News & Updates | Posted Thursday, May 30, 2013
CWS Central America and Caribbean Liaison Don Tatlock lives in Granbury, Texas. His work requires frequent travel to the region, but he was in Granbury on May 15 when as many as three tornados hit the town. “We heard the siren and the televised warnings,” he said. “My wife and I were home and took shelter in the bathroom. All …
News & Updates | Posted Saturday, May 25, 2013
When a natural disaster strikes such as Hurricane Sandy or most recently the Oklahoma tornado, how do you respond? There are those who go on social media such as Facebook and Twitter to express their thoughts and send out prayers. While there are others who sit patiently by the television and wait for an update from their local news broadcast. …
News & Updates | Posted Friday, May 24, 2013
For CWS Great Plains Assistant Regional Director Rebekah Belase, this past week’s devastating tornados struck very close to home. Belase commutes to her office in Topeka, Kansas, from her home in Stillwater, Okla. Stillwater is about a 90-minute drive from Moore. It feels even closer – “I have quite a few friends from college who live in Moore and Norman,” …
News & Updates | Posted Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Appeal # 627-Y Initial CWS Appeal Goal: $55,000 Situation: Emergency responders are still in “search-and-rescue” mode, trying to find survivors of a devastating tornado that destroyed large areas of the Oklahoma City area on Monday (May 20). The community of Moore, Okla., was particularly hard-hit. It was still not clear how many people died in the devastation, with numbers fluctuating …
News & Updates | Posted Tuesday, May 7, 2013
As the 2,500th CWS Emergency Cleanup Bucket arrives today in flood-ravaged Illinois, Church World Service is appealing urgently for people to replenish its rapidly dwindling supply. Heavy precipitation from early 2013 storms and floods has resulted in widespread and severe flooding in Illinois and other states. “The CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets are giving hope and help to survivors,” said Barry …
News & Updates | Posted Thursday, May 2, 2013
It has been six months since Superstorm Sandy slammed into the New York/New Jersey coast, and survivors’ painful memories remain fresh. So do their needs. CWS Blankets, Emergency Cleanup Buckets and other CWS Kits helped many survivors get through the first days after the storm passed. Since then, CWS has been helping communities organize long-term recovery groups, which bring together …
News & Updates | Posted Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Appeal # 627-X Revised appeal goal: $80,000 Situation: The past 10 days were marked by a string of weather- and non-weather-related disasters across the United States. These included: The Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, claiming three lives and injuring 176 persons, many severely. More than 40 individuals remain in hospitals. The West, Texas, fertilizer plant explosion on April 17, …
News & Updates | Posted Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Appeal: # 627-X Appeal goal: $25,000 Situation: Severe weather April 10-13 brought high winds, heavy rains and tornadoes to states in the U.S. Midwest and South. States affected include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Additionally, a strong winter storm continued to bring heavy snow, hail and freezing rain to the Upper Midwest. The states affected …
News & Updates | Posted Thursday, April 4, 2013
Appeal# 700-F Appeal Goal: $40,000 Situation Thirty-six people died in a fire that broke out March 22 in the Ban Mae Surin refugee camp, in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. The fire swept through two sections of the camp destroying nearly everything; the fire was caused by a cooking accident. The victims reportedly included children, elderly and the disabled, who …
News & Updates | Posted Monday, April 1, 2013
Sometimes a blanket is about more than just providing warmth – they provide comfort. This is my favorite blanket. I lost my dad in 2004 and my friend had this quilt made out of his jeans for me. This blanket provides me with warmth plus so much more! Please support the CWS Blankets+ Program and help us provide warmth and …