Stories of Change

Top: Reginald, Manna from Heaven volunteer, carries CWS Cleanup Buckets; Middle: Cindy and Lois (founder of Manna from Heaven) at distribution event; Bottom: CWS Buckets ready for distribution in Kentucky

Saving Homes and Changing Lives

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to wake up one night to the sound of rushing water flooding your home? How it would feel to see your belongings get destroyed or washed away? For most of us, the answer is probably no. We don’t think a natural disaster might affect us…until it does.

For Sandy Gunnell, when her 90-year-old mother was impacted by the recent flooding in Kentucky, she couldn’t believe what was happening. She shared, “I received a phone call from my family at 3 a.m. that my mom’s house was being flooded. I thought it was a prank call as we had not received an undue amount of rain. But upon trying to get to her house I soon found out that the town of Wayland was totally under water from a flash flood situation.”

Sandy also recalled the testimony of Ronnie and Jenifer Patton, who live in Estill in Floyd County, Kentucky. “They watched everything they had worked for slowly fill up with water and watched a lot of their stuff float out of their house and down the now swollen creek,” she said.

The Pattons and the Gunnells are amongst the thousands of families affected by the flooding in Kentucky. Sandy explained, “everyone we know has suffered some type of damage to their property or homes.” Despite the loss and devastation that has come from the flooding, Sandy is optimistic and stated, “we will stick together until everyone has been able to return home.”

Sandy is the director of the disaster relief non-profit, Sisters of Hope, and has been helping distribute CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets and Blankets to those affected by the disaster. She shared that the Patton family was “very appreciative of the donations of blankets and cleanup buckets from CWS,” and added that her family will also use the buckets to help clean her mother’s home.

In the nearby town of Myra, Cindy Zorn echoes the same optimism and desire to help. Through a local organization, Manna from Heaven, Cindy has spent about a decade combating food insecurity in Myra. Following the heavy rains, the Manna from Heaven office was drowned in about six feet of flooding. Cindy recalled that the organization lost all of its recent food deliveries, six refrigerators and six freezers.

In response, Manna from Heaven has been distributing food donations and CWS Buckets and Kits. Cindy explained that for many communities in rural Kentucky, reacting to natural disasters is especially difficult due to poverty and the remote nature of their towns. She said, “The closest hotel to stay at is about 15 miles away and the closest supermarket is 15-20 miles away…they are kind of the forgotten people and the most vulnerable. To be able to hand out buckets to the most vulnerable people is truly a blessing.”

Manna from Heaven is continuing to distribute kits and buckets to their community. Cindy shared, “people are asking about the buckets, they’re using them, they’re picking them up for their neighbor, they’re thrilled to have them.” She added, “to come together and create these buckets as a family or a church group, you’re not just filling buckets, you’re saving someone’s home, you’re changing lives.”

From the hands of volunteers to the local organizations that distribute them to the communities that use them, CWS Kits and Blankets are bringing communities together and ensuring that no one is ever forgotten.

Click here to learn more about how you can join us as we respond to disasters in Kentucky and around the world.

During Times of Loss, Hope Prevails


September 9, 2022

When looking through the photos from the deadly floods in Pakistan, one main word comes to mind: loss. Thousands of lives, entire communities and the livelihoods of millions have been lost to the raging waters. To understand the gravity of this loss, our partner, Community World Service Asia, has been on the ground visiting communities and speaking with locals. For …

Stories of Change

Top: Michael Kendagor stands next to rations, Middle: Local officer gives rations to resident, Bottom: Children laugh next to food rations

8,000 Lives Changed

In countries around the world, we are seeing the close connection between climate change and hunger. The ability to grow food is largely dependent on the environment. If the environment lacks stability, so does our ability to put food on the table. This tight-knit, cause-and-effect type of situation describes the current state of many communities in Kenya.

With our generous partner, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, we have been monitoring the historic drought in Kenya and providing food assistance to those most affected. You may recall our recent project in Tana River County. Thanks to our partner, we are moving north and providing similar assistance to communities in the town of Lasiabis in Marsabit County.

