CityTeam International Hurricane Irene Relief Efforts Featured on NBC 10

September 19, 2011

CityTeam Internationals' Disaster Response Team was featured on NBC 10 in Providence for their efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.  A team of men's recovery interns and graduates from CityTeam International Philadelphia spent the week helping deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. CityTeam International's help was requested by VOAD in Rhode Island. Due to the increased number of recent fires, storms and other natural disaster there has been very limited resources and relief groups who are able to respond to requests. CityTeam International was glad to be able to help and has helped over 25 homeowners recover from the damage of Irene.

It is an honor to be able to assist those who are affected by natural disasters in their towns. Thank you for supporting us and helping us respond to these desparate situations!

Storm Update: Hurricane Irene

September 1, 2011

Thank you for standing with us in prayer for those affected by Hurricane Irene.
We are thankful that the storm has passed and are still lifting those up who have been affected by Irene,
as well as those who are continuing to bring relief to the damaged areas.

Bracing for Hurricane Irene

August 26, 2011

CityTeam International Chester is a member of the local Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and will be working with other agencies during this hurricane.

Hurricane Irene, is estimated to pack winds of 105-115 m.p.h. winds, poses the biggest threat to Northeast states since Hurricane Gloria took a similar path in 1985 and killed several people. It's path is heading into the East Coast starting with North Carolina.

Mandatory evacuations have already begun. The warning, which means that heavy rain and hurricane-force winds are expected, applies not just to all of South Jersey and Delaware, but to Philadelphia and Delaware County as well, according to the National Weather Service. Experts still say that it could move east or west and land off shore.

"It's a very big storm, so it will make some difference where it tracks, but it's going to have an impact on everyone," said local police chief. "It's just a matter of time. Catastrophic inland flooding from very heavy rainfall is now a distinct possibility. "

Our staff at CityTeam International Chester is making preparation for the storm and making sure the homeless are secure inside and that we have enough supplies on hand to serve everyone.

Our prayers are with those on the east coast this weekend. We pray that the homeless will find proper shelter. This is truly a time for all of us to help our neighbors in need.

Providing Relief & Aid for the Disaster in Alabama

May 27, 2011

Over the last week, dozens of tornadoes roared through north-central Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, splintering towns and families in one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history.

Alabama state officials have confirmed 194 deaths but said they expect the death toll to rise. As many as 1 million were without power.

Gov. Robert Bentley said the federal government has declared Alabama a category one natural disaster, a ranking as high as was given to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and the terrorism on 9/11.

CityTeam International has been contacted by numerous agencies to deploy our disaster response teams. Our first disaster response team left for Alabama this morning. Currently, our disaster team is stretched thin because they are still working in previous disaster areas in New Orleans, LA and Galveston. Our teams will be helping families with debris clean up and assisting other agencies that are focused on first phase response.

Please pray for all those that live in Alabama and are searching for loved ones and facing homelessness because of this disaster. Our prayers also go out to all the disaster teams who need strength and resources to help individuals in need.

900 Tents Provide Shelter for Haitians Left Homeless After the Quake!

July 6th, 2010

We have been privileged to serve the people Haiti since a devastating earthquake hit their country back in January of this year. The generosity of our donors and volunteers has enabled us to deliver 900 tents to Haitians who were left homeless after the quake. In addition we have also been able to provide medication, clothing, shoes and aid in the rebuilding of classrooms at a school in Leogane and in Port-au-Prince, allowing both schools keep their accreditation. Thank you so much for your support of this important relief effort.

On July 12th we will deploy another Disaster Response team that will be dedicated to installing safe water units that can produce over 600 gallons of safe water per hour. The first location is a local school in Leogane where it will provide safe water for over 750 students, 50 school staff members and an additional 5,000 individuals in the surrounding community. Our second location will be in a community north of Port-au-Prince that is currently relying on an unsafe well for their water supply. We are so thankful to all those who donated to make this project possible!

Our team will also take this opportunity to review 1 or 2 other potential sites for future safe water unit installation over the next eighteen months.

Update: Thank you to all of our partners who gave of their time, prayers and finances. Each gift helped provide relief to those who suffered from the devastating disaster in Haiti. Your help enabled us to bring direct relief to the Haitian people.

Help Provide Shelter and Safe Drinking Water for Earthquake Victims in Haiti

3.12.2010

One of the most pressing needs in Haiti right now is safe drinking water. We are currently seeking partners to help us install 2 safe water systems capable of providing a safe water supply for 2 communities that were devastated by this disaster. It only takes 120 donors to join with us and support this project with a gift of $500.00. We greatly appreciate your support.

With most of the countries' buildings and homes left in ruins there is a desperate need for tents, especially as the rainy season approaches. It has been estimated that nearly 1 million people are still in need of shelter and are currently sleeping outside. A gift of $200 will provide a 10-person tent and give a homeless family a place to call home. Our goal is to deliver 1,000 tents as soon as possible.

Thank you for partnering with us to help the people of Haiti rebuild their lives and communities after this devastating disaster.

