STORIES
Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
notes from the field2/29/2024 checking in on Tennessee and western KentuckyWe’ve come to see February as ‘Special Offering season’ for Week of Compassion, where many Disciples congregations receive annual offerings dedicated to this shared work of disaster relief, refugee response, and sustainable development. But offerings come as more than coins and checks in offering plates and gifts online. Enduring connections - introductions to new people and ideas - tool trailers and storage closets - strategic planning and thoughtful visioning - creative solutions to seemingly insurmountable concerns … these are sacred offerings, too. a Special Offering 2024 Mission MomentFor the past couple of years, when you would drive into Mayfield, KY from Paducah, KY and crest the hill to the north of town, the sight would take your breath away – a town flattened. Businesses, churches, homes, all destroyed when, on December 10, 2021, a mile-wide EF4 long-track tornado hit multiple counties in western Kentucky, leaving a massive path of destruction and thousands of Kentuckians homeless. Disciples swiftly responded through Week of Compassion and Kentucky West Area congregations, and the generosity of Disciples lives on as homes are rebuilt and communities are restored. In the two years since that event, Week of Compassion has partnered with Long-Term Recovery Groups to stabilize communities and support them through their recovery. Volunteer referrals and grant funding are helping move rebuilding forward in multiple counties - all with unique approaches to meeting the needs in their own neighborhoods. Making Progress!9/28/2023 foundation poured in Mayfield KYRemember the house you built in the Exhibit Hall at General Assembly? The concrete block foundation is in place and ready for the next steps!
We are grateful to Leah Eubanks and the faithful at First Christian Paducah for keeping up with the progress, for sharing photos, and for hosting groups serving in the community to keep moving forward with rebuilt and restored housing, part of the recovery work since the winter 2021 tornadoes. To volunteer with them, or any of our other disaster response teams, go to weekofcompassion.org/group-volunteers Help Build Hope at General Assembly5/22/2023 on-site 'Service Service' highlights long-term recoveryBe part of something BIG at General Assembly! Week of Compassion and the General Assembly Local Missions Team are working with Help Build Hope to frame a house for survivors of the devastating tornadoes that hit western Kentucky in 2021. Sunday morning (July 30), we will have a brief worship service then will frame a house right in the Exhibit Hall! Come work and pray with other volunteers as we help one family get closer to moving home. Special Offering 2023: Mission Moment1/31/2023 Sunny Day CampOn a dark night in early December 2021, entirely out of season, tornadoes tore across eight states, killing more than 80 people and devastating many communities. Just eight months later, on a warm Saturday in July, two Disciples churches and several community organizations made sure that dozens of children impacted by those winter storms in western Kentucky spent time outside with friends and caregivers, reveling in a bright and sunny day. Out of Destruction, New Possibility12/13/2022 how Dayton's tornado recovery brings |
region / focus :
All
|
|
Follow Us
|