By DeVoyce C. Morris | April 4, 2024
Mound Bayou, MS – Katie Howe, Minister for Disaster Response and Recovery, Global H.O.P.E. United Church of Christ (UCC), National, announced today that the Bolivar County Long Term Disaster Recovery Committee (BCLTDRC) was awarded a $16,350 grant from the UCC Disaster Response Ministries.
Global H.O.P.E. is an acronym for Humanitarian. Opportunities. Progress. Empowerment. “Our Global H.O.P.E. team facilitates the UCC’s response to natural and human-caused disasters across the United States and its territories and around the world,” Howe said. “Getting to know local leaders who work with dedication and tenacity for the sake of their neighbors is truly inspiring,” she continued. “I am especially grateful to connect with organizations leading recoveries after low-attention disasters and in under-resourced areas, as in Bolivar County, Miss., following the June 2021 flood,” stated Howe.
“The mission of the BCLTDRC is to address the unmet needs of Bolivar County residents who have been adversely affected by a natural disaster,” stated DeVoyce C. Morris, the chairman of the organization. “The BCLTDRC is exactly what the name implies. After all other organizations have completed their assigned tasks, the BCLTDRC is there for long term recovery,” she continued. “Recovering from a disaster does not happen overnight. This particular disaster happened in June of 2021; and, through the assistance of a Disaster Assistance Repair Program (DARP) grant, along with a grant from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Domestic Disaster Response, Week of Compassion, two grants from the United Church of Christ, individual and organizational donations, we have completed the project,” Morris said.
Fulfilling the mission of the BCLTDRC has been an humbling experience when we consider how God filled our lives with some of the most caring and compassionate individuals,” Morris said. “We have been blessed by supporters from across the United States and Mexico, and we are extremely appreciative of the support that we have received from UCC and other organizations and individuals,” she said. In appreciation of the work done on her home, one of the homeowners expressed to the volunteers, “I didn’t know you before, but since I’ve met you, I’ll never forget you!” Like the homeowner, the BCLTDRC will be forever grateful for the established partnerships between Howe and the UCC Global H.O.P.E. and to all the other supporters of our organization and the work that it does.
The United Church of Christ is an inclusive and diverse community of Christians connected by faith that calls them to build a just world for all. Their ministries advocate at a national and global level, but their roots are planted firmly in local churches in communities. Their denomination is comprised of 4,794 local churches in the United States, with 773,500 members, 10,000 authorized clergy leaders and 300 global partnerships.
The BCLTDRC is a 501 (c)3 organization that subsists on donations, grants and fundraisers. No member of the organization receives any remuneration for their volunteerism, choosing instead to be of service to humanity. Tax deductible donations may be made at Cleveland State Bank, 110 Commerce Avenue, Cleveland, MS 38732, or mailed to Bolivar County Long Term Disaster Recovery Committee, PO Box 567, Mound Bayou, MS 38762.
Contact: DeVoyce C. Morris
Email: projectascend@yahoo.com
Phone: 662-719-0090
