Samaritan’s Purse Showing the Power of God’s Love to Hurricane Victims
Franklin Graham’s organization, Samaritan’s Purse, joined other humanitarian efforts in helping people rebuild their lives after Hurricane Harvey, The Christian Broadcasting Network News reports. “‘We have volunteers out, they’re chain-sawing, they’re cutting trees down, they’re moving limbs and debris from the road,’ Samaritan’s Purse assistant program manager Debrew Cooper told CBN News. ‘Before we leave we present a Bible with each homeowner and leave an encouraging note with a Bible verse in there.’”
Food For The Poor Rushes Emergency Supplies to Caribbean Islands Destroyed by Hurricane Irma
“Food For The Poor is rushing emergency relief to Barbuda, St. Maarten, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other areas in the Caribbean to meet the dire needs of those who survived Hurricane Irma, which slammed the islands as a Category 5 storm with 185 mph winds,” according to Social Work Helper. “The first shipment of lifesaving aid was sent from Caritas Antilles Chancery Offices, the charity’s trusted partner in St. Lucia, and arrived in the Dutch territory of St. Maarten. Two other longtime Food For the Poor partners, Matthew 25: Ministries and Feed My Starving Children, are assisting us in this endeavor. Critical items supplied included beans, MannaPack fortified rice meals, blankets, rubber boots, personal hygiene items and agricultural tools.”
As U.S. Focuses on Harvey and Irma, Catholic Relief Services Works on World’s Other Crises
“With Hurricane Irma menacing South Florida, Catholic Charities USA and other U.S. disaster response agencies were preparing yet another emergency response even as they continued to grapple with the ruin Hurricane Harvey wrought on Texas and Louisiana. Catholic Relief Services officials, for their part, were tracking Irma with an eye on its likely impact on three nations where it works as the overseas relief and development agency for the U.S. church—the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba,” reports America Media. “But C.R.S.’s ongoing global relief and development work this week is not limited to preparing for Irma. In South Asia more than 1,400 have been killed and more than 41 million dislocated by floods and landslides that have followed an unprecedented drenching during monsoon season. In India, C.R.S. staff are on the ground and in Nepal and Bangladesh C.R.S. is assisting Caritas, the church’s global relief and development agency, and other local groups. At the other end of the climate crisis spectrum, he says, C.R.S. is continuing to respond to drought and conflict-related famine in Somalia and Kenya and hunger and a refugee crisis in South Sudan. A murderous landslide in Sierra Leone also drew a recent C.R.S. response.”
Catholic Charities of SE Michigan Names New CEO
“Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan has named a new CEO. The nonprofit organization’s chief operating officer, Dave Bartek, 57, took the helm this week,” according to Crain’s Detroit Business. “Bartek replaces Jason Shanks, who became the human service agency’s first CEO when it was consolidated from several different organizations by the Archdiocese. Bartek started at Catholic Charities as director of the immigration and refugee resettlement programs, and then took on the responsibility of overseeing the All Saints Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry in southwest Detroit before becoming COO.”
The Salvation Army Appoints New National Leaders
“General André Cox, world leader of The Salvation Army, has appointed Commissioners David and Sharron Hudson to serve as the National Commander and National President of Women’s Ministries for The Salvation Army USA, respectively,” the Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire reports. “Commissioners Hudson follow in the footsteps of Commissioners David and Barbara Jeffrey, who have retired after serving a combined 96 years as Salvation Army officers. Commissioner David Hudson most recently served as The Salvation Army USA’s National Chief Secretary, while Commissioner Sharron Hudson served as National Secretary for Women’s Ministries and National Representative of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Services.”
Former Client of Catholic Charities Hired as CEO
“On July 1, Catholic Charities—an independent, nonprofit organization with more than 30 programs throughout the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin—welcomed Meneses as its new chief executive officer,” according to El Tecolote. “Founded in 1907, Catholic Charities provides services for homeless people, low-income families, youth, refugees and immigrants. And as a youth, Meneses was a recipient of those services. Her experience includes being the chief diversity officer at Portland State University, the director of risk management at Oregon Health Science University and the dean of the Concordia School of Law.”
‘I’m Fed up With It’: Focus on the Family President Sounds off on Ruling Against Praying Coach
“The president of Focus on the Family is outraged at the firing of a high school football coach after he refused to stop praying at mid-field after football games. Jim Daly is also upset at the recent ruling by a federal appeals court against the coach,” reports The Christian Broadcasting Network News. “‘The fact that he’s just going to the middle of the field to thank God that his players are kept safe — I think for the 9th Circuit Court to shut him down and for the school to fire him is egregious,’ Daly said. Coach Joe Kennedy recently lost a two-year court battle against the Bremerton School District in the state of Washington. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the school district stating that students could be influenced by the coach’s behavior.”