In Laisamis, all are feeling the effect of hunger on their day-to-day lives. Local officer, Charles Mbole, shared, “several students have dropped out of school in this region due to starvation. Some have moved with their animals in search of pastures and others are too weak to walk to school.” Julieta Sumper, a local resident and program participant added, “our children were malnourished. Some were only surviving on nuts.”

The assistance provided has been the much-needed relief many families needed to regain their strength. Michael Kendagor, CWS’ Emergency Coordinator explained, “we are here to reach out to about 4,000 households, which is about 26% of the entire population of Laisamis sub-county. For each household, we are giving about 50 kilos of maize, 7 kilos of beans, 3 liters of cooking oil and half a kilo of salt.” (That’s about 110 pounds of corn, 7 pounds of beans, almost 1 gallon of oil and a little over a pound of salt!)

In response to the assistance, Julieta said, “we are thankful for the food assistance from CWS.” Our current goal is to reach about 8,000 people within the sub-counties by the end of the project. These 8,000 individuals represent a child who can go to school again, a parent who no longer has to worry about their children going hungry and a neighbor who can choose to stay in the place they call home.

We would like to thank our partners, Canadian Foodgrains Bank and the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, as well as Global Affairs Canada for allowing this assistance to be possible. 

Situation Report: Flooding Response in Eastern Kentucky


August 12, 2022

Appeal Code:  Situation Following severe storms and heavy rainfall from late July, eastern Kentucky has been devastated by deadly flooding. Many of these communities were still recovering from recent tornadoes and flooding, making them highly vulnerable during the storms. Today, the American Red Cross reported that about 1,400 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged due to the flooding. The …

One Year Later, Haiti Continues to Heal


Scroll through the photos to learn about our Haiti recovery response  In 2021, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, killing over 2,000 people. The quake added to the existing instability in a country that had already been reeling from political violence and pandemic-exacerbated hunger and poverty. When a disaster of this magnitude affects a region, it not only harms the structure …

Stories of Change

Top: local official assists in food distribution. Middle: CWS Staff distribute food. Bottom: CWS staff leads food distribution

A Closer Look into Our Tana River Drought Response

In Tana River County, Kenya, when drought spread and crops and livestock died, immediate action was needed. We partnered with Canadian Foodgrains Bank and Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund to provide emergency food rations to 3,000 families (15,000 individuals). To understand the severity of the droughts and the impact of our program, we spoke with the members of the community.

The effects of the drought were clearly visible in the Tana River County community where livestock perished and crops dried out. Khadija Haula, one of our program participants, explained, “we experienced severe drought and if it were not for Church World Service and their humanitarian aid, we perhaps would be dead. We are suffering a lot as a result of the drought.” Zainab Wamboi is from one of the fortunate families who received emergency food rations just in time. She told us, “during the drought, we never felt [hunger]. We heard people talk about it but we had enough to eat.”

Beyond hunger, the effects of the drought carried into the normal day-to-day activities of the community. Dhidha Komora works as a Chief in Tana River County. He shared, “I have noticed some major changes. [Prior to assistance] many young people were stuck at home due to a lack of food. When families started receiving this food aid, they were able to go back to school. Now the youth are in school and thanks to CWS my people received plenty of food.”

Along with our CWS staff in Kenya, this project was led in large by the leaders in the community. Amina Omar, Project Officer at CWS Kenya, elaborated. “The program participant selection was done by the community leadership. They lead the process to ensure that all participants were part of a vulnerable group in the community,” she said.

Another step that was taken was the creation of a community-led advisory committee. Members of the committee were trained on humanitarian principles and led the food distribution. One of the members, Kushusho Galgalo, shared, “part of what was taught during the training was to consider those most in need.” Another committee member, Halima Omar, said, “I was one of the committee members who participated in the food distribution for four months. We want to thank this organization for this great work.”

We are thankful for our community and global partners who allow us to support communities during the times in which they need it most.

Stories of Change

Top: Ryan Ray, Middle: Feliana Chao, Bottom: Noel Sebucao

A Time of Relief, Recovery and Resilience

When Typhoon Rai hit the Philippines in December 2021, survivors’ lives were flipped upside down. The effects of the disaster were catastrophic for thousands who lost family members, their homes, food, belongings and source of income. To support those affected we teamed up with the Center for Disaster Preparedness Foundation and developed a long-term response. The program was funded by the Japan Platform and has been operating since early February.

