News & Updates | Posted Monday, July 23, 2018
Yance Tefa is better known by Mama Yance in her community in remote southern West Timor. She lives with her husband and four kids, who range from four to 16 and are all students. Like most of her neighbors, Mama Yance is a household farmer. She raises pigs for her primary income, while many of her neighbors raise corn or …
News & Updates | Posted Friday, May 18, 2018
June 4 Update: Our team has installed 10,000-liter (2,642-gallon) water tanks in six of the seven camps that we identified, and we have made arrangements with the Kenya Red Cross to have the tanks filled with clean water. Portable latrines have been installed in each camp. Hygiene and sanitation education sessions have been conducted and will continue this week. We …
News & Updates | Posted Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Situation Severe weather has swept across the American midwest in recent weeks. Flooding has devastated communities in northern Indiana and nearby parts of Michigan; Indiana declared a state of emergency for 22 counties. CNN reports that flash flood warnings or states of emergency have been issued in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio. Flooding is also anticipated in Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. The Wall Street Journal has …
News & Updates | Posted Saturday, February 24, 2018
Everyone – staff and clients — at Episcopal Community Health Services, known as ECHOS, in southwest Houston know it when they see it. Cathy Moore, ECHOS Director, and her staff know that people who come to ECHOS are trying to stabilize and improve their lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Even now, months after the storm, folks are rebuilding …
News & Updates | Posted Wednesday, January 10, 2018
During my first visit to Houston, shortly after Hurricane Harvey struck, I saw the flooding and the destroyed furniture piled along the streets in so many neighborhoods. Many organizations were providing much-needed immediate assistance. Four months after the storm, I returned to Houston to visit with ECHOS and the leaders of the Cambodian Village in Rosharon. I wanted to know …
News & Updates | Posted Friday, December 15, 2017
As we approach end of year celebrations, this is a good time to take stock, reflect and see what lies ahead in terms of climate change. Here is my own 2017 review – the good, the bad and the hopeful. The good news is that, even if 2017 was marked by shock and dismay at the dismantling of once-bold U.S. …
News & Updates | Posted Monday, October 2, 2017
Appeal code: 628-G Appeal amount: $600,000 This is an update to the September 11 appeal, which can be found here. Situation In the past six weeks, three powerful hurricanes have battered parts of the United States. There are nearly two months left in hurricane season as well. Hurricane Harvey dumped up to 50 inches of rain on parts of Texas. Piles of …
News & Updates | Posted Monday, September 11, 2017
Appeal code: 628-G Appeal amount: $500,000 This is an update to the August 29 appeal, which can be found here. Situation Just over two weeks after Hurricane Harvey battered Texas’s Gulf Coast, Hurricane Irma churned north along Florida’s Gulf Coast this weekend. Although Irma has been downgraded to a Tropical Storm, it left as many as 6.5 million people across Florida without power. Nearly 10,000 army personnel are taking …
News & Updates | Posted Friday, August 19, 2016
Situation Torrential rainfall has resulted in massive flooding in southern Louisiana. About 40,000 homes have been destroyed by the floods and roughly 30,000 people have been rescued. Thirteen people have been killed and 86,500 people have filed for federal aid. (Source: New York Times) CWS Response When major emergencies happen in the United States, CWS provides supplies as requested, including …
News & Updates | Posted Friday, August 19, 2016
On World Humanitarian Day, we recognize the humanitarian aid workers who stand on the front lines of conflict and disaster, braving tremendous dangers and difficulties to help those who need it most. One of these humanitarian aid workers is my colleague, Harun Tambing. Harun has been a team member and leader in many of the humanitarian response actions that CWS …