Updated emergency appeal: Hurricane Isaac and late summer storms 2012


September 26, 2012

APPEAL # 627-V CWS APPEAL GOAL: $100,000 (unchanged) FUNDS RECEIVED: $15,000 FUNDS EXPENDED: $9,000 (estimated) Situation: Hurricane Isaac’s drenching rains in late August caused extensive flooding in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana, with Louisiana being the hardest-hit of the four states. In its wake the slow-moving storm took eight lives and caused an estimated $2 billion in damage. Power has …

Central Sulawesi (Indonesia) earthquake


September 25, 2012

APPEAL#: 700-D CWS APPEAL GOAL: $ 131,967 (AMOUNT NEEDED: $31,967) Situation: An Aug. 18 earthquake in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province caused severe damage in the Sigi district, affecting the sub-districts of Kulawi, Gumasa and Lindu.  Some 330 houses were totally or severely damaged; 851 sustained moderate damage. Rebuilding lost or damaged shelter remains the top priority in the affected areas, …

CWS urges Americans to join actions for World Food Day


September 20, 2012

New York, N.Y. — Looking toward World Food Day – Tuesday, October 16 – humanitarian agency Church World Service has called for Americans to make the fight to end hunger a regular part of their daily diets, citing the one in seven people who are hungry in the world, a looming food crisis and, in the U.S., the 1 in 6 people …

What each part of the “plus” means in CWS Blankets+


September 19, 2012

Five children explained what each part of the “plus” means in CWS Blankets+ and then they put the “plus” together on the large blanket during the Children’s Moment of the service… I made black “pluses” to put on the windows in the Sanctuary, one for every $50 collected. Last year Churchill Memorial United Methodist Church donated $1567 to Blankets+, so …

Join CWS in honoring John Backer’s 61 years of service


September 17, 2012

John Backer holds the record as the longest serving employee and volunteer in Church World Service history, totaling 61 years of service in its refugee and international leadership development programs. Beginning in 1950 as a CWS volunteer, Backer would wait by the piers in New York City, helping new refugee arrivals from war-ravaged Europe reach their resettlement destinations in the …

CWS condemns Benghazi violence and inflammatory anti-Muslim actions


September 13, 2012

Washington D.C. – Church World Service expressed sorrow and grave concern today over Tuesday’s violence in Libya that led to the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three U.S. consulate staff members in Benghazi and wounded Libyan citizens. In a statement this morning from CWS President and CEO the Rev. John L. McCullough, the faith-based agency, which provides relief …

Hurricane Isaac and late summer storms 2012


September 5, 2012

Situation: Hurricane Isaac has left heavy damage behind as it crossed the states of Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Texas. While it had only Category One winds, Isaac was a large and wide ranging storm with significant storm surge and extremely heavy rainfall. The remaining moisture from the storm continues to cause intense rainfall in much of the eastern United …

If you’re an Iowa college student, raising $50,000 to fight hunger ain’t hay


September 4, 2012

DeWitt, Iowa — DeWitt, Iowa, college sophomore Joshua Willey is determined to do his part to end hunger in his lifetime, and he’s not deterred by the looming obstacles: the global food crisis, the 1 billion hungry people in the world, this summer’s unprecedented droughts or the still sluggish economy that is taking a toll on the budgets of many …

Tropical Storm Isaac: CWS Situation Report


August 27, 2012

Situation report: Tropical Storm Isaac struck the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba over the weekend and continued into the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the U.S. Gulf Coast. The Associated Press has reported eight fatalities in Haiti and two in the Dominican Republic. Winds and flooding have destroyed and damaged tents that still house some survivors of the 2010 Haitian earthquake. …

Syria Humanitarian Crisis


August 23, 2012

APPEAL #: 6827 New CWS appeal goal: $ 175,000 Funds Received/Pledged to Date: $40,000 (NOTE: THIS UPDATES AN APPEAL FIRST ISSUED FEB. 24) Situation: The ongoing conflict in Syria has displaced some 2.5 million persons, with hundreds of thousands displaced within the country and others crossing borders in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Jordan is now host to some …