STORIES
Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh // photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
 “When Hurricane Michael made landfall in October 2018 and devastated our area, you answered our call... to provide disaster recovery assistance for residents who do not have adequate resources to rebuild and restore their lives in the aftermath of the strongest storm to hit Bay County... and today, we are postured to assist the many residents still recovering from Hurricane Michael, and those impacted by COVID-19, and now Hurricane Sally.” -Donna Pilson, Rebulid Bay County, Inc. Executive Director
Rebuilding communities and lives after a disaster takes time; often, it takes years. Media coverage wanes after the immediate impact, so many never witness the later stages of recovery. But needs continue to evolve long after the initial crisis. And sometimes, new needs emerge as well. Week of Compassion is committed to supporting local partners through every stage of disaster recovery as they meet rapidly changing needs in their local communities-- and even face the challenges of compound disasters. Caring For Children After Disasters1/19/2021  CDS IKOS/ American Red Cross “Everything we usually do has been turned upside down,” says Lisa Crouch, Associate Director of Children’s Disaster Services, a Week of Compassion partner through Brethren Disaster Ministries. Children have unique needs following disasters, and CDS typically provides trauma-informed childcare in evacuation shelters and disaster resource centers during and after disasters. But as the pandemic has changed the face of disaster response, CDS has adapted their work for the COVID-19 context.
Your Support For Refugees In Jordan1/12/2021  Photo: DPSR, Jordan One of the greatest concerns throughout this pandemic has been for refugee and displaced populations. People in resettlement communities often live in close proximity where distancing is not possible, and safe water and sanitation facilities are not readily available. This makes those in a tenuous situation even more vulnerable.
A Year-End Update From Week of Compassion12/15/2020 Dear Friends, In our own communities and around the world, this year has been filled with loss and heartache. But as we respond to the needs of a global pandemic, historic natural disasters, and ongoing development projects, this year has also brought countless opportunities to love our neighbors and to show compassion. Your continued faithful support for Week of Compassion has been a light of hope for many, and continues to embody the love of Christ made known in the world. Here are the ways and places in which your compassion has shared light and life, responding to the needs of 2020. Peace, Rev. Vy Nguyen, Executive Director  Week of Compassion Responses in 2020
Alabama, COVID-19 Relief Alabama, Hurricane Sally Relief Alaska, Wildfire Long-term Recovery Arizona, COVID-19 Relief Arizona, Emergency Response Arkansas, Emergency Relief Australia, Fire Recovery Bangladesh, COVID-19 Relief Beirut, Emergency Relief Burkina Faso, COVID-19 Relief California, COVID-19 Relief California, Fire Relief California, Keeping Families Together Cambodia, COVID-19 Relief China, Health Emergency Relief Colorado, COVID-19 Response Florida, Hurricane Irma Recovery Cuba, COVID-19 Relief DR Congo, COVID-19 Relief Dominican Republic, COVID-19 Relief Egypt, COVID-19 Relief Egypt, Emergency Flood Relief Florida, COVID-19 Relief Florida, Emergency Response Florida, Hurricane Irma Recovery Florida, Hurricane Michael Recovery Florida, Hurricanes Sally & Eta Georgia, COVID-19 Relief Ghana, Women’s Empowerment Greece, COVID-19 Relief Guatemala, Hurricane Eta Response Haiti, COVID-19 Relief Iraq, COVID-19 Honduras, Hurricane Eta Response Honduras, Women’s Empowerment Hungary, Refugee Support Idaho, COVID-19 Relief Illinois, COVID-19 Relief India, COVID-19 Relief Indiana, COVID-19 Relief Iowa, Storm Relief Istanbul, COVID-19 Refugee Support Jerusalem, Humanitarian Relief Jordan, COVID-19 Refugee Support Jordan, COVID-19 Relief Jordan, Syrian Refugee Support Kentucky, COVID-19 Relief Kentucky, Emergency Response Kenya, COVID-19 Relief Lebanon, COVID-19 Refugee Support Liberia, COVID-19 Relief Louisiana, COVID-19 Relief Louisiana, Hurricane Delta Relief Louisiana, Hurricane Laura Relief Louisiana, Hurricane Zeta Maryland, COVID-19 Relief Mexico, COVID-19 Relief Mississippi, COVID-19 Relief Missouri, COVID-19 Relief Missouri, Storm Relief Nebraska, COVID-19 Relief Nebraska, Flood Long-term Recovery Nevada, COVID-19 Relief New York, COVID-19 Relief Nicaragua, Hurricane Eta Response N. Carolina, COVID-19 Relief N. Carolina, Flood Relief N. Carolina, Hurricane Florence Recovery Ohio, COVID-19 Relief Ohio, Flood and Storm Relief Ohio, Tornado Long-term Recovery Oklahoma, COVID-19 Relief Oklahoma, Emergency Relief Oklahoma, Flood Relief Oklahoma, Storm Relief Oregon, COVID-19 Relief Oregon, Fire and Storm Relief Oregon, Flood Relief Pacific SW Region, Wildfire Relief Palestine, COVID-19 Relief Palestine, Women’s Empowerment Pennsylvania, Hurricane Isaias Relief Pennsylvania, Storm Relief Philippines, Disaster Response Philippines, Women’s Empowerment Puerto Rico, COVID-19 Relief Puerto Rico, Earthquake Relief Puerto Rico, Hurricane Irma Recovery Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria Recovery Serbia, COVID-19 Relief Sierra Leone, COVID-19 Relief Somalia, COVID-19 Relief S. Carolina, COVID-19 Relief S. Carolina, Severe Storm Relief South Sudan, COVID-19 Relief Syria, COVID-19 Refugee Support Syria, COVID-19 Relief Tanzania, COVID-19 Relief Tennessee, COVID-19 Relief Tennessee, Tornado Relief Texas, COVID-19 Relief Texas, Hurricane Hanna Relief Texas, Hurricane Harvey Recovery Texas, Hurricane Laura Relief Texas, Storm Relief Ukraine, COVID-19 Relief United States, Keeping Families Together Utah, COVID-19 Relief Virginia, COVID-19 Relief Virginia, Flood Relief Washington, COVID-19 Relief West Bank, COVID-19 Refugee Support West Virginia, COVID-19 Relief West Virginia, Flood Relief Wisconsin, COVID-19 Relief Zimbabwe, Food Security Download PDF Community relationships are important, even in the best of times. In hard times, those connections become essential. And congregations with pre-existing community ties are uniquely placed to meet critical needs when the going gets tough.
 Imagine that you have to travel far from home in order to find work to support your family. You find a job in the city, and a place to stay, so that you can work and send money home to your loved ones. But then, a global pandemic shuts down the economy. There is no longer work, and you must leave the city to return home. It isn’t safe to travel- but the crowded city is unsafe as well, and you will have nowhere to stay since you are no longer working.
 Beltsville is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and many in the community work in service industry jobs in the city. Many were unable to work during the early days of the pandemic when businesses shut down.
Whosoever Will Christian Church, an African-American Disciples congregation situated in Beltsville, was operating a small-scale food pantry to distribute food in the community prior to the pandemic. For the most part, the needs of the church’s neighbors were met through member contributions and occasional outside donors, and hours were determined by the availability of volunteers. |
