September 17, 2008

TORONTO – The United Church of Canada announced today that it is launching an emergency financial appeal for hurricane relief. The appeal focuses on Haiti, Cuba, and other Caribbean countries that are suffering the consequence of a series of hurricanes that have passed through the region in recent weeks.

Hurricanes Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike have left as many as one million Haitians homeless and more than 500 dead. Serious flooding was reported in many areas, and Haiti's agricultural capacity is dangerously compromised.

In Cuba, because of strong civil defence capacity, only seven people were killed. But houses and other buildings, together with the agricultural sector, were seriously damaged. Cuban news agencies report that the path of destruction stretches for more than a thousand kilometres across the island. At least 30,000 families have lost their homes; another 320,000 homes have suffered serious damage. Agriculture has been severely affected. Preliminary reports indicate "colossal losses" in the production of bananas, corn (maize), sugar cane, coffee, yucca, guava, avocados, and poultry.

In addition, serious damage was reported in Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and along the Gulf Coast of the United States.

The United Church has already committed $50,000 in immediate humanitarian aid. These funds will be used to support relief and reconstruction efforts of the church's partners in the region. The church hopes that donations to the Caribbean Hurricane Appeal will far exceed this amount, thus enabling the church to increase its capacity to respond to this humanitarian crisis.

As always with United Church emergency appeals, 100 percent of all donations received will be committed to support relief and reconstruction work for people in need. There is no administration fee deducted. This is made possible thanks to the generous ongoing support of United Church members to the church's Mission and Service (M&S) Fund. Contributions to M&S allow the United Church to absorb the staffing and operating costs of processing donations for emergency appeals.

In the case of designated gifts for emergency appeals such as the Caribbean Hurricane Relief, the church does allocate 15 percent of donations to replenish the Emergency Response Fund. These monies are used exclusively to enable the United Church to immediately respond to current and future emergency needs of people in crisis around the world.

Individuals are invited to contribute to this emergency appeal through their local congregation, directly to The United Church of Canada's national office (3250 Bloor St. West, Suite 300, Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4), or through our secure online donations page at http://www.united-church.ca/getinvolved/donate/. Cheques and online donations should be made payable to The United Church of Canada and marked "Emergency Response: Caribbean Hurricane Relief."

All funds received will be treated as "designated gifts." Please note that designated gifts cannot be counted toward a congregation's M&S Fund credits. However, they are eligible for tax receipts. Congregational treasurers may receive and receipt individual cheques and then forward one congregational cheque to The United Church of Canada's national office.

Church members are also being encouraged to continue to support the Mission and Service Fund, which contributes to the ongoing work of United Church partners in the Caribbean and makes possible the United Church's long history of connection with the people of Haiti and Cuba.

Further information about the United Church's response to this humanitarian crisis in the Caribbean is being posted on the United Church's website (at http://www.united-church.ca/) and will be updated as new information becomes available.

United Church of Canada