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- Verse: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. --Philippians 4:6
BALTIMORE, Sept. 16 /Christian Wire Service/ -- As families across America accept hurricane evacuees from the Gulf region into their homes, there is a need for informative guidance to host families and their support structure. Drawing on decades of experience in resettling refugees into cities across the United States, World Relief has designed a publication titled "Open Doors: A Guide to Hosting Displaced Americans/Evacuees for Churches, Families and Individuals".
"We quickly realized that churches needed a practical tool to help the evacuees begin rebuilding their lives," explains Ruth Billings, World Relief's deputy director of Refugee and Immigration Programs.
The Open Doors model is designed to divide the and Immigration Programs.
The Open Doors model is designed to divide the work between several volunteer teams, coordinated by a team leader. The host family should have a team supporting them so they do not become burned-out or feel isolated as time goes on. The goal of this ministry should be to meet the initial needs of the displaced family without creating dependence. Helping evacuees find employment and a home of their own are important steps in providing healing and restoration from this trauma.
The Open Doors guide is available for free download and can be found on the Hurricane Response Center section of www.worldrelief.org.
In the United States and 24 countries around the world, World Relief has worked with local churches to create sustainable solutions that help the desperately poor. World Relief's programs include disaster relief, refugee assistance, AIDS ministries, community health, agricultural development and community banking.
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