Disciples Hurricane Recovery Initiative Launched

In a dynamic partnership between Disciples congregations and regions, Disciples Home Mission's Office of Disciples Volunteering and Week of Compassion (WOC), the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is launching a major, two-year Disciples Hurricane Recovery Initiative as part of the Disciples' long-term response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and other recent hurricanes and tropical storms.

The initiative calls for 750 Disciples volunteer work groups to mission sites across the Gulf Coast between September 1, 2006 and August 30, 2008 to repair and rebuild hurricane-damaged homes and participate in other recovery activities.

Disciples "Mission Stations" have been confirmed for the fall in partnership with Disciples congregations in Beaumont and Port Arthur, TX; Lake Charles, LA; Covington, Slidell, and Metairie, LA; Algiers, LA; and Gulfport, MS. In addition, several WOC-supported interfaith recovery organizations and local Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas have asked Disciples for work group assistance.

Disciples Home Missions (DHM) has called Tod Iseminger to the position of Minister for Leader Development in the Office of Disciples Volunteering to recruit, coordinate and schedule volunteer work groups. We are hoping scores, even hundreds, of Disciples congregations across the whole church will join this effort to bring at least 750 work groups to the Gulf Coast and ensure a strong, caring and long- lasting Disciples participation in hurricane recovery efforts.

In addition to support of the Disciples Hurricane Recovery, Week of Compassion will continue to undergird the work of the "Mission Stations" as well as offer small grants to work teams participating in the program. WOC will continue to work with the regions of Alabama/Northwest Florida, Great River and Southwest to provide resources for pastoral care of pastors and caregivers, revitalize and strengthen hurricane-impacted congregations, and work with local congregations to meet ongoing needs of families struggling to get back on their feet. Ecumenically, Week of Compassion will continue to support the efforts of local interfaith recovery organizations, Church World Service, Habitat for Humanity, Camp Noah and other partners involved in long-term recovery.

Hurricane work trip grant applications can be downloaded from the Week of Compassion website - http://www.weekofcompassion.org/pages/grants/pgrant.html

Additional Contact Information

For more information on WOC's hurricane response, contact staff at johnnywray@ecunet.org, agopp@woc.disciples.org, or ecleveland@woc.disciples.org, or call 317.713.2442.

To schedule a work group or request information, contact Tod Iseminger at tiseminger@dhm.disciples.org, call 888.346-2631 or call Tod's direct line at 317.713.2649 - or visit http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/DisasterResponse.htm to register online.

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