The first step towards recovery began with cash grants that families could use to repair their damaged houses. Along with his 10-year-old daughter and pregnant wife, Ryan Ray survived the disaster because he realized the severity of the typhoon and acted fast. He shared, “the devastation of Super Typhoon Haien, which hit the same island of Leyte in 2013, came to mind. I hurriedly took my wife and daughter and evacuated to my uncle’s house on high ground.” Unfortunately, the family’s house did not survive, and Ryan and his family have been living in a small hut they built with palm leaves and materials they gathered from the rubble. With CWS’ help, however, they are eager to begin rebuilding their home. “With the birth of our new child on the horizon, we are grateful for the support of CWS to help us repair the house,” Ryan said. 

In the same town as Ryan, town official Feliana Chao was patrolling the streets and urging residents to evacuate as the typhoon approached. As she did this, however, she worried about her son, who lived nearby and struggles with mental illness. Following the disaster, she learned that although neighbors tried to urge her son to leave his home, he refused and was injured as a result. Both Feliana’s and her son’s homes were entirely destroyed by the typhoon, so both have been sheltering with Feliana’s other adult children. Feliana worries about the burden she is creating for her other children and adds, “as a parent, I am concerned about my son and want to live with him so that I will not be late to escape when another similar typhoon hits.” Feliana plans on leaving with her son and building a new home together. She said, “CWS’s support will be a great help in building a safe home for my son and me to live in together.” 

For other members of the community, the disaster hit more than just their homes. Noel Sebucao, who also lost his home, shared, “my livestock had been wiped out… my two children, who are now entering puberty, also seem to be unable to get on with their schoolwork.” For Elena, escaping her home was extremely difficult due to a leg injury she suffered six years ago which still prevents her from walking properly. Following the disaster, she recounted, “when I returned to my house the next morning, it was covered in mud. I lost all of my household goods and house overnight.” The support she received from CWS gave her much-needed relief. “I thought it would be more and more difficult to rebuild, but then I received support from CWS Japan. Thank you very much.” 

For survivors like Noel, Elena, Ryan and Feliana, the journey toward recovery does not end with rebuilding a safer home. Through our program, we are working with community leaders to provide victims with mental health and psychosocial support to aid in the survivors’ healing. To prevent the spread of diseases, we are also improving access to water and sanitation for affected people through the establishment of water points and education on best hygiene practices. Lastly, we are also working to develop resilience by developing disaster management plans to prepare the community in the case of another disaster. Through this project, our goal is to not only provide relief for those affected but to build a stronger community that will be ready to endure any future disasters. 

Stories of Change

Jorge Luis, Leidy and their son Jorge David in their new home. Photo: Sean Hawkey

The Dream Leidy and Jorge Rebuilt

When Jorge Luis Sarmiento was a little boy, he was washed away by the large waves and debris that resulted from Hurricane Mitch. Five days after the disaster, Jorge was found seriously injured and totally deaf. Since then, Jorge has had to navigate the challenges that came from losing his hearing. His wife Leidy shared, “because he is deaf and nonverbal, sometimes it is very difficult for him to get a job. Currently, he works as a motorcycle taxi driver. There are days when we don’t have everything we need, but we thank God who provides us with the necessary means to survive. Little by little, we will move forward.” 

Despite the challenges that he has had to overcome, Jorge worked tirelessly throughout his life to achieve his dream of owning his own house and land on which he could grow his own food. Unfortunately, all he had worked for came crashing down on a dark day that brought him back to the horrendous week he experienced as a little boy.

Hurricanes Eta and Iota destroyed Jorge and Leidy’s home in Honduras in November 2020. “We lived peacefully, but with the hurricane, we lost everything we had,” said Leidy. Jorge and Leidy were among the 1,000 families in Honduras who lost their houses. “We were very sad. It cost us so much to own our house and in seconds everything fell down,” Leidy told us. 

