STORIES
Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh // photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
When Disaster Comes, Compassion Responds8/27/2026 In recent weeks, communities across the United States and around the world have faced an extraordinary succession of disasters. Storms and floods. Wildfires. Earthquakes. And now, catastrophic flooding in Nepal. Each disaster has its own story. Each represents lives lost or disrupted, families grieving, homes and livelihoods damaged, and communities beginning what may be a long journey toward recovery. With so much happening at once, it can be difficult to know where to begin. For Week of Compassion, we begin where we always do: with relationships. At Home Across the United States and Canada, communities are responding to Hurricane Lala, severe flooding across the Midwest, and wildfires affecting multiple states and territories. Behind every headline are families, congregations, and communities facing difficult decisions about what comes next. Week of Compassion continues to connect with Disciples congregations and ecumenical partners in affected areas, responding to immediate needs while also looking toward the longer work of recovery. We know from experience that recovery does not end when the storm passes, the water recedes, or the fire is contained. Week of Compassion remains committed to walking alongside communities for the long haul. Around the World Internationally, our partners are also responding to multiple emergencies, including the recent earthquake in Venezuela and catastrophic flash flooding in Nepal. On August 26, a devastating flash flood swept through Nepal’s Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems. Communities have been devastated; people remain missing; and homes, businesses, agricultural land and critical infrastructure have been destroyed. Roads and bridges have been washed away, leaving some communities isolated and making rescue and relief efforts difficult. The situation continues to change as responders reach areas that have been cut off.  Local responders and Week of Compassion partners like ACT Alliance and Global Ministries are already mobilizing in communities affected by catastrophic flooding in Nepal. (Photo Credit: ACT Alliance) Through Global Ministries and ACT Alliance, partners already rooted in Nepal are mobilizing emergency assistance and assessing the needs of affected communities. Immediate priorities include shelter, food, safe drinking water, health care, protection and psychosocial support. The work will eventually move toward restoring livelihoods, rebuilding homes and strengthening communities for the long recovery ahead.
Our Response Begins with Relationships Week of Compassion does not arrive in a community after disaster and begin building relationships. Those relationships are already there. More Than Roofs8/25/2026 building community together in Puerto Rico Techos Pa’ Mi Gente translates to “Roofs for My People,” but the work of this organization, born in a Puerto Rican garage in San Juan with neighbors helping neighbors after Hurricane Maria, is about so much more than rafters, nails, and sheetmetal. The true work of Techos Pa’ Mi Gente is about strengthening the community for the future.  Back to School:8/19/2026 a reflection on education, partnership, and the persistence of hope
A few weeks ago, I was reading a report from Community World Service Asia (CWSA), one of Week of Compassion's longtime partners. We have worked alongside CWSA for many years through earthquakes, floods, refugee response, and the slower work of helping communities rebuild their lives.
One story stayed with me. lessons from Indonesia Dear Friends,
Because of your generosity through Week of Compassion, I recently returned from Indonesia to visit longtime partners and help film our 2027 Special Offering video. What I experienced there has stayed with me. Indonesia has become a place of temporary refuge for thousands of people fleeing conflict and persecution, many of whom spend years waiting for permanent resettlement. For several days we sat with refugee girls learning English, young women from Somalia who arrived less than a year ago, and teachers who themselves were once students in the very programs they now lead. Nearly every encounter included tears. Tears of pain. Tears of frustration. Tears of uncertainty. One school principal shared openly that most days she struggles to have hope. The reduction in support for global refugee programs—particularly from the United States—has moved from an abstract headline to a lived reality for the people sitting across from us. During this visit we did not talk about shrinking humanitarian support. We witnessed its effects firsthand. responding faithfully in solidarityLast month we celebrated World Refugee Day to honor the courage and resilience of the millions of people forced to flee their homes due to conflict. This month we turn our attention to the ongoing struggle of communities seeking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States, particularly the Haitian community, who have just had their TPS status rescinded after the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the administration's decision to terminate their TPS. Haiti remains locked in a severe humanitarian crisis driven by compounding natural disasters and a near-total collapse of governance. The intersection of catastrophic earthquakes, systemic political instability, and widespread paramilitary violence has left millions of citizens vulnerable to harm.  Remains of Baptiste Church in Haiti following August 2021 earthquake. Photo: ACT Alliance In 2021, Haiti was hit by a massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the southern peninsula. This disaster displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and deepened severe food and clean water shortages caused by the impact of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and a 7.0 earthquake in 2010, which killed more than 200,000 people and leveled the capital of Port-au-Prince. The recovery from these compounding disasters was further strained by the assassination of former Haitian President, Jovenel Moïse in 2021, which sent the country deeper into turmoil. a letter from the Executive DirectorDear Church,
