March 5, 2009

ELGIN, IL – Children's Disaster Services is offering a Level I Workshop as a training event for volunteers, in Fort Wayne, Ind., on April 3-4. The event will take place at Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren (2810 Beacon St., Fort Wayne; 260-482-8595).

Children's Disaster Services is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren, working since 1980 in cooperation with the American Red Cross and FEMA to offer services for children and their families following disasters. The program trains volunteers to provide a calm, safe, and reassuring present in the midst of the chaos that follows disasters by setting up and operating special child care centers in disaster locations. Parents are then able to apply for assistance and begin to put their lives back together, knowing their children are safe.

The workshop will train new volunteers to take part in the ministry. The workshop begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 3, and continues through 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. A $45 registration fee covers materials, meals, and overnight accommodations. Late registration (after March 27) is $55.

Information learned at this workshop can be beneficial to anyone working with children. Designed for people who have a heart and passion for children, the workshop will train participants to understand and respond to children who have experienced a disaster, helping them recognize and understand the fears and other emotions children experience during and following a disaster and how child-led play and various art mediums can start the healing process. During the weekend, participants will sleep on cots and eat simple meals to experience a simulated shelter with similar living conditions to those typically provided for survivors of disasters.

Once the training is completed, participants have the opportunity to become certified Children's Disaster Services volunteers by providing two personal references and a criminal and sexual offender background check. Although many volunteers are motivated by faith, Children's Disaster Services workshops are open to anyone over 18 years of age.

In 2008, more than 140 Children's Disaster Services volunteers spent a total of 11,124 hours caring for almost 3,000 children after several national disasters, including flooding and ice storms in the Midwest, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in the Gulf states, the Metrolink train accident in southern California, and the California wildfires.

Those interested in attending the workshop may contact local coordinator Donna Belknap at 260-483-7244. For more information about Children's Disaster Services go to http://www.childrensdisasterservices.org/ or contact the office at cds_gb@brethren.org or 800-451-4407, ext. 5.

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. It is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the US and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, the DR, Brazil, Haiti, and India.

Church of the Brethren News Service