The land where Leidy and Jorge lived was declared uninhabitable. It was harvest season, and all of their crops were lost in the hurricane. In that same area, 35 more families lost their homes. “Everyone nearby was family members. My mom, aunt, grandmother– everyone was left homeless,” said Jorge. Leidy remembers that Jorge cried when they had to leave their home. She recalls, “we were with my 20-day-old son. There was water running underneath the house and soon the water entered. The walls cracked, and the house was sinking. We were forced to leave. Then everything collapsed. All our belongings ended up on the street.”

Amongst the grief that the family felt after losing everything they owned, however, came a glimmer of hope. After a rapid needs assessment conducted by CWS local partners, Leidy and Jorge were identified as one of the 93 families in the area who were considered extremely vulnerable. Because of this, they were eligible to participate in CWS’ emergency response project in Honduras, which focused on three communities: Nuevo Celilac, Ceguaca and San Nicolás, all of which are in the in Santa Bárbara.department This project was led by CWS local partners Comisión de Acción Social Menonita and Proyecto Aldea Global.

The first phase of the project was carried out by the Mennonite Social Action Commission and included opening shelters for families, delivering food and hygiene kits and offering psychosocial support. In phase two, the focus shifted towards a major need in the community: rebuilding houses. This need was achieved through the Housing with Dignity project, with the funding of the Church of the Brethren, Latter-day Saint Charities and other individual donors.

Leidy and Jorge’s new house is being built on the land they were gifted by Jorge’s parents. It is already 90% complete and just needs windows and doors. Jorge actively participated in the construction of his home. He joined the workers and helped them with their daily tasks. “Sometimes, the workers would leave, but Jorge would continue building blocks because he was eager to see his house finished,” said Leidy. She told us that they dream of moving into their new house, starting a family business and working together to raise their son. While they eagerly await their new home, the couple is living in a rented house. Leidy said, “we thank God and everyone who is supporting us.”

By March 2022, the Mennonite Social Action Commission had already built 16 houses in the municipality of Nuevo Celilac. Proyecto Aldea Global built seven houses, two in the municipality of Ceguaca and five in the municipality of San Nicolás. So far, a total of 23 families (117 people) have participated. Currently, 70 new houses for 70 families (350 people) are being built.

Families like Jorge and Leidy now have water for personal hygiene, household cleaning and cooking. Before, many of these families did not have running water and had to travel long distances to obtain it. Now families can trust that they will have easy access to water and can build toilets that allow for cleaner and healthier homes. 

Following the construction of houses for the community, we will develop agricultural livelihood opportunities for the members of the community. These activities will include providing seeds, offering agricultural training sessions and teaching the community about building resilience. Our hope is to help families like the Sarmiento family rebuild their lives and be able to dream of a future in which their children do not have to fear the destruction a hurricane might bring. 

Stories of Change

Top: Kitchen equipment is delivered at the shelter. Middle: Julia and her six-year-old son, Mysha. Bottom: new Kitchen area in the Refugee Accommodation Center

A Familiar Meal, a Sense of Home

During the darkest of times, a familiar meal can bring us back to a place of calm and happiness. For Julia, a familiar meal is just one of the many comforts she and her family were forced to leave behind in Ukraine. Like many other Ukrainian refugees, Julia had to abruptly drop everything and take her mother and two children to a nearby country for safety.

Julia and her family are currently residing in the Refugee Accommodation Center in Soroca, Moldova. While they are safe, they still live in fear and anguish thinking about their loved ones and the life they were forced to leave behind. For Julia, this includes her husband, who is now working in a relatively safe part of Ukraine in order to maintain an income for the family, her mother- and father-in-law and the small shoe business Julia ran in Kharkiv.

The shelter Julia and her family are residing in lacked kitchen equipment, which created challenges to food accessibility and nutrition. Due to this issue, many refugees have been avoiding the center and seeking refuge elsewhere. Currently, about 70-80 people reside in the shelter which has a capacity of about 300 people.

To combat this, CWS has donated $28,000 worth of kitchen equipment to the shelter. Not only will this new equipment alleviate some of the struggles the residents have to go through, but it will help develop community and a sense of home. “We are happy to participate in preparing the meals and creating a bit of atmosphere that reminds us of home,” Julia shared.

