Residents of Sua, Ecuador, had already suffered damage to their homes and the loss of household furnishings and livestock to 4-foot-deep flooding in January when the April 2016 magnitude 7.8 earthquake added another layer of destruction. The back-to-back disasters greatly diminished coastal Sua's fishing and tourism industries, the community's economic base. With support from UCC Disaster Ministries, 33 Sua families will soon have access to flexible financing and training to help them resume their livelihoods.

Attention potential volunteers! South Carolina homeowners still struggling to recover from last fall's devastating floods need your help. Week-long work teams are being recruited now, especially and urgently for September and October. "We still have several survivors who can't afford hiring a contractor to repair their homes and are patiently waiting for help," said UCC Disaster Ministries Executive Zach Wolgemuth. 

In his second of three articles about the importance of repairing our nation's crumbling infrastructure, UCC Environmental Justice Minister Brooks Berndt cites the Christian ethic "of the common good, the shared elements of life that allow for not only human survival but human fulfillment."

For 48-year-old Iraq veteran Robert Z. of West Columbia, S.C., buying a house was an important step in his years-long recovery from war-related post-traumatic stress disorder.  But the storms of October 2015 caused damage that upset Robert's dreams - until UCC Disaster Ministries and its partners in the ecumenical Disaster Recovery Support Initiative stepped forward to help.  

For 48-year-old Iraq veteran Robert Z. of West Columbia, S.C., buying a house was an important step in his years-long recovery from war-related post-traumatic stress disorder.  But the storms of October 2015 caused damage that upset Robert's dreams - until UCC Disaster Ministries and its partners in the ecumenical Disaster Recovery Support Initiative stepped forward to help.

United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries is looking for assistance to help the people in West Virginia recover from historic floods. Thousands are facing a prolonged cleanup effort following deadly and devastating storms that swamped much of the state last week, and the UCC will be there to help long-term.

United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries is looking for assistance to help the people in West Virginia recover from historic floods. Thousands are facing a prolonged cleanup effort following deadly and devastating storms that swamped much of the state last week, and the UCC will be there to help long-term.

When it rained hard and steady for more than a week in South Carolina last October, homeowner William H.'s love for the sound of rain on the roof was sorely tested. "The rain was so heavy that water leaked in through all the edges of my home, including the roof and door and window frames," he said.  He struggled to find help repairing the damage until the ecumenical Disaster Recovery Support Initiative stepped up.

When it rained hard and steady for more than a week in South Carolina last October, homeowner William H.'s love for the sound of rain on the roof was sorely tested. "The rain was so heavy that water leaked in through all the edges of my home, including the roof and door and window frames," he said.  He struggled to find help repairing the damage until the ecumenical Disaster Recovery Support Initiative stepped up.

Click through for the first in a three-part series on infrastructure disasters by the United Church of Christ Minister for Environmental Justice, the Rev. Brooks Berndt. The Flint, Mich., water crisis is just one example.