Mission moments

Mission moments - The Olive Odell Memorial Blanket Appeal
RAINBOW OF CARING: TOOL AND BLANKETS

In May our church will participate in the Church World Service Rainbow of Caring. This program provides the right “tools” to meet immediate and long-term needs of people in crisis: from blankets, tents, and emergency supplies in the wake of disaster to material assistance, education and training, and small-enterprise loans as part of sustainable development programs. Click here to read some of the Stories of Hope made possible through this program.

In memory of Olive Odell, a stalwart support of the CWS Blanket Program, the Mission Committee will sell tools, hearts and birds, colored by our church school children, to decorate our rainbow banner. Each bird will be a special memorial to Olive and her concern for others. Please support our efforts to help those here at home and around the word in need.

The following represent some of the many ways Church World Service is creating a rainbow of help and hope – a beautiful Rainbow of Caring – through the TOOLS OF HOPE & BLANKETS Program.

International Response
Argentina – Warm bedding – mattresses, sheets, blankets – for homeless in urban areas. $4,300 Bahamas – 400 blankets to Vince Myers Ministries for ministry in prisons. Bolivia – Traditional weaving workshops for women of Caiza D. $15,000 • Bedding for rural health stations in Gran Chaco province. $ 18,810 • Agricultural assistance to families rebuilding following floods in Yocalla Municipality. $10,000 • Fencing, seeds, and tools for Guarani families following time of drought. $11,000 Chile – Traditional Mapuche weaving workshop for low-income women of Santiago using locally produced resources. $8,002 Cuba – 1,375 blankets to Consejo Ecumenico de Cuba following Hurricanes Isidore and Lili. Dominican Republic – Technical and professional training for youth of Boca Chica. $10,000 • Community development and vocational programs for Haitian workers living in bateyes along the border. $23,629 Figi Islands – Silk screening and basic design training for street youth. $2,500 Guatemala – Organize centers for training youth in carpentry, art, and handcrafts. $17,545 Haiti – Establish tool bank in Meleon to increase local agriculture and livestock production. $8,416 • Revolving loan fund providing agricultural tools and sewing machines for graduates of vocational program on the island of Gonave. $20,000 • Sewing workshop for disadvantaged women. $10,700 India – Cottage based weaving cooperatives produce blankets for emergency preparedness. $30,000	Kenya – Rehabilitate dams and establish plantings to ensure reliable water supply for families and livestock production in Maasai communities. $ 15,000 Laos – Establish village water systems in rural villages of Northern Laos. $12,000 Liberia – 750 blankets to Concerned Christian Community for the displaced. Mexico – Blankets, bed linens, surgical sheets and towels for San Carlos Hospital. $26,750 Mozambique – Safe water system for Ecumenical Center of Ricatla and surrounding community. $12,000 Puerto Rico – Literacy and skills training programs for at-risk youth and young adults of Luis Llorens Torres community. $6,500 Russia – 2,000 blankets to Adventist Relief and Development Agency for flood recovery efforts in the Stavropol region of Southern Russia. Rwanda – Revolving loan program providing loans for small livestock and vegetable/fruit production to widows and orphans. $12,236 Sierra Leone – 6,500 blankets to the Council of Churches of Sierra Leone for distribution to refugee camps. Solomon Islands – Traditional skills training for women and youth of Lauru in pottery and bangle making to help establish micro enterprise. $4,000 Thailand – Blankets and mosquito nets for disadvantaged children and their families in rural areas, especially along the Thailand-Myanmar and Thailand-Laos borders. $30,000 Venezuela – Establish community sewing and dressmaking workshop for women of La Piedad. $5,303
Back to top Domestic Response