Beyond daily meals, Julia expressed excitement about the other fun things she can now cook for her two boys, Mysha and Kyrylo. With joy she tells us, “my younger son loves when I prepare sweets at home. I can’t wait to surprise him with some pancakes, preferably with Nutella or chocolate cream. My older son would love an omelet with sausages for breakfast. I don’t think he would ever get bored with a breakfast like that. You know, children are a great joy and a strong driver and motivation. I am happy that in this difficult situation for all of us I can have peace with them here.”

These simple joys are what many refugees use to fuel the strength that allows them to continue moving forward. At CWS, we are continuing our partnership with local organizations in Moldova to best understand how we can provide support. In the next coming months, we will be working to provide medical supplies, clothing, bedding and other donations to refugees residing in the community. Our hope is to support many more refugees like Julia and her family, so that they may also find moments of joy and comfort during these difficult times.

Learn more and join us in providing other Ukrainians like Julia and her kids with a sense of home by clicking here. 

Stories of Change

Home in Mayfield Kentucky destroyed by recent tornados

In the Face of Disaster, a Community Comes Together

When Sabrina decided to make the dangerous journey from her home in Guatemala to the United States, she knew she would face new challenges. She had to leave behind her family and friends and establish herself in a city where the only person she knew was her older sister, Valentina. She also knew that she would face difficulties due to language barriers. Sabrina grew up speaking a Mayan language of Guatemala called K’iche’ and spoke limited Spanish and no English.

What Sabrina did not expect, however, was the community of other K’iche’ speaking Guatemalans she would find in Mayfield, Kentucky. At school, she was able to find a group of students who spoke K’iche’ and helped her adjust more easily to her new life. Sabrina and Valentina quickly realized that there is strength in numbers when a series of tornados hit Mayfield in early December.

While at home, Valentina received a call from Gaby Acree, who works at Sabrina school as the Migrant Education Program Coordinator. Gaby warned the family that a tornado was coming and that they needed to shelter in place immediately. Valentina shared, “we hid in a room which we believed would be the safest. Thanks to God, nothing happened to us, but our roof was ripped off by the strong winds.” Fortunately, since the family was told to seek refuge in their home, no one at the home was injured.

This, however, was not the case for many of the family’s friends and neighbors, who were badly injured and whose homes were completely destroyed. Valentina recalled, “that night, many of my neighbors came to my house and stayed in my living room. It was filled with people and many ended up staying the night since this happened around 9 p.m. They slept here in my home and I gave them all the blankets I had.” She added, “they arrived with no clothes, with nothing, so I gave them my own clothes.”

The next day, her neighbors began to slowly depart from their home, and Sabrina and Valentina’s family began to confront the effects of the tornado. With no electricity or water, they relied on members of their community who brought them water from the countryside. One of Valentina’s family members had a gas stove and allowed them to use it so that they could cook. Another had running water and invited them over so they could shower.

For an entire month, this is how Sabrina, Valentina and Valentina’s four daughters survived. They relied on their community, and their community relied on them. Gaby connected the family to CWS and the family was able to receive financial assistance and information about local clinics, food pantries, attorneys and other useful resources. Sabrina shared that before receiving financial assistance, she didn’t have a lot of clothing as she didn’t bring much from Guatemala and also lost many of her belongings during the tornado. After the assistance, she was able to go out and buy herself some clothes with Valentina. The two young women continue to receive support from their CWS caseworker. 

As the family continues to focus on their recovery, CWS continues to check on the family and address their needs. Sabrina, who is focused on learning English, said to us, “I want to say thank you very much. [CWS] helped us a lot.” Just as Sabrina and Valentina welcomed their neighbors into their homes, we at CWS are working to ensure our newest neighbors feel welcomed and supported in their new homes here in the United States. This is especially true in the face of a natural disaster of immeasurable magnitudes, such as the one that hit the community of Mayfield, KY, on the fateful night of December 10, 2021. 

Note: Pseudonyms have been used in this story to protect the identity of our clients

We are grateful for our valued partners, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Brother’s Brother Foundation and Church of the Brethren for their support in our Kentucky response. Their kind generosity has allowed this project to be possible.