One
Great Hour of Sharing
Gifts for Disaster
Recovery
Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne
At first glance they sound like partners in a congenial bridge game, but
they were anything but friendly. They were four of the nastier eruptions of
the most active hurricane season in 10 years.
In Florida, residents had not finished cleaning up from one storm before the next one hit. All four hurricanes directly hit the state.
Some 15,000 Florida homes were destroyed by the storm and 120,000 persons were made homeless. The storm destroyed 20 percent of the citrus crop statewide and some 10,000 people lost their jobs as a result of the hurricane.
Your Gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing supported Church World Service Disaster Response teams who have been on-site since the first hurricane hit land and they continue working on site in Florida and other affected states. Working with its member denominations, CWS brings the faith community into partnership with government and community groups that are building long-term recovery plans.
Hurricanes, like most natural disasters, can neither be predicted nor controlled, and their cost can be devastating in terms of human life, well-being and property. In recent months people around the world have lost loved ones and homes due to tsunamis, earthquakes, storms, mudslides, and political upheavals. In such times, persons who have not been directly affected by the disaster may feel like helpless bystanders at first. But there are many things people of faith can do to help when disaster strikes - beginning with their generous contributions to the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering.