Church of God Had A Disaster Relief Drive For Puerto Rico

CHURCH OF GOD VOLUNTEERS RUN DISASTER RELIEF DRIVE TO BENEFIT PUERTO RICO AT MORE THAN 300 OF THEIR WORKPLACES IN 12 STATES

MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT—Between October 3 and October 15, the World Mission Society Church of God held a multi-state disaster relief drive to benefit Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Church of God members in participating locations introduced the disaster relief effort to their workplaces, schools, and even military bases, and their colleagues at more than 300 organizations donated much needed items to benefit families in Puerto Rico.

"This hurricane season has been one of the most devastating seasons in history. Countries have been destroyed and it's painful to see our neighbors in the Caribbean suffering so much," said Church of God Spokesperson Katyusca Abreu. "In Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria caused tremendous damage to a country that was already going through economic difficulties. We are grateful that Church of God members and their families on the island were unharmed and have instead been helping their neighbors recover from the storm. We also wanted to assist, so we are grateful for our members along the East Coast as well as the organizations that supported this disaster relief drive."

Church of God members set up collection boxes at nearly 350 locations in 12 states, Washington, D.C., and the Dominican Republic, where colleagues could drop off donated items. Some of the workplaces include Booz Allen Hamilton, Cornell University, Gap, Inc., Gold’s Gym, Harlem’s Children Zone, NYC Fire Department, NYC Department of Education, Planet Fitness, Princeton University, Queens College, Rutgers University, Starbucks, SUNY Geneseo, The New York Times, the United Nations, bases of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, YMCA, and YWCA. Members set up boxes with a list of acceptable items, including canned meats, chlorine dioxide water purification tablets, medical supplies, hygiene kits, diapers and batteries. Church of God members in Puerto Rico provided a list of what is currently most needed on the ground.

To deliver the items, a group of Church of God members will be traveling to the island to hand deliver the items to the approximately 300 members of the Church in Aguadilla, Bayamón, Caguas, Carolina, and Ponce. They will then distribute them to households in need, whom they have been visiting and helping with cleanup efforts after the hurricane. In the Church of God locations along the East Coast, the Church also plans to host a luncheon to thank those who participated in the drive, where guests will be able to not only help package the items collected but also write encouraging letters to the people of Puerto Rico.

Church of God volunteers have a history of serving their communities in the wake of disasters. Last year, volunteers in the Dominican Republic helped clean and restore homes in an area affected by flooding caused by a four-day rainstorm. In 2014, volunteers served about 15,000 plates of food for 44 days to bereaved families at the site of the Sewol Ferry Disaster in South Korea. In 2012 and 2011, Church of God members in New York and New Jersey spent weeks providing disaster relief to residents in the aftermath of hurricanes Irene and Sandy, respectively. And, in 2010, the Church of God delivered a $100,000 donation to the United Nations to assist with medical supplies for Haitian earthquake victims.

About the World Mission Society Church of God

The World Mission Society Church of God is a faith-based, non-profit organization that strives to spread the love of Christ through beautiful deeds. Since its establishment in 1964, the Church of God has grown to nearly 7,000 regions in more than 175 countries. For its contribution to the welfare of society, the Church of God has received numerous recognitions throughout the world, including the President’s Call to Service Award in the United States, the Presidential Citation in South Korea, and the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in the United Kingdom. For more information, visit wmscog.com. Stay connected on Twitter and Facebook.