- How Local Churches Can Participate in Disaster Response - Cooperative Faith-Based Disaster Recovery in Your Community
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Our Methods: How CWS Assists Disaster Survivors Church World Service, unlike many other disaster responders, provides assistance in partnership with faith-based organizations in disaster-affected communities. CWS seeks to empower people of faith to not only recover from disasters, but to prepare for them, mitigate their effects when and if they occur, and even to prevent them if possible. It does this through: - Seed money. CWS provides grants usually in amounts of $1,000 to $10,000 so disaster programs can begin while funding from major donors is pending. CWS itself normally is not a major funder. - Material resources. CWS channels important relief assistance to disaster survivors through denominations, ecumenical groups, and other organizations related to the religious community. CWS warehouses blankets, tents, "Gifts of the Heart" relief kits including personal care, school and clean-up supplies to provide immediate aid. The Emergency Response Program also purchases and seeks donations of food, medicines, building supplies and other kinds of material resources for shipment to disaster sites as needed. - Counsel & Technical assistance. CWS staff and trained volunteers provide counsel and training to local religious groups following disasters to faciltate a cooperative faith-based response. |
