CHILDREN’S DISASTER SERVICES TRAINING

Freeport Church of the Brethren (777 W. Pleasant St., Freeport) will be hosting a Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) volunteer training workshop May 3-4.

The CDS workshop is a comprehensive 25-hour workshop (4:30 p.m. Friday to 5:30 p.m. Saturday) that uses applied, experiential activities to help participants integrate their learning. The workshop will train you to understand and respond to children who have experienced a disaster. Designed for people who have a heart and passion for children, the workshop helps you 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 in children. Participants will experience a simulated shelter, sleeping on cots and eating simple meals. Once training is completed, participants have the opportunity to become a certified CDS volunteer by providing two personal references and a criminal and sexual offender background check. The workshop is open to anyone age 18 and over.

Participants should bring comfortable clothes, refillable water bottle, camping gear (sleeping bag or blankets, pillow, air mattress, flashlight), earplugs or sleep mask, and personal items (towel, washcloth, toiletries), as well as a desire to help others in need! Cost is $55 for early registration (postmarked at least three weeks before the workshop), and $65 thereafter. A reduced registration of $32.50 is available for current students. Meals and simple overnight accommodations are included.

To register, go to Workshop dates and locations – Children's Disaster Services (brethren.org). If you are interested but can’t make the Freeport dates, another training session will occur April 12-13 in Ankeny, Iowa.