How can I get involved

Volunteers needed for Habitat houses in Greensburg

Wichita Habitat for Humanity is taking a step of faith and extending an invitation to the Kansas West Conference United Methodist churches and their VIM teams to help build three Habitat homes in Greensburg. The build dates are July 24 – Aug. 23, Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The goal is to finish all three houses in this four-week period and have 1,500 volunteer days to fill. Overnight accommodations are available with real beds and showers, plus lodging in several Pratt churches and a few RV hookups.

For more information, go to http://www.wichitahabitat.org/greensburg1%20press%20release.html or contact the Wichita Habitat for Humanity offices at 316-269-0755.

New Beginnings Thrift Shop is in need of volunteers.

To take part in this very rewarding ministry, contact Karen Strawder at 944-2297

Chapman UMC heavily damaged by tornado

The town of Chapman in Dickinson County in the Kansas West Conference was hit by a deadly tornado June 11, destroying an estimated 50 percent of the town. Chapman United Methodist Church and parsonage sustained extensive damage. The pastor, Rev. Ken Trickle, and his wife, Mary Ann, rode out the storm in the parsonage.

Although only residents are being allowed into Chapman at this time, the Salina District disaster response trailer is on the scene, providing water and snacks to storm victims and disaster response workers. To volunteer to help man the Salina District trailer, contact Ron Jackson at 785-532-7877 daytime or 785-388-2535 evenings.

See photos of the damage to the church and parsonage at http://www.kswestumc.org/photo_page.asp?TableName=oPictures_Pages_HSBCSF&PKValue=61

The Thousand Hills Project.

For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills…

Donate $1 to provide food and shelter for orphans in Kenya.

June 1st - 8th.

Visit http://gcfkenya.com for more information or contact the Asbury Church office.

Youthville Boys Ranch Work Days (Saturdays)

It’s that time of year...time that the Boys Ranch work projects have begun again! We are in need of some work groups to help:

• Paint and tile the administration building at the property

• Work with trees and outdoor growth

You ask, and it probably needs done...

Contact April at 262-8293 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to get your group scheduled.

http://www.churchworldservice.org/news/erp-briefs/2008/031008.html

WE ARE IN URGENT NEED OF THE FOLLOWING KITS

BABY KIT

Six cloth diapers
Two T-shirts or undershirts (no onesies)
Two washcloths
Two gowns or sleepers
Two diaper pins
One sweater or sweatshirt
Two receiving blankets (one can be a hand knitted or crocheted baby blanket)

All items should be new. Wrap items inside one of the receiving blankets and secure with both diaper pins. Patterns are available for many of the Baby Kit components. Value: $39.00

Processing/Shipping Cost: $2.00 per Kit

CLEAN UP BUCKET

One five-gallon bucket with resealable lid
Five scoring pads
Seven sponges, assorted sizes
One scrub brush
Eighteen cleaning towels (reusable, like Easy Wipes)
One 50-78 oz. box dry laundry detergent
One 12 oz. bottle of liquid concentrate household cleaner (like Lysol)
One 25 oz bottle liquid disinfectant dish soap (like Dawn)
Fifty clothespins
Clothesline, two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.
Five dusk masks
Two pairs latex gloves (like Playtex)
One pair work gloves
24 –bag roll of heavy duty trash bags (33-45 gallon)
One 6-14 oz bottle of insect repellent (drops or lotion, not aerosol)

Please purchase all liquids in plastic bottles. Be sure to send only new, unopened materials. Put all items in plastic bucket, making sure they are packed securely to avoid damage during shipment, and seal lid with packing tape. Place each bucket in a separate box. Value: $50.00 Processing/Shipping Cost: $3.00 per bucket

Connie Tilton,

Great Plains Regional Office, Church World Service

1-888-297-2767

CWS appeal: Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone Nargis response

May 5 , 2008

Thousands of people have been killed or are missing in Burma as Tropical Cyclone Nargis pushed ashore over the weekend. BBC News reports three-quarters of structures in the Irrawaddy region were destroyed by fierce winds, rain and storm surge. A United Nations relief worker in Yangon tells the Associated Press villages in the Irrawaddy Delta have been completely flattened. On Haing-gyi Island, along the country’s southwest coast, an estimated 20,000 homes have been destroyed, leaving at least 90,000 homeless.

Profiteering is already starting to grip those coping in the storm’s aftermath, with prices on food, fuel and building supplies shooting up 300 percent. The General Secretary of the Myanmar Council of Churches reports communication abilities throughout Burma have been compromised.

RESPONSE: Immediate relief operations are underway with a comprehensive assessment on-going. The CWS Asia Regional Office is in direct contact with the Myanmar Council of Churches and in coming days this initial appeal will be expanded to reflect needed support for longer-term recovery efforts of the Myanmar Council of Churches and its members.

Contributions to support this emergency appeal may be made online, sent to your denomination, or to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515. Please designate: MYANMAR (BURMA) CYCLONE NARGIS RESPONSE (#699-A).