Aria of Sartorette Elementary School along with her classmates care for the people of Haiti

3.12.2010

After hearing about how many earthquake survivors in Haiti were without homes Aria decided that she wanted to do something to help and she got her entire class involved! Together they hosted a bake sale to benefit Haiti and raised enough money to send a tent to Haiti that will provide housing for 10 people.

The efforts of this elementary school class will make a huge difference for 10 Haitians who have been homeless since January 12th. We are so thankful to Aria and her classmates for partnering with CityTeam International International to send relief to Haiti!

Report From on the Ground

2.12.2010

It has been a very hard trip physically and emotionally for our team so far. The team is located 20 miles south of Port Au Prince where we are partnering with Ruth Applewhite’s ministry, the Christian Center Institute of Haiti. This ministry is located in Leogane where 90% of the people have lost their homes. Most of the center, including the school, medical clinic, feeding facility and housing units desperately need to be rebuilt. Her immediate needs are food, tents and clothes for the community she serves. A Bay Area truck loaded with supplies is in route to Florida and then will be shipped to Haiti, but this will take weeks and the rains have already started. These supplies will only help a few hundred people, but there are over one million people sleeping outside. Her need is urgent and real - we are so blessed to be a part of this relief effort.

Our team found a secure, possible location to implement our safe water system in a community outside of Titayian where we distributed food and put up a large, multi-purpose tent that allows 700-1000 people to gather together.

The devastation is widespread and there is still so much work to be done. Homemade signs with pleas for help are hung on every block just like our team saw in Hurricane Katrina. One team member stated, “The people of Haiti are burdened, but not broken”.

Due to security concerns our team is currently rushing back to the airport in Port Au Prince where riots have consistently been breaking out. It is now important for our team to get behind the barricade of the airport to ensure their safe return. We sincerely thank all of you who have prayed for and supported this response effort.

We did not want to miss this opportunity to tell you a few of the incredible, live-saving testimonies of the people we met during our journey. The common thread through all the personal stories is God’s grace and presence in the midst of their daily struggles to survive.

One of the youngest people we met was a little 3-year-old girl who lost her mother in the earthquake and is now being raised by her grandmother. They are living outside, like so many others, afraid to stay inside of what is left of their home. There was a profound sadness in the little girls eyes. She's aged a lifetime in just a few weeks. The playful light of childhood returned for just a moment when we showed her a picture of herself...then it was gone. Our EFCA partner was able to provide a tent for this family. It was amazing to see them unified as a family and persevering though this hardship.

In one remarkable instance 60 babies were saved against all odds when their orphanage collapsed around them. When the earthquake hit there were just a couple of women on duty and it only took a few minutes for the entire building to fall. When asked how they were able to save so many babies the women said, “God did it.” Logically it was impossible for a few women to locate, pick up and transport 60 little ones outside before the collapse, but God moved in this situation and enabled these women to save 60 precious lives.

A man named Roger shared with us his story about how he was able to save a student from a collapsing schoolroom, but had to leave another friend behind. Roger was in the school building when the quake struck. He grabbed the hand of a student and was running out when another caught hold of his ankle, begging for help. He was literally torn between the two with the building falling around him. He was able to get one of them to safety, but had to leave one behind. This was the same situation that so many people had to face that heart-breaking day.

Bringing Safe Water & Supplies to Haiti

2.5.2010

Through our clearance with National VOAD and the support of generous partners we have been able to secure a flight into Port-Au-Prince allowing us to bring supplies directly into the area of greatest need.

One of the things that is desperately needed right now is safe drinking water and our team is equipped with a safe water unit and the expertise to help provide enough safe drinking water for up to 14,000 people per day. For the past 2 years we have been implementing these same safe water units in remote African locations with tremendous success.

We are also delivering medical supplies and much needed tents to those who have been sleeping outside for over two weeks now since the devastating earthquake. We will be helping a number of schools and orphanages that we have been in communication with who have expressed their desperate need for water, tents, medicine and food. Our disaster response team is strategically working with major partners on the ground, so our delivery system will be efficient and timely.

Please keep our team in your prayers as they serve the people of Haiti who will be grieving and hurting for a long time as they rebuild their lives and communities.

We are being extremely careful with the funds that have been entrusted to us by our donors specifically for this disaster response effort in Haiti. The funds we are able to raise will determine the scale of our response effort. donateWe are extremely grateful to our donors who have stepped forward to support us, but we are still in need of funding to continue our relief efforts in Haiti. Each donation will make a difference.

Update: Thank you to those who stood with us to bring relief to the people of Haiti. Your donations and partnership allowed us to accomplish our goals in Haiti.

Retirement Community Residents Send Relief to Haiti

2.2.2010

Bob Corl, pictured left, has been a faithful volunteer at CityTeam International International for over 10 years and when he heard about the disaster in Haiti he wanted to help. After seeing how the people of Haiti were suffering Bob decided that he wanted to use some money he had been saving to send assistance to Haiti instead of paying off some of his bills.

Bob also collected donations from fellow residents at his retirement home donated all the funds to CityTeam International’s Disaster Response division. We are so grateful for Bob and donors like him who are sacrificing so that they can partner with CityTeam International to help the earthquake victims who have lost everything.

