NEW YORK CITY — John Backer spent the first few of his 61 years with Church World Service (CWS) waiting by the piers in New York City. The reason? To help new refugee arrivals from World War II-ravaged Europe get to Penn Station to start the train trip to their new resettlement destinations in cities and towns across America. CWS …
Hurricane Isaac, late summer storms 2012
September 26, 2012
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 now been restored to the more than 1 million homes where it was lost in the …
Updated emergency appeal: Hurricane Isaac and late summer storms 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 …