http://ncm.org/ The latest press releases from Nazarene Compassionate Ministries. en ktirrill@nazarene.org Copyright 2013 2013-05-25T16:39:02+00:00 http://ncm.org/news/press/volunteers_make_a_difference/ http://ncm.org/news/press/volunteers_make_a_difference/#When:16:39:02Z Laura and Ron Sylvester just wanted to lend a helping hand, but a simple act of charity resulted in the couple serving vital roles for the Church of the Nazarene’s response to last week’s devastating tornado in central Oklahoma. 2013-05-25T16:39:02+00:00 http://ncm.org/news/press/flooding_hampers_nazarene_relief_effort/ http://ncm.org/news/press/flooding_hampers_nazarene_relief_effort/#When:13:26:44Z Three days into relief efforts, many aid workers and volunteers were evacuated today from the destruction zone as heavy rains and threats of flash floods circulated. Not only has this delayed the relief efforts, but it has also put the remaining items families were trying to salvage from the over 12,000 destroyed homes in jeopardy. The National Weather Service has issued a warning for heavy winds, thunderstorms, and large hail through tonight. 2013-05-24T13:26:44+00:00 http://ncm.org/news/press/oklahoma_tornado_response/ http://ncm.org/news/press/oklahoma_tornado_response/#When:23:30:38Z Immediately after hearing of the devastating tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, Nazarenes began preparing a response plan. General Superintendent Stan A. Toler and an NCM team flew to the site on Tuesday morning to survey the damage. Click on the video below to see the Oklahoma footage.  2013-05-22T23:30:38+00:00 http://ncm.org/news/press/tornado_rips_through_oklahoma_city_area/ http://ncm.org/news/press/tornado_rips_through_oklahoma_city_area/#When:19:00:45Z Several tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa on Sunday and Monday. The most severely affected town is Moore, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City. The tornado struck Monday afternoon. The National Weather Service found some areas that indicate the tornado was an EF-5. At least 24 people are dead and more than a hundred are injured as of Tuesday afternoon. In addition, the tornado left a trail of damage 1.3 miles wide and 17 miles long. 2013-05-22T19:00:45+00:00 http://ncm.org/news/press/nazarenes_on_the_ground_in_oklahoma_will_you_help/ http://ncm.org/news/press/nazarenes_on_the_ground_in_oklahoma_will_you_help/#When:03:00:37Z Children and families held each other close today in thankfulness after yesterday’s massively destructive tornado ravaged Moore, Oklahoma. Though many of Moore’s 56,000 residents have lost most of their worldly possessions, people are expressing joy as they reunite with family members and learn that over 100 have been pulled from the rubble so far. Still, there are 24 confirmed deaths as a result of the tornado, including nine children, with a chance that the number will increase as rescue and recovery efforts continue. 2013-05-22T03:00:37+00:00 http://ncm.org/news/press/tornado_hits_oklahoma_your_help_is_needed/ http://ncm.org/news/press/tornado_hits_oklahoma_your_help_is_needed/#When:01:00:12Z Tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa on Sunday and Monday doing the most damage as they ripped through the Oklahoma cities of Shawnee and Moore, suburbs of Oklahoma City. A continued tornado warning is being issued for much of the Midwest. The tornado that tore through Shawnee destroyed a mobile home park and left two elderly men dead and an estimated 29 injured. The death and destruction of Monday’s two-mile wide tornado that beat a path through Moore remains to be seen though news reports suggest that as many as 24 children have lost their lives at a Moore Oklahoma elementary school. It is estimated that 171,000 people lived within the path of the storm. Aerial footage shows homes in rubble and cars overturned. Early reports confirm that two elementary schools have been severely damaged.  2013-05-21T01:00:12+00:00 http://ncm.org/news/press/world_malaria_day/ http://ncm.org/news/press/world_malaria_day/#When:16:32:23Z In emergencies in Mozambique, mosquito netting tops the list of essential supplies needed for immediate relief. Along with water purification solution, hygiene kits, maize flour, and clothing, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries recently distributed 1,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets in the country’s southern districts, where heavy December and February rainfall caused severe flooding, forcing more than 170,000 people from their homes. Malaria, spread by mosquitoes, is endemic throughout Mozambique and remains the nation’s major health concern and cause of death. In some areas of the country, 90 percent of children under the age of 5 are infected with malaria parasites. And while the risk of contracting malaria is year-round, it increases in the rainy season between December and April, when flooding displaces families, leaving them without the protection of shelter. 2013-04-25T16:32:23+00:00 http://ncm.org/news/press/world_water_day/ http://ncm.org/news/press/world_water_day/#When:15:12:54Z Under a warm Zimbabwe sun, leafy green shoots push toward the sky in neat rows, ringed by members of Harare’s Kambuzuma neighborhood. The community is celebrating a fresh crop—one that means food security is within reach. It’s only possible because, for the first time, they have consistent access to clean water. In 2012, NCM was able to dig a well in Kambuzuma, piloting its first urban water project in Zimbabwe. This well now provides clean water for the community’s domestic needs and makes it possible to grow vegetables at the local Child Development Center. After the center’s 40 children—many of whom have been orphaned—are fed, the local Nazarene church sells the remaining crops to support their members in need. And because the well has a 5,000-liter reservoir, water will continue to be available to the community, even during power outages. 2013-03-25T15:12:54+00:00 http://ncm.org/news/press/humanitarian_crisis_in_mozambique/ http://ncm.org/news/press/humanitarian_crisis_in_mozambique/#When:16:52:53Z Incessant rain caused significant flooding in the Zambezi region of Mozambique, Africa, in the last two weeks, killing at least 55 residents and displacing 170,000 as of Thursday. Cosmos Mutowa, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries/Helping Hands Africa regional coordinator, said countless individuals are without homes, shelter, and food. “We are appealing for assistance to meet some of the needs,” he said. “[Supplies needed] are tents, blankets, and nets for mosquitos, rehabilitation of latrines, and water sources and other peripheral needs.” 2013-02-01T16:52:53+00:00 http://ncm.org/news/press/hurricane_sandy_rebuilding_efforts_begin/ http://ncm.org/news/press/hurricane_sandy_rebuilding_efforts_begin/#When:22:46:31Z Four hours. That’s the longest period for which residents of New Jersey’s hardest-hit Hurricane Sandy areas are allowed to return to their homes these days. In places like Port Norris, the visits are scheduled; in the disaster zone, it’s residents only, and each resident may only carry one suitcase. Eleven days after Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey, Maggie* still had not been back to her home. Driving around her neighborhood in search of help, she noticed the work trailers of a crew mucking out another house. Hoping for some advice, Maggie approached the team. 2012-12-06T22:46:31+00:00