Damage and Death Tolls Continue to Rise in Haiti

1.27.2010

Our CityTeam International Disaster response team, like all others, is pushing forward while dealing with several limitations. As reported in the San Jose Mercury News, 800 - 1000 flights are waiting to land in Haiti and they are only able to allow 140 flights to land each day (read article). Our team is working with several partners here in the US and in the disaster zone. They will likely setup camp several miles outside of Port-au-Prince where people are not receiving any aid, but desperately need help.

Watch this website for the next report from our team. We hope to have photos soon. This devastating disaster might have slipped from headline news, but it will take years to help the people of Haiti rebuild their country after losing more than 200,000 people and having 194,000 people injured in this disaster.

Our team needs you. Please donate to our disaster response effort so we can help the people of Haiti rebuild their lives and communities.

Update: Thank you to those who stood with us to bring relief to the people of Haiti. Your donations and partnership brought direct aid to the people affected by the disaster in Haiti.

Strong Aftershock Hits Haiti

1.20.2010

Early this morning a 6.1 aftershock hit Haiti striking fear in the hearts of the earthquake victims who have struggled to survive since last week's disaster.

Currently, a CityTeam International Disaster Response Team is in the process of traveling to Haiti to begin a 3-phase disaster response effort to help rebuild lives and communities within this devastated country. We will be working with local partners who are already on the ground to set up a safe base camp for our workers and future volunteers. In addition, we are working to bring safe water technology units that have the ability to take dirty, contaminated water and purify it to be 99.998 % bacteria free. A single unit can produce hundreds of gallons of safe drinking water each hour.

This past weekend, over 10 churches selected CityTeam International as their charity to support in the Haiti disaster relief efforts and we have been truly blessed by their generosity. Our needs are much smaller than large agencies and we are accountable for the way we spend each and every donated dollar.

You can be a part of this vital relief effort by making an online donation today. Each gift, large or small, will make a difference. Thank you so much for your support during this crisis.

A flyer about our disaster response efforts in Haiti is available to download in PDF form. Please feel free to distribute this flyer in your community or church to help create awareness.

*In the event that we do not receive sufficient funds to implement our 3-phase disaster response plan, we will scale back our efforts to stay within the funds we have received.

**In the event that this need is over funded, we will use the remaining funds for future disaster response efforts.

Update: Thank you to our generous and faithful partners who helped us fund this need completely. Every prayer and donation made an impact to the Haitian people.

Heartfelt Prayers for the people of Haiti

1.15.2010

Damage reports are still coming in regarding the 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12th. Thousands are unaccounted for and are feared dead or trapped beneath the rubble. Aid organizations are finding it very difficult and dangerous to enter Port-au-Prince. The obstacles to help are enormous right now. The impassable roads, damaged docks and clogged airstrips are slowing down the arrival of critically needed assistance. In addition to this, all relief workers will need to be self-sufficient for weeks and safety is a major concern. They are running out of food, water and medical supplies.

At CityTeam International, our hearts are broken for the people of Haiti and what they are experiencing. As more photos, videos and reports make headline news we are all saddened by this catastrophic earthquake. The main priority is to rescue people who are trapped in the rubble and provide medical care to those that are critically injured.

Just like you, we ask ourselves at CityTeam International, how can God use our gifts as a national VOAD organization to help Haiti? In the past, CityTeam International Disaster Response Teams have taken leadership roles in multiple disasters around the world from earthquakes, to tsunamis, wildfires, and floods. CityTeam International has a long-term approach when responding to disasters. Few people know that we assisted in Katrina for over 3 years. We are usually called to help rebuild lives and communities. That takes a considerable amount of resources and financial support to help for months and years to come and right now we don't have those funds to move forward. But whenever we respond, we look to God first for His guidance and direction. At this time, our leadership team, board members, and staff are in prayer for what God is calling us to do in Haiti. We want to determine how CityTeam International, our volunteers, corporate partners and donors can be most effective in meeting the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of the survivors for the long-term.

Our CityTeam International Disaster Response Team is in the process of traveling to Haiti. Once the team returns from this planning trip, we will have more information about our four-phase response plan and the way we deliver vital services such as our safe water units, spiritual counseling, and the development of individual and family recovery plans. Rebuilding will follow the recovery phase where volunteers may be needed to help rebuild communities. But first we need to make sure it is safe and we can be self-sustaining with the guidance of local partners.

I want to thank all of those who have contacted us at CityTeam International and offered to help. We are honored that CityTeam International is your charity of choice donatewhen it comes to Disaster Response. So that we are prepared to go, you can donate today by clicking on the donate button to the right.

Prayer Needs:

• That the people of Haiti would receive the help needed as quickly as possible.
• That God would comfort those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake.
• For the volunteer doctors and nurses who are responding.
• For the Search and Rescue teams to have foresight. May they be led by God's wisdom, and encouraged by His strength and discernment.
• Pray for CityTeam International, that we would know God's direction in responding to this disaster.