Colorado – 500 blankets for La Puente de Alamosa for migrant farm workers. • 300 blankets for Ways Out Academy of Colorado Springs for immigrant families and 500 blankets to Springs Rescue Mission for the homeless. • 200 blankets to One by One of Northglenn for the homeless and 100 blankets to Cross Roads Ministry of Estes Park for emergency services. Florida – 50 blankets to Grace Episcopal Church of Panama City Beach, 125 blankets to Phil Bartley Ministries of Cape Coral, 100 blankets for Warriors for Christ of High Springs, 50 blankets to Central Brevard Sharing Center of Cocoa, and 100 blankets for Vince Myers Ministries of Ft. Myers for the homeless. • 50 blankets to Good Samaritan Mission of Balm for those in the community without heat. Illinois – 500 blankets to Franciscan Outreach Association in Chicago and 1,500 blankets to Catholic Urban Programs of East St. Louis for their homeless shelter programs. Indiana – 25 blankets to Community United Methodist Church for a new homeless shelter. Iowa – 500 blankets to Catholic Worker House, 300 blankets to Children and Families of Iowa and 400 blankets to Churches United Shelter all of Des Moines for the homeless. • 200 blankets to Four Oaks of Cedar Rapids for a shelter for at-risk children and 50 blankets to Family Resources of Muscatine for the at-risk and homeless. Kansas – 300 blankets to Nek-Cap and 125 blankets to Evangel United Methodist Church both of Holton for families in need. • 100 blankets to Doorstep of Topeka for the homeless. 250 blankets to Asociacion Nacional Pro Personas Mayores for low income seniors. Louisiana – 450 blankets to Terrebonne Readiness and Assistance Coalition for hurricane relief, 300 blankets to New Beginnings Seventh Day Adventist Church in Houma and 1,250 blankets to Options for Independence of New Orleans for hurricane relief. Massachusetts – 200 blankets to United Home for Children of Dorchester for emergency shelter and transitional housing. Michigan – 500 blankets to Degage Ministries of Grand Rapids, 300 blankets to Hope Baptist Church of Detroit, and 125 blankets to Salem United Church of Christ in Farmington for the homeless. Minnesota – 450 blankets for Housing Access Center of Duluth for the homeless. Missouri – 200 blankets to Migrant Farmworkers Project of Lexington. • 100 blankets to Crosslines of Monett for emergency needs. Montana – 150 Blankets to Poverello Center in Missoula for the homeless. New Jersey – 2,500 blankets to Bridges Outreach of Summit for the homeless and 25 blankets to Persian World Outreach of Williamstown for refugees and new immigrants.	New Mexico – 500 blankets to Community Pantry of Gallup and 500 blankets to Taos County Housing Authority for families in crisis. • 150 blankets to Bienvenidos Outreach, 250 blankets to Health Care for the Homeless and 300 blankets to St Elizabeth Shelter all in Santa Fe to assist the homeless. • 275 blankets to DeBaca Resident Council of Ft. Sumner for the homeless. New York – 2,500 blankets to Midnight Run of Dobbs Ferry for the homeless in Manhattan, 250 blankets to Chenango-Fenton Project Concern for the needy of the area and 50 blankets to Rural Opportunities of Albion for migrant farm workers. North Carolina – 500 blankets to Episcopal Farmworker Ministry of Dunn and 200 blankets to Legal Aid of North Carolina for migrant farm workers. • 100 blankets to Urban Ministries of Raleigh for the homeless. Ohio - 100 blankets to The Open Shelter of Columbus for the homeless. Oklahoma – 300 blankets to Neighbor For Neighbor, and 500 blankets for Iron Gate, both of Tulsa, and 50 blankets to Tulsa County Emergency Shelter all for the homeless. Oregon – 100 blankets to Sisters of the Road Café of Portland for the homeless. Pennsylvania – 50 blankets to Fruitbelt Farmworker Christian Ministry of Biglerville. • 500 blankets to Project HOME of Philadelphia, 150 blankets to Cluster Outreach Center of Pottstown, and 200 blankets to Market Square Presbyterian Church for the homeless. Tennessee – 50 blankets to Neighbors Together of Pleasant Hill for families in need and 250 blankets to Lamb’s Down Ministries of Chattanooga for the homeless. Texas – 150 blankets to First United Methodist Church of Richardson, 500 blankets to Capitol Area Homeless Alliance of Austin, and 200 blankets to Timon’s Ministry of Corpus Christi for the homeless. • Denominational and ecumenical ministries in south Texas received 30,350 blankets for ministries on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. Utah – 500 blankets to Catholic Community Services of N Utah, 100 blankets to Salt Lake City Interfaith, and 250 blankets to Ogden Rescue Mission for the homeless and needy. Virginia – 75 blankets for Virginia Council of Churches Migrant Head Start Program of Winchester and 25 blankets to Rural Family Development of Heathsville for migrant farm workers. • 300 blankets to Annandale Christian Community for Action for immigrant and community needs. West Virginia – 50 blankets for Wyoming County Warehouse for emergency preparedness.