Over the past several weeks, the earth has shaken in three places where Week of Compassion has long-standing relationships: the Philippines, Indonesia, and now Venezuela. In the Philippines, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the southern island of Mindanao, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Families have lost loved ones, homes have collapsed, roads and bridges have been damaged, and many continue to sleep outside because they fear returning to unstable buildings. Farmers and fisherfolk have seen their livelihoods disrupted just as they seek to recover. Just days later, another powerful earthquake struck Central Sulawesi in Indonesia. Entire communities are living with the uncertainty of continuing aftershocks. Thousands of homes were damaged, clean water systems disrupted, and many families remain in temporary shelters near their homes while wondering what recovery will look like. And this week, Venezuela experienced two major earthquakes within seconds of one another. The destruction in Caracas and surrounding communities has been severe, with collapsed buildings, damaged infrastructure, widespread power outages, and communities just beginning to understand the full extent of the devastation. Search and rescue operations continue even as aftershocks make the work dangerous. It can feel overwhelming to witness so much suffering unfolding around the world in such a short time. Yet this is also where the Church shines. One of the greatest gifts of Week of Compassion is that we do not have to wonder who to call after disaster strikes. We already know. Long before the headlines appeared, we had been investing in relationships with churches and ecumenical partners who are deeply rooted in their communities. They are not arriving after the disaster—they are already there. They worship with these communities, raise their children alongside them, and will remain long after the television cameras leave. That is what accompaniment looks like. In the Philippines, we are working through the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines to support food assistance, cash assistance, hygiene supplies, and psychosocial care for communities whose recovery will take months and years. In Indonesia, our partners at Yayasan Cipta Wahana Sejahtera (YCWS), together with local health partners, are providing flexible cash assistance, health services, and mental health support so families can meet the needs they identify as most urgent. In Venezuela, our ACT Alliance partners are already conducting rapid assessments while supporting emergency shelter, medical care, food, water, hygiene, and psychosocial care as search and rescue efforts continue. I am especially grateful that because of your generosity, Week of Compassion can respond quickly. We do not begin by asking, Should we help? We begin by asking our partners, What do you need? Your faithful giving allows us to respond with trust, flexibility, and confidence in local leaders who know their communities best. In a world where disasters seem to come one after another, it is easy to become numb. But as followers of Christ, we are called not to turn away, but to draw near. Every earthquake reminds us that while buildings may crumble, hope can still be built—through relationships, compassion, and the steadfast witness of the Church. Thank you for being part of that witness. Please continue to pray for all who have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods. Pray for first responders, pastors, volunteers, and community leaders who are caring for their neighbors even while grieving themselves. Thank you for making it possible for Week of Compassion to accompany communities not only in the first days after disaster, but throughout the long journey of recovery. When your congregation is gathering for worship this Sunday and in the weeks ahead, I invite you to pause and pray for these communities. Though separated by thousands of miles, we are one body in Christ, joined together in faith, compassion, and hope. A Prayer for the Church God of mercy and hope, When the earth trembles and the ground beneath us gives way, you remain our refuge and our strength. We pray for all who have lost loved ones, homes, livelihoods, and a sense of safety. Surround those who grieve with your comfort. Protect those who continue to face aftershocks and uncertainty. Strengthen first responders, local churches, community leaders, and all who are caring for their neighbors with courage and compassion. We give thanks for the faithful witness of our partners, who are already present in these communities—offering not only relief, but hope, dignity, and the reminder that no one walks alone. As we gather in the safety of our own sanctuaries, remind us that we are one body in Christ. May our prayers cross every border. May our generosity become a tangible expression of your love. May our compassion be more than a feeling—may it become accompaniment, standing with our neighbors for as long as hope requires. And may we continue to walk together until healing comes. Give us hearts that do not turn away from suffering, but instead draw near, just as Christ has drawn near to us. In the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who calms every storm and whose love remains steadfast even when the earth shakes, we pray. Amen. Grace and peace, Rev. Vy T. Nguyen Executive Director Week of Compassion Learning Beyond the Classroom6/10/2026 Seminarians Join Global Partners for Summer Immersion in Disaster ResponseIn the days following the recent earthquake and tsunami warning that affected communities across the Philippines, we are reminded of the fragile realities that many communities around the world face with increasing frequency. While we continue to follow the situation and remain in prayer for all those affected, we also give thanks for the faithful presence of local churches and partners who are often among the first to accompany communities before, during and long after a disaster.
That witness is at the heart of this summer's Disciples Seminarians Summer Immersion in International Disaster Response. Through this experience, future church leaders are invited to learn not from a distance, but alongside communities and partners who have developed deep wisdom, resilience, and hope in the face of climate-related disasters and other crises. This summer two seminarians from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will spend their summer learning alongside Week of Compassion partners through the program. The program invites future church leaders to step into a different learning environment - one shaped not by classrooms, but by communities navigating disaster recovery, resilience building, climate realities, and hope amid challenge. It is an opportunity to witness firsthand what locally led humanitarian response looks like and to better understand how faith communities accompany one another in moments of vulnerability and rebuilding. |
