Millions of people across the Northeast portion of the United States are left in the midst of destruction, floods and power outages due to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. However, there are organizations like the Week of Compassion in place to help in the midst of this tragedy.
“It’s incredibly important that people help. As children of God we are all connected and one thing we can do spiritually is show empathy towards one another. It takes everyone to put hands on deck to meet those needs of others,” said Brandon Gilvin associate director of Week of Compassion.
Week of Compassion is the relief, refugee and development mission fund of the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. This local organization equips and empowers disciples to alleviate the suffering of others through disaster response, humanitarian aid, sustainable development and the promotion of mission opportunities.
According to Gilvin, the organization responds to a need every other day, and 100 percent of the proceeds go to the giver’s choice. This is possible through the help of church partner organizations. Those relationships insure their responses are efficient, effective and faithful.
Church World Service (CWS), located in Elkhart, Ind., is another organization helping Hurricane Sandy victims. While Week of Compassion only accepts monetary donations, CWS is accepting physical items such as school supplies, toiletries, baby care kits and emergency cleanup buckets.
CWS works with partners to eradicate hunger, poverty and promote peace and justice around the world. Both agencies help victims long after the news has shifted elsewhere.
“We work with organizations all over the world in order to make a larger impact,” Gilvin said.
You can make an impact too! Find out how you can extend a helping hand below.
Hygiene Kits
Gather together the following supplies and send them to Church World Service or a local Red Cross:
- One hand towel measuring approx. 16” x 28” (no fingertip or bath towels)
- One washcloth
- One wide-tooth comb
- One nail clipper
- One bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)
- One toothbrush (in original packaging)
- Six standard size Band-Aids
Can Food Drive
Gather a group together and start a canned food drive. Here are some basic instructions.
- Determine the purpose of the food drive.
- Contact the organization that the donations and proceeds will benefit. The organization can usually tell you what they are in most need of, and possibly supply some ideas for volunteers and where donations can be dropped off.
- Contact local schools and organizations to tell them about your event and ask for any involvement they can contribute.
- Find a centralized and dedicated drop-off location for donations.
- Rent trucks for transportation of the donations and gather as many volunteers as you will need for different shifts for the dates of the food drive.
Praise Marathon
Using the same concept of a dance marathon host a praise marathon at your local church.
- A typical mini dance marathon lasts between four and six hours; the basic rule is for the contestants to dance without a break.
- Set up an organizing committee for the praise marathon. The committee should consist of the supplies team, responsible for the food, drinks, sound system and decoration; the fund-raising team and the promotion team.
- See if you can host the event at your local church.
- Arrange the date of the event.
- Each poster and sticker must mention explicitly the type of event, the venue, date, duration of the marathon, entry fee and reason for raising funds.
- Assign a DJ and select a play list. The duration of the play list must match exactly the advertised length of the marathon; in addition, it should alternate between upbeat and slow songs.
- Organize activities for guests who do not take part in the marathon, like a karaoke competition.
- Select awards for winners of the praise marathon such as certificates or trophies.
Pray
If you are unable to contribute a gift, pray. Offer up a prayer to God on someone else’s behalf.
