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Church World Service to Distribute UNICEF Materials in Mississippi

Distribution of recreational supplies from UNICEF. Photo: Tom Davis/CWS

September 9, 2005

NEW YORK – A shipment of "hope" for children affected by Hurricane Katrina has arrived in Meridian, Mississippi, for Saturday distribution by local churches affiliated with Church World Service (CWS).

CWS, a lead agency in the disaster relief effort, has been selected by UNICEF to distribute enough educational and recreational kits to serve some 3,000 children relocated to Meridian from New Orleans. The children and their families are living in temporary shelters run by local churches or at the homes of Meridian residents.

Rev John L. McCullough, CWS Executive Director, says the agency is able to facilitate distribution of the aid packages for UNICEF “because of our close ties to the local pastors whose churches are helping the relocated hurricane survivors.”

One of those pastors, the Rev. Gerald Hudson of Newell Chapel CME (Christian Methodist Episcopal Church) in Meridian, is working with Church World Service to coordinate the effort. He says the initial distribution will take place Saturday evening at Meridian’s Mt. Holly Baptist Church. Hudson, who also serves as a counselor for the local school district, points out that the children need more than just the basics of survival, like food and shelter.

Distribution of recreational supplies from UNICEF

Distribution of recreational supplies from UNICEF Photo: Tom Davis/CWS

"These young people are living under tremendous stress. They need stability, but they also need a certain amount of levity to help relieve some of that stress," says Rev. Hudson. The school materials are important in helping the children get back into the routine of studying as they enter school in this new location, but Rev. Hudson says the recreation supplies are just as important to the emotional well-being of the children. "They have been through a terrible ordeal and they have to be able to experience fun and laughter and games in their lives again."

Hurricane Katrina passed within 20 miles of Meridian, a town of some 39,000 residents with a median household income of $25,000. The kits, Hudson says, will be “an important resource not just for the children relocated to Meridian but for all the children of our town.” After the Saturday distribution, the kits will be given out at churches and other locations in town where the children are being sheltered.

Church World Service is the humanitarian agency of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican communions in the United States, with almost 60 years of experience in disaster response. CWS disaster teams deployed in the wake of the hurricane currently are working in Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi to support churches in immediate recovery efforts and to help formulate long-term responses to the disaster.

The agency has issued an emergency appeal for over $9.5 million to support recovery efforts. Contributions may be sent to Church World Service, Hurricane Katrina Response #6280, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515. Credit Card contributions may be made by calling (800) 297-1516, Ext. 222, or online at www.churchworldservice.org.

Meridian Contact:
Rev. Gerald Hudson
Newell Chapel CME

Cell 601-917-9282

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;

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