Drought & Flooding : a story of extremes8/12/2024 climate change affects communities of all kinds Nangarhar province, Afghanistan; photo - Community World Service Asia Across the United States, and in every region of the world, the impact of climate change presents a dramatic and often dangerous challenge, as natural disasters increase in both frequency and severity. Populations are displaced from regions and even across borders. Health, wellbeing, and livelihoods are pressed to the limit against disruption from drought, flood, and storms. Week of Compassion and our ecumenical partners continue to name climate change as a significant contributor to the severity and frequency of weather-related disasters, human displacement and migration, and sustainable development. Over the spring and summer of 2024 we have been able to trace the growing impact of disasters on communities in the United States and globally. Now more than ever it is important to understand the intersectional nature of climate change, disaster and refugee response, and migration. Week of Compassion works with partners to provide comprehensive support for recovering communities' immediate needs, and for building a sustainable future.
a Special Offering 2024 mission moment In Afghanistan, young women are now barred from education past the sixth grade. In a region historically familiar with the struggle for equity and liberation following decades of violence, generation after generation of Shia Muslims have been targeted, their basic human rights drastically restricted.
Some schools that still meet (remnants of education for young women in Afghanistan) are established and maintained by partners of Week of Compassion. Much like at schools anywhere, stepping into a classroom of kindergarteners is an energetic scene: students enthusiastically answering their teachers, embracing the opportunity of education, dreaming about their futures, young and optimistic. The Gift of A Question10/10/2023 visiting partners at an Afghan girls' school
From Strawberries to Bicycles6/20/2023 how one community welcomes refugeesWorld Refugee Day 2023A car full of strawberries and a classroom full of clothes. Applause for asking questions and quick-thumbed typing into Google Translate. Well-coordinated schedules and unexpected on-call moments. Local congregations involved in refugee response know all these challenges, rejoice in every success, and have countless stories to tell. For some, that story of welcome, assistance, and compassion for refugees settling in new communities is deeply personal, too.
WELCOME3/14/2023 stories of refugee & immigrant response (part 4)What a Difference A Year Makes WELCOME: stories from Week of Compassion’s Refugee and Immigrant Response In this four-part series, over the course of a year, we have been in conversation with California Disciples and their ecumenical collaborators as they welcome an Afghan family into their community, offering radical hospitality and welcome to new neighbors. We also share notes from other Disciples doing this work in their own communities. Over the last year, we have shared stories of Disciples involved in refugee resettlement. Start at the beginning: How It All Started Learn how things moved From Idea to Action See communities find More Than They Imagined In this final segment, leaders reflect on the experience and impact on the congregations that have been involved in this powerful ministry. WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
When the church started this response, they had no idea where this journey would take them. That is what it is like when you answer the call to follow Christ in this world. You take a step without knowing where the path will lead you, but you step anyway because you have faith in the direction of the Holy Spirit. Special Offering 2023 : Mission Moment2/14/2023 Afghan Refugee Response In the fall of 2021, as the government of Afghanistan collapsed and families were rapidly evacuated, Week of Compassion reaffirmed refugee response as an ongoing priority and employed increased resources, including the Afghan Welcome congregational grants, to support local churches.
Dozens of congregations, across multiple regions of the Disciples church, helped Afghan families to establish a new life in an entirely new place under deeply stressful circumstances. Out of the desperation and disconnect of this crisis, opportunity and community thrived. At every step, Disciples saw hope RISE UP ANEW. WELCOME1/24/2023 stories of refugee & immigrant response (part 3)More Than They Imagined WELCOME: stories from Week of Compassion’s Refugee and Immigrant Response
In this four-part series, over the course of a year, we are in conversation with some California Disciples and their ecumenical collaborators, as they welcome an Afghan family into their community, offering radical hospitality and welcome to new neighbors in their midst. We also include a few brief check-ins with other Disciples who are doing similar work in their own communities. |
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