Imagine you’re living in an area reeling from the aftermath of a hurricane. You don’t have electricity or a way to contact loved ones. The food in your refrigerator has expired after a few short days, and you’re unsure where to go for the critical supplies your family needs. How would you navigate the uncertainty with limited resources and no phone to guide the way?
Living out their mission of “connecting God’s resources with human need,” Mission Central connects communities in the U.S. and around the world with essential resources like emergency supplies. In October, after Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the Southeast less than two weeks apart, Mission Central donated 1,717 CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets to provide critical relief to disaster-stricken areas.
Through their work, Mission Central connects with volunteers in the area, who dedicate their time to supporting communities near and far in emergency situations. “We have a community that’s very supportive of these efforts,” Hope Harrison, Executive Director of Mission Central, shared. “We’re fortunate that people all over the place are willing to help and not only put their time into it, which is really important, but also put their money in to help those in need. It really tugs on heartstrings.”
Hope recalled one volunteer, whose family had lost their electricity and had no way of accessing food or services. The volunteer recommended them to Mission Central, which acts as a hub for families in the area who are facing uncertainty and in need of essential supplies. Hope shared, “We are a place people can go when they can’t access the supplies they need.”
In addition to disaster response, Mission Central has provided support for immigrant and refugee newcomers through CWS Harrisburg. “We have helped [CWS Harrisburg] over the years with cleaning supplies for immigrant families. They were just in last week looking for items, and I love that we can help on a broad scale and also engage in local communities and the needs that they have.”
CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets support families reeling from disasters like Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and generous contributions from communities and partners like Mission Central helps to build hope and relief during a time of uncertainty.
CWS is grateful to our CWS Kits and Buckets supporters who make disaster response efforts like this possible. You can donate now to help us stay prepared and have essential supplies on-hand to distribute to families and communities that need them most.
You can learn more about the work of Mission Central and CWS’ response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton here.