Floods Ravage Southern Mexico

Thursday, November 08, A.D. 2007

Some of the worst flooding on record has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless in the southern Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas. 80% of Tabasco has been flooded, more than 700,000 homes are under water, and its agriculture and business sectors have been devastated. With tens of thousands of people living in crowded, makeshift shelters, there are growing concerns about the outbreak of diseases, especially influenza, cholera and dengue fever.

Members of the Action by Churches Together (ACT) Central America Forum are assisting the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico (INPM) with further damage and needs assessments, as INPM is already assisting survivors with emergency shelter, food, water and basic health services. Week of Compassion is now preparing a response to a forthcoming Church World Service appeal to support INPM’s efforts. Meanwhile, WOC has provided an emergency grant and assisted in the requisition of CWS blankets to Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries to support the delivery and distribution of emergency supplies, food and clothing to SWGSM’s partner congregations in Tabasco.

Relief Efforts Begin in Haiti and Dominican Republic

Meanwhile, people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic continue to dig out and clean up from the floods, mudslides and strong winds from Tropical Storm Noel, which struck Hispaniola last week. At least 116 people were killed and nearly 20,000 homes were damaged. Damaged roads and bridges and downed electrical and communication lines have hampered needs assessments and aid delivery. Most of the affected people come from the two countries' poorest and most vulnerable communities. In addition to the immediate impact of the floods, they now face the threat of disease, the loss of work and deepening poverty.

Week of Compassion has provided an emergency grant to a Church World Service appeal that is supporting the relief efforts of two long-time Dominican partners, Grupo de Pastores Interdenominacionales (GPI) and Social Services of the Dominican Churches (SSID). Both partners are providing emergency relief aid to the most vulnerable of flood-affected, as well as preparing mid- and long-term recovery plans with them. Similarly, WOC has also provided emergency grants through the Global Ministries Latin America and Caribbean Office to support the flood relief efforts of two Disciples church partners in the DR, Caminante and the Dominican Evangelical Church. Assessments are still being made with Haitian partners, and WOC anticipates an expanded appeal from CWS to cover relief and recovery work in Haiti.

Designated contributions for the Mexican floods and for Tropical Storm Noel are needed. Gifts can be made online and directed to the Compassion Response Fund or sent to WOC, attn: Elaine Cleveland, P.O. Box 1986, Indpls, IN 46206. All designated gifts will be used in their entirety for flood relief and recovery.

Disciples "2 Homes in 2 Weeks" Build Underway in Texas

The second annual 2 Homes in 2 Weeks Blitz Build, a special partnership with Week of Compassion, Disciples Volunteering and Habitat for Humanity, is now underway in Beaumont, TX. 65 volunteers from the regions of South Idaho, Indiana, Tennessee, Mid-America, Oklahoma, Southwest, North Carolina, Kentucky and Florida are participating in the Build, which is a project in the two-year Disciples Hurricane Recovery Initiative.

On Monday, the first day of the build, reporters from the local NBC, CBS and ABC affiliates covered the Build on their early and late news Monday. In addition, on Tuesday morning, the CBS affiliate (KFDM), did a ten-minute live feed from the building site for their morning show, including an interview with Uliana Trylowsky, Executive Director of Habitat For Humanity of Jefferson County, and Carl Zerweck, Director of Disciples Volunteering. In all of the newscasts, praise has been given to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for our partnership in this project with Week of Compassion funds and Disciples Volunteering volunteer and construction leadership. In the words of Uliana, “we love the Disciples of Christ!”

Next Monday, November 12, Habitat has called a noon press conference at the site of the two new homes to receive a $100,000 check from Week of Compassion that is actually being used as a challenge grant to build not just these two homes, but three others as well in 2007. The two new homes will be dedicated on Friday afternoon, November 16.

These same organizations, with the addition of Disciples Women, will again be partners for a first ever Disciples Women Habitat Blitz Build January 20-24, 2008.

For information on how to participate in Disciples Hurricane Recovery Initiative work projects, e-mail Tod Iseminger at tiseminger@dhm.disciples.org, call 888.346-2631 or visit the ODV website to register online. Work groups are needed as we move toward our goal of 750 groups by August 31, 2008.

WOC Map/Poster

Click here for the latest additions to the WOC interactive map/poster. For a complimentary copy of the map/poster for your congregation, call the office at 317.713.2442 or send an e-mail to ecleveland@woc.disciples.org.