STORIES
Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
on the Middle East11/13/2023 a statement from the Common Global Ministries BoardLast week, Week of Compassion's Board of Stewards met in Tucson AZ for its fall business meeting. The gathering included a site visit with the Arizona Disciples Border Initiative, exploring the complexities of the border crisis, and the response offered to asylum seekers at Casa de Misericordia in Nogales MX. The Board also spent time in conversation with Tamara Rodenberg, president of Higher Education and Leadership Ministries, exploring Week of Compassion’s support for young adults, students, and seminarians in its mission and work.
Between these significant conversations, the Board was joined by Peter Makari, Co-Executive of Global Ministries, for context and updates from partners in the Middle East. This statement, released today by Global Ministries, holds compassion and justice at the forefront. Week of Compassion is grateful to serve with our partners responding in the midst of this crisis. Middle East Crisis10/18/2023 responding with partners to war in the Middle EastSince the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, violence and devastation have escalated in the Middle East, with years of political tension and conflict bearing out in the most horrifying and heartbreaking ways. Thousands of civilians have been killed and thousands more injured as the warfare persists. Week of Compassion has been in frequent contact with trusted partners, including through Global Ministries, the Middle East Council of Churches, and ACT Alliance. These partners are in close conversation about immediate needs in Israel/Palestine and the broader region - food, water, shelter, medical care, sanitation - and know there will be many considerations to come regarding a long-term solution and recovery. reports from partners10/17/2023 relief supplies in the Middle EastWe learned yesterday from DanChurchAID and Norwegian Church Aid - Week of Compassion partners through ACT Alliance - that staff colleagues in Gaza (who are themselves displaced) managed to purchase food from local vendors, coordinate with the UN (who provided the trucks), and that six trucks with food reached a UNRWA vocational training center where approximately 25-30,000 internally displaced persons have gathered. We know the concerns and tragedy are greater than we have even seen or can imagine. Week of Compassion persists in prayer, and in partnership conversation, to respond in the ways we are most able. Gifts to Week of Compassion designated 'Middle East Crisis' will be used for emergency food, water, and medical supplies. news from Maui10/13/2023 steps toward restoration and recoveryWeek of Compassion remains in contact with a wide variety of ecumenical partners and local community leaders as the restoration and recovery continues in Lahaina and other areas of west Maui in the wake of August wildfires. Maui County has divided the burn area into zones, slowly opening these zones for limited resident access, with a system in place, led by Hawai’i VOAD, where trained volunteers accompany residents on their first day of reentry. These skilled partners help ensure residents have and know how to use proper Personal Protective Equipment, provide emotional and spiritual support, and help connect survivors to additional assistance as it is needed. While access remains quite restricted due to concerns of exposure to toxins, several organizations are assisting with ash-sifting, to recover any personal property that may have survived, and with cleanup efforts, which are complicated by the environmental concerns about ash and debris flowing into the ocean. Local officials, the Environmental Protection Agency, and others are working to balance access for residents with critical mitigation efforts. The Gift of A Question10/10/2023 visiting partners at an Afghan girls' school
"It's just the beginning."10/5/2023 partners respond to flooding in LibyaDanChurchAid (DCA), a Week of Compassion partner through ACT Alliance, remains steadily at work responding to the recent overwhelming floods in Libya. Maneuvering through neighboring regions and hard-to-access roads, distributions arrived, bringing tools to aid the search and recovery, along with basic supplies for those displaced. In Derna, multiple schools are being used as shelters for displaced persons. After assessment with local caseworkers, items were packed into dignity kits appropriate to each family. Additional shipments are arriving at the shelters weekly, and kits will soon expand to include items needed for winterization. DCA is further assisting with makeshift medical centers as partners have been inundated and running out of supplies. As a DCA staffer said, “It was an important moment when the items arrived. They are much needed … The tools are so important for the search teams, and the items for those who lost their homes and belongings, it is making a big difference…but we will do more and keep going. It’s just the beginning.” |
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