Church World Service
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1946, Church World Service (CWS) is a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations and communions in the United States, providing sustainable self-help, development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance around the world. The CWS mission is to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice at the national and international level through collaboration with partners abroad and in the U.S.
Disaster Responsehttp://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=action_what_emerg_main
When disaster strikes, CWS works with partners on the scene to provide shelter, food and water, blankets, recovery kits, counseling – the basics needed to ensure the survival of individuals and communities at risk. In addition to rapid emergency disaster response, CWS also provides long-term development initiative, helping vulnerable families and communities prepare for and recover from natural and human-caused calamities. For example, in drought-ridden Ethiopia, CWS and partners are assisting 120,000 people with food and seeds to restart farming activities.
In the United States, when disaster strikes, CWS dispatches disaster response specialists where needed in order to provide assistance to local interfaith groups assessing and responding to the material and spiritual needs of their communities. After Hurricanes Ike and Gustav hit the U.S. Gulf Coast, CWS reached out to its network of long-term recovery groups for project development support and also for provision of material resources such as CWS Blankets and Kits. Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, CWS has partnered with Habitat for Humanity and has invested in building long-term recovery capacity along the Gulf Coast. As a result of this collaboration more than 640 houses were repaired or rebuilt in the targeted area of the Gulf Coast.
Assisting Refugeeshttp://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=how_vol_aegis
CWS helps meet the needs of refugees in protracted situations and those who are able to return home. It also serves tens of thousands of refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers in the U.S. and around the world each year with screening for potential resettlement to the U.S., chaplaincy, legal, and other professional services. Working with denominations and congregational co-sponsors, CWS and its network of resettlement affiliates have welcomed and found new homes in the U.S. for more than 450,000 refugees since 1946.
Crop Hunger Walkshttp://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=crop_main
The largest fund-raising events for Church World Service are CROP Hunger Walks (Christian Rural Overseas Program ). The first CROP Hunger Walk was in the 1960s. Now more than 2,000 communities across the U.S. join in CROP Hunger Walks each year. A unique aspect of CROP Hunger Walks is that Church World Service doesn't receive all of the money raised. Up to 25% of the money donated is given to local hunger fighting agencies which include food banks and community gardens. Additionally, those sponsoring a walker can specify whether Church World Service or an alternative global hunger-fighting agency will receive the remaining 75% of the donation.
Blankets+http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=blankets_main
Through the Blankets+ program, more than 8,000 congregations and groups enable CWS to respond to disasters and assist communities by providing the necessary tools needed to build sustainable lives.
CWS Kitshttp://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=kits_main
CWS Kits include Hygiene Kits, School Kits, Baby Kits, and Emergency Clean-up Buckets. Last year, with the support of affiliated congregations and religious groups, CWS provided 298,000 Kits in the United States and abroad.
Church World Service earned a B+ rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy
and was also named one of the Top 100 Highly Rated Charities by GiveSpot.com. CWS currently has a 2-star rating from Charity Navigator, which was partly based on fluctuations in income related to global emergencies.
On August 26, 2009 CWS was part of the 300+ Groups Ask Senate for Stronger Climate Bill letter to Senate.
Program areas
CWS program areas mainly target education and advocacy--both of which are essential components in confronting the root causes of hunger. By raising awareness about hunger, poverty, water access, trade, human rights, climate change, peace building and other issues in its Speak Out alerts, CWS brings the voices and priorities of its partners and constituents into the halls of churches, community groups, and governments.Disaster Responsehttp://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=action_what_emerg_main
When disaster strikes, CWS works with partners on the scene to provide shelter, food and water, blankets, recovery kits, counseling – the basics needed to ensure the survival of individuals and communities at risk. In addition to rapid emergency disaster response, CWS also provides long-term development initiative, helping vulnerable families and communities prepare for and recover from natural and human-caused calamities. For example, in drought-ridden Ethiopia, CWS and partners are assisting 120,000 people with food and seeds to restart farming activities.
In the United States, when disaster strikes, CWS dispatches disaster response specialists where needed in order to provide assistance to local interfaith groups assessing and responding to the material and spiritual needs of their communities. After Hurricanes Ike and Gustav hit the U.S. Gulf Coast, CWS reached out to its network of long-term recovery groups for project development support and also for provision of material resources such as CWS Blankets and Kits. Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, CWS has partnered with Habitat for Humanity and has invested in building long-term recovery capacity along the Gulf Coast. As a result of this collaboration more than 640 houses were repaired or rebuilt in the targeted area of the Gulf Coast.
