As noted last week, several GCI members in the Caribbean Island of Dominica sustained property damage. We’ve now received a detailed report listing damage to the homes of several members, including roofs torn off, interiors flooded, etc. Though most have property insurance, they struggle to secure needed supplies, food and medicine due to long lines and limited hours of service at supermarkets, pharmacies and banks.
Thankfully, GCI members from other Caribbean Islands are helping. Supplies have been sent from Barbados, Grenada and Martinique. The hall where the Dominica church meets suffered water damage. They met briefly last week and have decided to meet every other week for now since the Public Works Department is limiting traffic on weekends in order to clear the roads of debris.
GCI Disaster Relief Fund
The GCI Disaster Relief Fund provides members in disaster areas with emergency needs such as food, water, medicine, clothing, temporary housing, home and/or church hall repairs, temporary local pastoral salary expenses and other emergency needs. Monies received into the Fund that are not immediately needed will remain in the Fund to be allocated in future disasters. In previous years, money from the Fund was used to help members recover from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, storms and flooding in Bangladesh, an earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands, typhoons in the Philippines and an earthquake in Haiti. If your congregation would like to donate to the Fund, your treasurer can set up a one-time or monthly donation through the GCI-Online system (http://online.gci.org) by logging in and clicking on Donate under the Manage tab. If your congregation prefers to send a check, make it out to Grace Communion International, indicating on the memo line that the donation is for the GCI Disaster Relief Fund. The donation should be sent to:
GCI Disaster Relief Fund
Grace Communion International
P.O Box 5005
Glendora, California 91740
