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Calvary Presbyterian Church of Wyncote, PA |
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“Out of chaos, hope” For the lastest information on the Presbyterian Response to natural disasters throughout the world please visit www.pcusa.org/pda. Presbyterians have established several avenues for joining resources to provide help to victims of disasters throughout the world. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance offers immediate aid - financial, material, and manpower - to those in need. Other aid organizations are listed below. You can provide aid to victims of natural disasters throughout the world by donating money to support their activities. Financial donations are the fastest, most effective method for reaching out to support people who are suffering around the world. Presbyterians contribute funds to Church World Service, which responds to natural disasters in a variety of ways. Once a year, in February, the Calvary Presbyterian Women’s Fellowship sponsors participation in the Church World Service Tools and Blankets fund drive. A donation of $5 can buy a specially designed blanket. Recently, a South Carolina firm has engineered a new lightweight, non-woven blanket to keep disaster victims both warm and dry. One side is soft to the touch, the other provides a barrier from moisture, dirt and debris. It is especially effective as it sheds water and dries quickly, needing less water to clean. “A Rainbow of Caring” provides other assistance in addition to blankets for disaster relief. A donation of $15 can provide a hoe, shovel, and rake for a rural family. $100 can buy fishing nets and other equipment for a village cooperative. $150 can shelter disaster victims in a family-sized tent. $250 can provide a sewing machine for a widow learning a trade to support her family. $5,000 can drill and install a clean water well for a village. To learn more about how Church World Service works in partnership with more than 80 countries, visit their website at ChurchWorldService.org. Donations to Calvary’s February Blanket Drive can be dropped in the collection plate or sent to the church office, with a notation designating the Blanket Drive. Those wishing to respond financially to disasters may do so by designating gifts for Presbyterian Disaster Response Accounts by using the account number designated for a particular disaster. You can also contribute to a general disaster aid fund, in anticipation of the next disaster, wherever that may occur. Donating to the general fund allows Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to respond immediately with financial and material help. Checks may be sent directly to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Individual Remittance Processing, P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700. To make a gift by credit card, call PresbyTel at (800) 872-3283, or visit the Web site.
Please continue to pray for the people affected by recent disasters Prayer in Time of Distress Almighty and everlasting God, Hear our prayer. We claim your promises of wholeness as we pray for those who are ill Hear our prayer. Make the weak strong, the sick healthy, the broken whole, Hear our prayer. To everyone in distress, grant mercy, grant relief, Hear our prayer. As we begin to rebuild, we commend our neighborhoods to your care. Hear our prayer. God of compassion, you watch our ways, Hear our prayer. Surround those who have been shaken by tragedy Amen.
Other Disaster Relief Organizations The following list, from the Presbyterian Church (USA) website, describes other organizations that provide disaster assistance and aid to refugees throughout ACTION BY CHURCHES TOGETHER (ACT) ACT is a worldwide network of churches called to a common witness and task in providing emergency response and humanitarian assistance through a common identity. The ACT coordinating office is based in the World Council of Churches and Lutheran World Federation in Geneva. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is an ACT member and we sit on the emergency committee of ACT. Church World Service, the relief and development agency of the National Council of Churches, has a unique capacity to respond rapidly to natural and human-caused disasters through an established world-wide network of local partners it supports via counsel, technical assistance, training, funding, and material resources. Reports U.S. faith-based response to disasters and disaster response volunteer opportunities A clearinghouse of disaster response information for family-scale farmers FRB works on behalf of its members to mobilize and increase the resources needed for food security projects. FRB is positioned to receive and handle agricultural resources given to support relief and food security programs worldwide. FRB is a member organization and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is a member. Interaction (National Council for Voluntary International Action) is a coalition of more than 160 US-based relief, development, and refugee agencies, is the nationís leading advocate for international humanitarian efforts including relief, development, refugee assistance, environment, population and global education. Interaction exists to enhance the effectiveness and professional capacities of its members engaged in international humanitarian efforts. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is a member of Interaction. THE NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM The purpose of the National Immigration Forum is to embrace and uphold America’s tradition as a nation of immigrants. The Forum advocates and builds public support for public policies that welcome immigrants and refugees and that are fair and supportive to newcomers in our country. NATIONAL VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER (NVOAD) NVOAD coordinates planning efforts by many voluntary organizations responding to disaster. Member organizations provide more effective service by getting together before disasters strike. Once disasters occur, NVOAD or an affiliated state VOAD encourages members and other voluntary agencies to convene on-site. This cooperative effort has proven to be the most effective way for a wide variety of volunteers and organizations to work together in a crisis.
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