Summary of Decisions and Topics of Discussion
National World Relief Board Meeting
Bradford, IL – 8/9/2008
Unrestricted funds available for distribution were $667,339. Available from the Disaster fund at the time of the meeting was $344,960. The special collection for the Disaster Fund is close to $1,000,000, and not all of the churches have responded yet. Some of these funds were designated for the Oakville flooding.
The allocations are summarized as follows:
| Supporting Services | $12,400 |
| Caribbean Committee | $150,000 |
| Distribution Center Committee | $57,881 |
| India Committee | $34,200 |
| Mexico Committee | $75,000 |
| Magdalena | $9,000 |
| Child Sponsorship Committee | $12,000 |
| European Committee | $146,035 |
| International Grants Committee | $19,000 |
| USA Committee: Projects and Cash programs | $70,000 |
| USA Committee: Project Administrator | $4,000 |
| Unrestricted Fund Total | $589,516 |
| Disaster Aid: Myanmar Cyclone, Ethiopia Famine Relief, Work projects and Disaster expenses, Distribution Centers. | $118,300 |
| Oakville Relief | $531,950 |
Further detail is available on these projects. Click here .
Key Issues
Mission Committee reported on the progress of the Outreach Sub-Committees formed to address the placement of brethren interested in outreach opportunities. The sub-committees are addressing selecting, preparing/training, sending/supporting and communicating.
Policies: Work team participant policy, work team minister guidelines, future strategic planning, emergency out of country evacuation and policy and procedure updates were discussed.
Communication Committee presented the usefulness of the World Relief website during the Midwest flood response. See acworldrelief.org .
Caribbean Committee sees strides being made in improving their projects with our brethren placed in Haiti and Jamaica full time. One example of this is that there were as many wells dug in the first six months of this year as in all of 2007.
Child Sponsorship Committee will be sending Sis. Abby Gerber to Haiti the week after the meeting and they have two new couples serving as committee members.
Distribution Center Committee announced that Bro. Tom Schifferer is the new Product Coordinator to organize the products produced by churches for distribution in Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica, Europe and USA.
Eastern Europe: A review and update was presented from a recent evaluation trip to Eastern Europe with information on programs in Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine.
India Committee : The English Medium School now teaches 135 students. Construction of a group home for orphans is scheduled to begin soon. A DVD and brochure on RGMMI will be available shortly.
International Grants were approved for children's homes in Uganda and Ukraine and a food program for school children in Ethiopia. Disaster funds were allocated for Ethiopia famine relief. The medical team that visited Indonesia gave an evaluation report and the funding of a mobile health clinic in Indonesia was supported.
Mexico Committee: Over 300 children attended VBS in Magdalena this summer. Work teams are planned for Magdalena and Reynosa along with medical teams for Reynosa and Juarez.
Oakville Flooding: Appreciation was shared to all those who helped during the flooding in Taylor and Oakville. The losses by our brethren in Oakville are great. Funds received to assist them will be distributed regularly, and volunteer labor will be made available as explained on the World Relief web site.
The next Board meeting is December 6, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan.
The next World Relief Informational meeting is in Valparaiso, IN Saturday, 11/8/08.
If you have any questions or would like any more information please contact the World Relief Office in Remington, IN. Click here.