistance ministry may contribute to the WOC Response Fund. Contributions may also be directed, if the contributor desires, to a particular state or community.
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