July 3, 2008

ELGIN, IL – Children's Disaster Services is winding down its response to the flooding in Iowa and Indiana. Children's Disaster Services is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren, in which trained and certified volunteers care for children of families affected by disasters.

"We have one center left open in Iowa (there were five), the one in Indiana closed on Saturday," reported associate director Judy Bezon. "We determine the date of closing after numbers of children show a steady decline."

The program has had five teams of childcare volunteers caring for children of families affected by flooding in Iowa and Indiana. The teams – representing a total of 29 volunteers – have worked in seven different locations. Children's Disaster Services has cared for approximately 550 children in the response to the midwest flooding.

"There were over 40 additional volunteers ready to go had the need lasted longer," Bezon said, giving credit to the volunteers who were willing to "put their lives on hold and serve those in need."

The program also has monitored the need for Children's Disaster Services centers in the response to the wildfires in California. Bezon reported that there have been only three shelters open in California, with 19, 8, and no clients respectively, with no need for Children's Disaster Services.

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.

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service