New York, N.Y. – As part of its ongoing work in support of recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy, global humanitarian agency Church World Service will present a series of long-term recovery trainings in the outer boroughs of New York City, March 4-7. The three planned workshops in Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn are designed to provide those working to help communities …
The Broader Meaning of Our Work
Chris Herlinger | February 23, 2013
It’s not often that you get to write and explain the deeper meaning of your work. But that’s what happened to me recently when America magazine, a Jesuit magazine based here in New York City, asked me to reflect on my time as a “humanitarian journalist” for CWS and others. America published the piece in its most recent issue. The …
Giving Hope
Caroline Kuse | February 22, 2013
What do you think of when you think of Rwanda – giraffes? Genocide? Poverty? In all honesty, if you answered any of those items, you’d be accurate to some extent – but my experience with Giving Hope, a CWS program implemented by the YWCA of Rwanda at a grassroots level, allowed me to experience so much more than these superficial …
How the Dominican Republic Changed My Life
Krista Connelly | February 19, 2013
It had been a long morning in the Dominican Republic, visiting a local community called Antonci. We had just spent hours in the crop fields under the Caribbean sun, learning all of the wonderful ways in which CWS and our local partners have helped transform this community and the families who live here. We were just about to leave when …
It isn’t sexy work – but it needs to get done
Chris Herlinger | February 15, 2013
Sometimes it takes an outsider to help you say what you want to say. For years, those of us involved in our emergency response work have struggled with “the message” of what we do in the United States. It’s been a struggle because it isn’t sexy work; it’s long and drawn out, and the fruit it bears can take years. …
My two cents on President’s Obama’s State of the Union address
Maurice Bloem | February 14, 2013
I was disappointed that the president seemed to have forgotten what he said at the 2012 G-8 Summit: “We can unleash the change that reduces hunger and malnutrition. . . . I pledge to you today that this will remain a priority as long as I am the United States president.” We commended him for this commitment in a letter …
Improve the world from our kitchen table
Maurice Bloem |
People who know me have heard me say at more than one occasion that ending hunger and malnutrition is possible in our lifetime. I know that there are still skeptics but we really do know what is required to make this a reality. For one we need to ensure that we give a child the proper start by ensuring that …
The Truth About Haiti
Aaron Tate | February 13, 2013
Three months after the devastating January 2010 Haiti earthquake, the often-insightful and hilarious satirical newspaper The Onion published the article “Area Man Visits Haiti to Check Up on $10 Donation.” Not surprisingly, the “area man,” Brad Halder, was quite disappointed, saying “to tell you the truth, I was expecting to see more new houses by now.” Bad news articles about …
NYC orgs partner to help green card holders become U.S. citizens
***EDITORS’ NOTE: Interviews available on request with CWS immigration legal services specialists and naturalized New York residents who’ve become citizens or are now applying for citizenship. New York City, N.Y. — Humanitarian agency Church World Service (CWS) has joined with other New York legal service providers and nonprofit organizations as part of an unprecedented national network of businesses, faith-based organizations, …
CWS to Senate: ‘real progress would be path to citizenship’
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Following this morning’s United States Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration reform, global humanitarian agency Church World Service issued a statement to all Senate members urging comprehensive reforms that include measures to strengthen family unity and “a workable, clear and attainable path to full citizenship for the approximately 11 million men, women and children who are undocumented.” …