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Katrina Relief – collaborative effort with African American churches

October 5, 2005

By pwrdf

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USA: Hurricane Katrina

Canadian Anglicans have donated $20,000 thus far to The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) for emergency relief in the southeastern United States after Hurricane Katrina, one of the largest and most destructive natural disasters to strike the country.  As a member of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT)   International, PWRDF has channelled the funds through Church World Service (CWS) in the United States.
Church World Service Director and CEO Rev. John L. McCullough, who visited post-Katrina Louisiana, said that CWS is intent on collaboration with and harnessing the strength of African American churches and policy leaders on behalf of New Orleans’ poor blacks, first devastated and now evacuated and scattered around the country.
“This is not a problem about gas and oil, but about humans and human integrity,” says McCullough. “These people’s lives are shattered, many have lost family, been separated from family or children during evacuation. Our assignment,” he says, “is helping these people rebuild their lives, find new homes, recover from the trauma, and know that they are important, that they are not abandoned.
“There is no question that the area’s faith leaders will shoulder a massive amount of responsibility in caring for those populations and helping them find resources,” said McCullough, “at a time when the church leaders themselves may have suffered great personal losses.”
During a meeting convened by the Louisiana Interchurch Council in Baton Rouge, McCullough stressed that cooperation and not competition among faith groups will help consolidate their role as advocates for survivors coping with an unimaginable disaster in destruction and scope.  “This is not just an urban story; its a rural story,” said McCullough during the meeting attended by members and pastors of independent churches in Louisiana, as well as representatives of the Presbyterian Church (USA); United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR); the Christian Church (Disciples); and CWS staff that included Linda Reed Brown, CWS Associate Director for Domestic Emergency Response.
One participant at the meeting said Church World Service–which has long experience in responding to disasters in a wide geographic area–“had big arms, pulling people together,” and would be a key faith-based convener and coordinator of disaster response to Katrina.
–From ACT and CWS files
For further information regarding Hurricane Katrina, please contact:Naba GurungPWRDF Development Program Officer:Asia-Pacific, Global and EmergenciesPhone: (416) 924-9199, ext. 321FAX: (416) 924-3483Elsa Tesfay-MusaPWRDF Development Program Coordinator:Refugees and Emergency ReliefPhone:(416) 924-9199, ext. 206FAX: (416) 924-3483More about PWRDF Emergency Response
Make a Donation
Donate to PWRDF on-line through Canada Helps
To make a donation by credit card or direct-debit
Contact Annie Au-Yeung at (416) 924-9199, ext. 355
Please do not send your card number by email or fax.
 
By Mail
Please mark “USA Hurricane Katrina Relief” on the cheque, payable to “PWRDF”
and send to:
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund
80 Hayden Street
Toronto, Ontario   M4Y 3G2

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For media requests please contact Communications Coordinator Janice Biehn at (416) 924-9199;366.

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