Assisting Refugeeshttp://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=how_vol_aegis
CWS helps meet the needs of refugees in protracted situations and those who are able to return home. It also serves tens of thousands of refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers in the U.S. and around the world each year with screening for potential resettlement to the U.S., chaplaincy, legal, and other professional services. Working with denominations and congregational co-sponsors, CWS and its network of resettlement affiliates have welcomed and found new homes in the U.S. for more than 450,000 refugees since 1946.
Crop Hunger Walkshttp://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=crop_main
The largest fund-raising events for Church World Service are CROP Hunger Walks (Christian Rural Overseas Program ). The first CROP Hunger Walk was in the 1960s. Now more than 2,000 communities across the U.S. join in CROP Hunger Walks each year. A unique aspect of CROP Hunger Walks is that Church World Service doesn't receive all of the money raised. Up to 25% of the money donated is given to local hunger fighting agencies which include food banks and community gardens. Additionally, those sponsoring a walker can specify whether Church World Service or an alternative global hunger-fighting agency will receive the remaining 75% of the donation.
Blankets+http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=blankets_main
Through the Blankets+ program, more than 8,000 congregations and groups enable CWS to respond to disasters and assist communities by providing the necessary tools needed to build sustainable lives.
CWS Kitshttp://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=kits_main
CWS Kits include Hygiene Kits, School Kits, Baby Kits, and Emergency Clean-up Buckets. Last year, with the support of affiliated congregations and religious groups, CWS provided 298,000 Kits in the United States and abroad.
Church World Service earned a B+ rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy
American Institute of Philanthropy
The American Institute of Philanthropy is a 501 nonprofit organization, created in the United States by Daniel Borochoff in 1992, to provide information about charities' financial efficiency, accountability, governance, and fundraising. Its official website is known as...
and was also named one of the Top 100 Highly Rated Charities by GiveSpot.com. CWS currently has a 2-star rating from Charity Navigator, which was partly based on fluctuations in income related to global emergencies.
On August 26, 2009 CWS was part of the 300+ Groups Ask Senate for Stronger Climate Bill letter to Senate.
Participating churches and organizations
- African Methodist Episcopal ChurchAfrican Methodist Episcopal ChurchThe African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...
- African Methodist Episcopal Zion ChurchAfrican Methodist Episcopal Zion ChurchThe African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or AME Zion Church, is a historically African-American Christian denomination. It was officially formed in 1821, but operated for a number of years before then....
- Alliance of BaptistsAlliance of BaptistsThe Alliance of Baptists is a fellowship of Baptist churches and individuals in the United States. In its theology and social stances, the Alliance is characterized as a progressive or liberal Christian fellowship...
- American Baptist Churches USAAmerican Baptist Churches USAThe American Baptist Churches USA is a Baptist Christian denomination within the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The organization is usually considered mainline, although varying theological and mission emphases may be found among its...
- Diocese of the Armenian Church of AmericaArmenian Apostolic ChurchThe Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
(including Diocese of California) - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)The Christian Church is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America. It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of Christ, or more simply as The Disciples...
- Christian Methodist Episcopal ChurchChristian Methodist Episcopal ChurchThe Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is a historically black denomination within the broader context of Methodism. The group was organized in 1870 when several black ministers, with the full support of their white counterparts in the former Methodist Episcopal Church, South, met to form an...
- Church of the BrethrenChurch of the BrethrenThe Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination originating from the Schwarzenau Brethren organized in 1708 by eight persons led by Alexander Mack, in Schwarzenau, Bad Berleburg, Germany. The Brethren movement began as a melding of Radical Pietist and Anabaptist ideas during the...
- Coptic Orthodox Church in North AmericaCoptic Orthodox Church in North AmericaThe Copts began to immigrate to the United States as early as the late 1940s. Immigration to Canada was soon to follow, and in general, this was to be the case throughout North America in the coming decades...
- Episcopal Church in the United States of America
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaEvangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
- Friends United MeetingFriends United MeetingFriends United Meeting is an association of twenty-six yearly meetings of the Religious Society of Friends in North America, Africa, and the Caribbean. In addition there are several individual Monthly meetings and organizations that are members of FUM...
- Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of AmericaGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of AmericaThe Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, headquartered in New York City, is an eparchy of the Church of Constantinople. Its current primate is Archbishop Demetrios of America.-About the Archdiocese:...
- Hungarian Reformed Church in America
- International Council of Community ChurchesInternational Council of Community ChurchesThe International Council of Community Churches is a Christian religious association of ecumenically co-operating and Independent Catholics based in Frankfort, Illinois, in the United States. It is the main organization of the Community Church movement...
- Korean Presbyterian Church in America
- Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
- Mar Thoma ChurchMar Thoma ChurchThe Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church also known as the Mar Thoma Church is a Christian denomination based in the state of Kerala in southwestern India. It has an entirely different identity when compared with other Churches in India. Most Christian churches around the world are divided into...
- Moravian Church in America
- National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.The National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. is an African-American Baptist body organized in 1915 as the result of a struggle to keep the National Baptist Publishing Board of Nashville independent. Those supporting the independence of the publishing board, headed by Rev. R. H...
- National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. is the largest predominantly African-American Christian denomination in the United States and is the world's second largest Baptist denomination...
- National Missionary Baptist Convention of AmericaNational Missionary Baptist Convention of AmericaThe National Missionary Baptist Convention of America is an African-American Baptist convention which combined the efforts of Missionary Baptist churches and organizations throughout the country with the goal of unity for capable and efficient ministry. The NMBCA also seeks to propagate Baptist...
- Orthodox Church in AmericaOrthodox Church in AmericaThe Orthodox Church in America is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in North America. Its primate is Metropolitan Jonah , who was elected on November 12, 2008, and was formally installed on December 28, 2008...
- Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox ChurchRussian Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
in the U.S.A. - Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of FriendPhiladelphia Yearly MeetingPhiladelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, or simply Philadelphia Yearly Meeting or PYM, is the central organizing body for Quaker meetings in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, area....
- Polish National Catholic Church of America
- Presbyterian Church (USA)Presbyterian Church (USA)The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
- Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.Progressive National Baptist ConventionThe Progressive National Baptist Convention, Incorporated is a convention of African-American Baptists emphasizing civil rights and social justice....
- Reformed Church in AmericaReformed Church in AmericaThe Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
- Serbian Orthodox ChurchSerbian Orthodox ChurchThe Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
in the U.S.A. and Canada - The Swedenborgian ChurchSwedenborgian Church of North AmericaThe Swedenborgian Church in North America . The Administrative Offices of the denomination are located at 11 Highland Avenue, Newton, MA.-Beliefs:...
- Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USAUkrainian Orthodox Church of the USAThe Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA is a jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the United States. It consists of three eparchies , ruled by two diocesan bishops, including about 85 active parishes and missions. The Church's current primate is Metropolitan Constantine...
- United Church of ChristUnited Church of ChristThe United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
- The United Methodist Church
List of Local Resettlement Affiliates
- Lutheran Social Ministry of the Southwest
- Episcopal Diocese of Los AngelesEpiscopal Diocese of Los AngelesThe Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is a community of 85,000 Episcopalians in 147 congregations, 40 schools, and 18 major institutions, spanning all of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, and part of Riverside County....
- Opening Doors, Inc. Center for New Americans
- Ecumenical Refugee Services
- Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services
- Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta
- Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Services
- Exodus Refugee ImmigrationExodus Refugee ImmigrationExodus Refugee Immigration is a refugee resettlement agency located on 1125 Brookside Ave. Suite C Indianapolis, IN, 46202. Exodus Refugee Immigration is affiliated with two national VOLAGs, the Church World Service and the Episcopal Migration Ministries...
- Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Inc.
- Refugee Immigration Ministry
- Programs Assisting Refugee Acculturation
- Lutheran Refugee Services
- Heartland Refugee Resettlement, Inc.
- Interfaith Refugee Resettlement Program
- Journey's End Refugee Services
- Catholic Family Center, Refugee Resettlement Program
- Interfaith Works of Central New York, Inc.
- Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas
- Community Refugee and Immigration Services
- Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees
- Bridge Refugee Services
- Refugee Services of Texas
- Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston
- Virginia Council of Churches Refugee Resettlement Program
- Interchurch Refugee Ministries
External links
- http://www.churchworldservice.org/
- http://www.ncccusa.org/
- http://www.cropwalk.org/