Urgent Appeal for Week of Compassion

From Associate Regional Minister, Don Hiscox:

This an update and an appeal!!!

Week of Compassion has wired $12,000 to the Upper Midwest Region for distribution to persons impacted by the floods and tornados while Johnny Wray and Amy Gopp, Director and Assistant Director of Week of Compassion respectively, are out of the country on a working mission trip.
These grants can best be described by the email I received yesterday from Johnny Wray...

"I leave for an extended working trip to the Balkans tomorrow (Thursday) and
will be out of pocket pretty much most of June. Week of Compassion is going to
place funds with Don Hiscox in the regional office to respond to our churches
and members affected by the floods. We don't have precise protocols but flexible
guidelines which include what we call solidarity grants (anywhere from $100 -
$250) for impacted Disciples families and then where there are extentuating
circumstances (i.e. major damage, no insurance, family illness,
unemployments,limited resources – those kind of things) we've made grants of
$500, $750, $1000 even higher – but all this is based on the counsel and
discretion of the pastor. Also, we do like to support any community responses
the congregation is supporting."

So far, $6,950 has been distributed to four communities and/or families in the form of either solidarity or extenuating circumstances grants...Hugo, MN (tragic death of a small child in a tornado); Corning, Iowa (severe community flooding); Waterloo, Iowa (six families in the congregation have lost their homes); and Mason City, Iowa (one family in the congregation has lost their home)...

And we all know that this is just the tip of the iceburg!!!

And so, my appeal...I challenge the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Upper Midwest in the next ten days to raise at least $50,000 in new money as gifts designated to the Week of Compassion for Upper Midwest Region flood and tornado relief. My wife, Karen, and I have just written our personal check...I'm going to ask the congregation where we worship to at least match our gift.

Will you please join us by writing your check today, and by promoting this fund raising appeal in the congregation in which you worship?

Many, Many Thanks...and May God bless you richly!!!