DISASTER RESPONSE

Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM) is continuing work this year at a rebuilding site in Letcher County, Ky., with new builds and repairs of homes damaged during the July 2022 flooding event. Illinois/Wisconsin is scheduled to assist with a team in Letcher County Dec. 7-13. A second project site is expected to open later this year. In 2026, our district’s volunteer week will shift to the summer, late August/early September. 

For those interested in volunteering with Children’s Disaster Services, two trainings are available this fall: Sept. 26-27 at Warrensburg (Mo.) First United Methodist Church and Oct. 17-18 at Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, and two in spring 2026: Feb. 20-21 in Beaufort, S.C., and Feb. 27-28 in Glendale, Ariz. Registration, including all meals, curriculum, and overnight is $55 for early bird, and $65 if sent less than three weeks before the event. Participants in the 25-hour training, which includes a simulated shelter experience, learn to provide comfort and encouragement to children by offering the healing young children need in traumatic situations. Learn more and register at https://www.brethren.org/cds/training/.