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Strong response: UCC's online giving for Haiti surpasses all previous records

Excerpt of an article written by J. Bennett Guess for the UCC

January 19th 2010

Giving to the UCC's Haiti earthquake response is shattering previous online giving rates, indicating a generous outpouring from across the United Church of Christ, church leaders say.

Within six days of the disaster, a total of $250,603 has been received from 2,366 online donors. That far exceeds a previous online giving record set in early 2005 when $112,000 was raised at ucc.org over 23 days from a little more than 1,000 donors to aid victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami.

"It's no surprise that UCC people are being very generous in reaching out to our sisters and brothers in Haiti," says Susan M. Sanders, the UCC's minister for global sharing of resources. "But this unprecedented outpouring also shows that people are remembering to give through the UCC in times of disaster, and demonstrates that we are getting more comfortable with offering our gifts through online methods."

View the full article at the UCC website.

Baby Care and Hygiene Kits for Haiti

From the Mission and Justice Ministries - The Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ

International humanitarian agency Church World Service is responding to the Haiti disaster, providing emergency aid and medical supplies and conducting assessments for ongoing assistance, with staff on the ground and in concert with longstanding local partner agencies and other NGOs.

The agency, with New England regional offices in Ludlow, MA, is providing emergency CWS hygiene and baby care kits to survivors in a setting of utter destruction, and will be focusing particularly on vulnerable children and people with disabilities.

CWS is urgently appealing for cash donations and for contributions of hygiene and baby kits. Church, community and student groups are responding across the U.S., quickly staging kits assembly projects.

CWS has worked in Haiti since 1964, assists development and sustainable agriculture programs across Haiti, and has been on the scene in Haiti's multiple hurricane disasters of recent years.

"Cash donations are best," says Church World Service New England in Ludlow, "but in addition, assembling emergency kits are a way for individuals and groups to do something hands-on...."

For more information on assembling kits, or to donate, go to: www.churchworldservice.org

UCC Haiti Earthquake Appeal

The United Church of Christ has launched an emergency appeal for Haiti after a major earthquake struck the country. Thousands of people are feared dead and countless have been left homeless.

How You Can Help

It is still too early to know the full extent of the damage, but One Great Hour of Sharing is expecting very high loss of life, widespread destruction of homes, schools and other buildings, and major damage to key water, electricity and road systems.

One Great Hour of Sharing, as part of Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) , is the special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that carries God's message of love and hope to people in more than eighty countries.

The UCC works with international partners to provide sources of clean water and food, education and health care, small business micro-credit, emergency relief, and advocacy and resettlement for refugees and displaced persons. OGHS also supports domestic and international ministries for disaster preparedness and response.

You can help in two ways: First is with prayer and second is by making an online donation to the UCC's International Disaster Relief Fund.

If you prefer to give by check then Make the check out to MACUCC and mark in the memo portion "OGHS - Haitian Relief".

Mail your check to the Conference office located at: MACUCC, 1 Badger Road, Framingham, MA 01702

Thank you for your compassion and support.

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