More News from the Church of God Related to Haiti…
Friday, January 15, 2010
The first disbursement of Disaster Relief Funds, along with the members of the assessment team, sent by Church of God Ministries (CGM) will arrive in Haiti on Saturday, January 16. The two-person team will meet with Phyllis Newby, national leader for the Church of God in Haiti, and career missionaries John and Jodie Ackerman to conduct a detailed analysis of the situation. The team will report their findings back to CGM’s Disaster Relief Committee, which is developing a strategic plan for response to this devastating earthquake.
“We are developing a three-phase plan to respond to the situation affecting our congregations and the people of Haiti,” said Dr. Don Smith, coordinator for Compassionate Ministries for CGM. “The first phase of the plan is the immediate response and assessment. The $10,000 we have sent will provide our missionaries and national leader with the money needed to address some of the most pressing needs. Our assessment team will carefully evaluate the situation and provide us with recommendations that will inform our response planning.”
Many congregations and individuals have contacted CGM asking how they can help or whether any work groups are scheduled to go into Haiti. It would be imprudent for a work team to attempt to go to Haiti anytime in the near future. Transportation into the country is severely limited, many of the roads in and out of the capital are congested or impassible because of debris, and fuel is scarce. The limited food, water, and shelter available at this time is needed to meet the needs of the Haitian people and other emergency first responders, such as the U.S. military and the major relief organizations.
“There will be a time when we will call for work groups,” said Smith, “but first we must complete our assessment and planning to determine what type of services and support are needed, when is it needed, and how we can ensure the necessary supplies and logistics are in place and ready to support the influx of workers. After we complete the strategic response plan, there will be opportunities for church work groups to come and help. But, such trips will not be scheduled until the later phases of the plan. There will be plenty of opportunity in the months ahead for those wanting to help out.”
There is one exception. Doctors, nurses, and other emergency medical personnel wanting to help with the immediate situation in Haiti are encouraged to contact the Christian Medical and Dental Association, [http://www.cmda.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Haiti_Relief] which is partnering with World Medical Mission to get medical personnel into Haiti.
So what can an individual or congregation do right now to help with the situation in Haiti?
“Pray, pray, pray,” responded Smith. “And then if you are so led, the most beneficial contribution you can make right now comes in the form of money. Once the assessment team completes their analysis, we anticipate tens of thousands of dollars will be needed to purchase medical supplies, food, water, fuel, and the materials needed to rebuild homes, churches, schools, and medical clinics.”
Immediate donations to the Disaster Relief Fund can be made online by clicking here. Or, checks can be mailed to Church of God Ministries, PO Box 2420, Anderson, IN 46018-2420. Please write Project 45.04502 in the memo line.
Media reports from Haiti indicate that the most severe destruction was limited to the capital city of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding suburbs. The Church of God has 233 congregations in Haiti. At this time we do not have any reports on how many of those congregations or members were affected by the earthquake. More information about the scope of the damage will be provided as it becomes available.