wfn.org | Newsline: Northern Plains Brethren take part in relief effort in Iowa

["COBNews Newsline" <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- June 26, 2008
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

NORTHERN PLAINS BRETHREN TAKE PART IN RELIEF EFFORT
IN IOWA

(June 26, 2008) Elgin, IL -- The Church of the Brethren's Northern
Plains District is contributing to the relief work in Iowa following  storms
and flooding. The Church of the Brethren's Emergency Disaster Fund is
giving a grant of $5,000 to Northern Plains District in support of its
efforts to assist in cleanup. The fund is a ministry of the Church of the
Brethren.

The Emergency Disaster Fund also has given a grant of $5,000 to
support the work of Children's Disaster Services in Iowa and Indiana. As
of June 25, Children's Disaster Services had seen 230 children in Iowa
and about 200 in Indiana. The fund has given an additional $5,000 to the
work of Church World Service in parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and
Indiana.

A report from Northern Plains District shared information about district
efforts. Gary Gahm is serving as the district's disaster coordinator, and  is
fielding requests for assistance and offers of help. Those interested in
volunteering with clean-up and rebuilding efforts are invited to contact
him at gahmg@juno.com or 712-328-0894 or 712-314-1326.

Gahm explained, "With all the flooding and tornadoes in Iowa there is a
lot of clean up to do now and longterm. The goal will be to help as many
people as we are able." The grant money will be used to feed and lodge
volunteers, purchase tools as needed, and other items to do clean up
correctly and safely. The funds also may be used to support local
rebuilding efforts or local agencies managing longterm recovery.

Gahm has been working at state-level coordination efforts, and has been
trained in the use of a website that has been set up for receiving funds,
requests for assistance, and offers of volunteer help. He has been
working with Zach Wolgemuth and Jane Yount, staff of Brethren
Disaster Ministries, to request the grant money and to begin planning for
the longterm volunteer and recovery effort.

In addition, Tim Button-Harrison, interim executive for Northern Plains
District, along with Gary Gahm and Zach Wolgemuth, have been
participated in conference calls of Iowa church leaders and disaster
coordinators to share information and discuss ways to cooperate in
providing immediate and longterm relief.

The Northern Plains District Disaster Fund is making grants available to
congregations to assist families in need, for general flood relief work of
congregations, and for expense reimbursements of volunteers serving on
behalf of the district and its churches. The fund urgently needs financial
contributions. Contribute to Disaster Fund, Northern Plains District,
Church of the Brethren, P.O. Box 493, Ankeny, IA  50021.

The district is emphasizing the great need for Emergency Clean-up
Buckets. Go to www.churchworldservice.org/kits/cleanup-kits.html for
information about contents and how to assemble Emergency Clean-up
Bucket kits. Gary Gahm is working with Church World Service to
determine a distribution site for buckets in Iowa. The Northern Plains
District Conference will hold a buckets collection on July 25-26 at
Hammond Avenue Church in Waterloo.

Root River Church of the Brethren near Greenleafton, Minn., also a
member of Northern Plains District, has raised $700 for clean-up buckets
during Vacation Bible School. With those funds they have assembled 15
kits and will assemble five more. The Hands of Christ Church of the
Brethren group in Rochester, Minn., is working with Root River by
purchasing items for the kits.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to
continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its
faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and
Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches.  It
celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts more than 125,000
members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and
sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and
India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren General Board
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org

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