CWS emergency appeal: 2012 severe storms and tornadoes


March 5, 2012

Appeal Number 627-T Update Revised Appeal Goal: $110,000 New Appeal Goal: $110,000 Situation Two series of tornadoes and severe storms have affected large swaths of 13 states on Feb. 28 and 29 and then again on March 2 and 3. In all, 51 people perished in the two sets of storms – 39 in the recent storms, 12 in the …

CWS emergency appeal: Syria humanitarian crisis


February 24, 2012

Appeal #: 6827 CWS appeal goal: $100,000 Situation: The ongoing political crisis in Syria has caused tens of thousands to be caught in the crossfire between government and opposition forces. The result? Thousands of Syrians have fled their homes, choosing to escape the violence. Many have migrated to neighboring countries, and many are arriving to more stable areas of Syria. …

Ending child malnutrition in Kenya, one sprinkle at a time


MWINGI DISTRICT, Kenya –– In a country facing some of the highest malnutrition rates in more than a decade, global humanitarian agency Church World Service announced today that it has launched a nutritional supplement initiative aimed at reaching thousands of malnourished children in eastern Kenya whose physical and mental development and health are permanently at risk. Working in collaboration with …

Advocating for Pinhook


CWS flood response in Missouri: Debra Tarver – YouTube Video CWS Emergency Response Specialist Bryan Crousore traveled to the Missouri House of Representatives on Feb. 22 to show support for the people of Pinhook, a Missouri village that was deliberately flooded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of a flood control program. Debra Tarver, Chairman of the …

CWS Emergency Appeal: Eastern Europe weather


February 14, 2012

Overview: Europe continues to do battle against extreme weather, as plunging temperatures and heavy snowfall sweep through large parts of the continent.  The cold snap that has killed 480 people to date – about a quarter in eastern Europe, and many of them homeless – shows no signs of stopping, while hundreds of Eastern European villages remain cut off because …

Valentine lifesavers: ‘Candy’s dandy but alternative gifts are quicker and grander’


February 10, 2012

NEW YORK, N.Y. – For Valentine’s Day, candy’s dandy but alternative gifts are quicker, go farther, and don’t show up on the bathroom scales, says humanitarian agency Church World Service. The relief, development and refugee protection agency says giving an affordable, “alternative gift” in your sweetheart’s name helps people in the world’s poorest communities rise out of poverty, hunger and …

Situation report: Eastern Europe weather


February 9, 2012

Situation: More than 120 people, many homeless, have died in recent days due to recent frigid temperatures in eastern Europe.  The weather has also stranded people in Serbia and Bosnia, where snow levels have trapped residents in villages.  Elsewhere in eastern Europe, the cold has closed schools and airports, paralyzing parts of the region. Sub-zero temperatures have gripped the region …

CWS emergency appeal update: 2012 severe storms and tornadoes


February 3, 2012

Appeal Number 627-T Update Appeal Goal: $30,000 Situation: Severe storms impacted the south on January 22 and 23. States impacted were Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky. Alabama was the hardest hit with an EF-3 tornado causing significant destruction. FEMA has declared a Major Disaster Declaration (FEMA-4052-DR-Alabama) for Chilton and Jefferson Counties in Alabama. The declaration is for individual assistance. …

Zion UCC promotes Blankets+ in the Advent-Christmas season


January 27, 2012

“Zion U.C.C. in Henderson, Ky, schedules the Church World Service Blankets+ appeal in the Advent-Christmas season.  We use posters to announce the effort and publish it with a list of mission projects.  We have a CWS blanket displayed and used in our youth and children’s sermon during worship.  During the presentation, which frankly is just as much for the adults …

Albion, Michigan, Church Makes School Kits for Storm Survivors


January 24, 2012

The youth at our small church took on the huge task of putting together 30 School Kits to help children who lost their schools and places of education through the storms and floods.  Our children, who call themselves “Helping Hands,” collected change from the congregation every Sunday morning and then decided how to put the money to good use.  Church …