August 23, 2007

Also see Two years and counting: Katrina struggle continues and Photo gallery on Hurricane Katrina recovery

NEW YORK -- Over the past two years, Church World Service, with the help of its member denominations and other partners in service, has been able to help thousands of Gulf Coast hurricane survivors on the long and difficult road to recovery.

The New York-based humanitarian agency's efforts range from the ongoing work of helping communities establish locally run long-term recovery organizations, to helping people rebuild homes destroyed by the hurricanes, and providing grants to help young people whose their lives were upended by the disaster.

When survivors were evacuated out of state—for long or short stays--CWS used its expertise in refugee assistance to help people displaced to 10 states find services, jobs, housing and schools in their new communities.

To date, CWS has shipped more than $1.25 million in donated material assistance, including CWS Blankets, CWS Hygiene and School Kits, and Emergency Clean-Up Buckets. CWS has also partnered with UNICEF to distribute school and recreation materials.

Church World Service also is supporting trauma care through its Interfaith Trauma Response Trainings for Gulf hurricane caregivers and direct trauma care through its Spiritual and Emotional Care Response team of volunteer professional counselors.

Here is an update on other CWS Gulf Coast Recovery programs:

Church World Service has supported 44 long-term recovery organizations in the Gulf area. These locally-run community organizations have repaired thousands of houses by bringing together citizens, community groups and social services agencies to identify and address cases of need.

A $4 million partnership with Habitat for Humanity that allows long-term recovery groups along the Gulf Coast to apply for grants of up to $10,000 to help families repair their homes. Soon the grant will have repaired 443 houses with another 202 to be completed by the Spring of 2008.

The CWS School Resources Program has provided more than a half million dollars for new computer technology labs and equipment, books, library equipment, and other supplies to hurricane-damaged Gulf Coast schools.

The Youth at Risk Program is providing support for programs with young survivors:

Special Olympics of Louisiana re-launched its work in assisting young area athletes with disabilities to participate in Special Olympics competitions.

Turning Point Partners built its Youth Empowerment Project, a group that works with young people being released from juvenile facilities and co-lead a weeklong retreat with Camp Noah and the new Youth Strategies in Trauma Awareness and Resilience program of Eastern Mennonite University to help teen volunteers process their own disaster-related trauma.

Boat People SOS, a national organization helping vulnerable Vietnamese and Southeast Asian refugees throughout the U.S., began a new Asian Youth Empowerment Project in New Orleans with the help of a grant.

Church World Service is the relief, development and refugee assistance agency of 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations in the United States. CWS, now celebrating its 60th year of service, works in 80 countries.

Media Contact: Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org