Standing with St Louis and Kentucky5/17/2025 a message from Week of Compassion Late Thursday evening into early Friday (May 15-16), a powerful and fast-moving storm system swept through the Midwest and Ohio Valley, leaving devastation across several communities. In Missouri, particularly the St. Louis metro area, winds reaching up to 120 mph toppled trees, downed power lines, and damaged homes, businesses, and places of worship. In Kentucky, towns like Somerset and London experienced significant destruction due to tornadoes. Across both states, at least 21 people had died as of Saturday morning – a number expected to rise in the coming days. Dozens more were injured, and many families have been displaced.
Among those most directly affected were two Disciples congregations in St Louis: connect with Week of Compassion in Memphis There are so many ways to learn about – and be part of! – the work of Week of Compassion at this summer's General Assembly! serving our neighbors in times of disaster Dear Disciples, In its first days in office, the administration issued Executive Order 14180 calling for an examination of the effectiveness and efficiency of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The executive order also calls for the formation of a FEMA Review Council that has recently issued a Request for Information from the public to gain a better understanding of their experiences with FEMA during disasters. These comments will help ensure that the FEMA Review Council’s findings and recommendations for potential reforms are informed by a wide range of perspectives and experiences across multiple disasters. Week of Compassion encourages all Disciples who have directly engaged with FEMA, have been involved in disaster response and recovery, or simply have concerns about the future of FEMA operations and programs, to share feedback. Public comment is due by May 15. Mahalo Nui4/24/2025 a new partnership with the Lahaina Community Land Trust In early March, Week of Compassion provided a long-term recovery grant to the Lahaina Community Land Trust, supporting recovery for households affected by the 2023 wildfires, and efforts to protect and generate affordable and sustainable housing. Celebrating this partnership, LCLT shared their generous thanks with Disciples. Their words of gratitude carry a blessing for all of us: "On behalf of the Lahaina Community Land Trust and as a fire survivor myself, I extend a heartfelt mahalo to Week of Compassion for their generosity and shared vision. Together, we are not only rebuilding homes but also nurturing the soul of our community, ensuring that Lahaina remains a place where its people can thrive for generations to come." - Mikey Burke, President of the Board of Directors
Working to bring Lahaina lands into community ownership and create volunteer opportunities for rebuilding alongside local professional contractors, LCLT is dedicated to the preservation of community land for long-term benefit. Deborah Mader, VP of Operations, goes on to say: “Our deepest aloha and mahalo for your generous gift to Lahaina Community Land Trust. For centuries across the pae ʻāina (the Hawaiian island chain), when a loko iʻa (fishpond), loʻi kalo (taro patch), or auwai (irrigation ditch) needed to be built, the kāhea (call) would go out and the community would come together to help create it. Each person doing their part — standing side by side, passing stones hand to hand. And in the end, a powerful new thing was born, something that would feed and benefit the people for generations to come. Mahalo so much for answering the kāhea, to stand side by side with us. Please know that your gift will be a part of Lahaina's legacy for generations. Mahalo piha for helping us nurture a future where everyone in Lahaina, from keiki (child) to kupuna (honored elder), thrives.” LEARN MORE about the Lahaina Community Land Trust by following them on social media and at their website. Willing to Respond - March 20253/26/2025 Communities in Action a resource from Week of Compassion focused on domestic disaster readiness, and networking congregations registered with Willing to Respond
"a place for all to discover community, acceptance, and purpose" In September 2024, Hurricane Helene swept upward from Florida’s Big Bend, devastating communities throughout the southeastern United States. It hit the Blue Ridge particularly hard, triggering historic flooding throughout Western North Carolina.
At Christmount, the national retreat center of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains is still marred by the scars of Hurricane Helene’s devastation. The Christmount staff doesn’t dwell on the damage wrought by the storm, though; there’s just too much work to do. Long-Term Recovery on the Eastern Shore3/11/2025 staff and volunteers get affordable housing off the ground (literally!) photo: Week of Compassion On October 29, 2021, Somerset and Dorchester counties experienced Maryland’s worst tidal flooding in 50 years — in many places, water levels were at or higher than Hurricane Sandy (2012). This kind of massive flooding creates immediate and long-term health threats to flood survivors and to their homes. The influx of bay water carried contaminants and wreaked havoc on plumbing and electrical systems, and left homes susceptible to the growth of mold and mildew.
The 2021 storm was unnamed and undeclared by federal agencies, and received minimal media coverage. Few people knew the storm even happened, let alone the resources and networks needed to help survivors move toward recovery. |
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