Relief Effort for Cyclone Victims

Those who didn't die in the devastating cyclone that already has claimed the lives of 50,000 were left with nothing. Clinging to life, the millions of survivors of Cyclone Nargis, which barreled across Myanmar earlier this month, are battling disease and starvation.  Responding to this urgent need, Cross is shipping 240,000 meals and a container of disaster supplies - sturdy backpacks full of water, blankets, food, first aid, matches and toiletries - to Myanmar.

A few weeks ago, the Associated Press reported that tons of food was rotting in Haiti's ports just minutes away from millions of starving people. The AP investigation uncovered that some containers filled with rice, beans and other perishables were sitting in customs for months because of new government regulations and rampant corruption.

Feeling the effects of this blockage, shipments from Miami had basically come to a standstill, the article said. A few of our donors expressed concern that this would hinder the work of Cross. Thankfully, God has preserved our goods-shipping ministry to Haiti and given us favor in the eyes of those at the ports.

"We are so fine-tuned with clearing and inspectors that we have no problem," says Sandra Koch, Cross' international gifts-in-kind/shipping manager. "Cross containers are never unloaded at customs. They are pulled directly to the warehouse compound or taken to a consignee and unloaded on private, walled property."

The AP found that the worst of the port delays were in Cap-Haitian, Haiti's second-largest city, a port that Cross is not shipping to. All Cross shipments now go through Port-au-Price, the capital, and St. Marc.  In the last few months Cross has sent several crates of supplies to Haiti. Here are a few that cleared customs this week:

- A 40-foot container of Vita Food, specially enriched food for malnourished children, was distributed to 33 schools and orphanages.

- A 20-foot container of food, books, sandals and women's hygiene products was given to local pastors to distribute throughout Haiti.

- A 40-foot container of portable x-ray units, a sonogram machine, medicine and medical supplies was brought in to help open a new hospital in Jilcourt, Haiti.

More shipments are already on their way to Haiti. Four of them - everything from Vita Food and buckets of dry soup to new clothes - are expected to clear customs in April.  "In a country that imports 75 percent of its food supply, delays like this can be dire," says Jim Cavnar, president of Cross. "We are thankful that God has made a way for us to continue helping these poor, starving people."

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Donate to Cross Through CFC! – Our CFC Number is 12291

The Combined Federal Campaign allows federal employees and military personnel to contribute to any eligible non-profit organization they choose with easy options such as monthly payroll deductions. Nearly 4 million people use the CFC, which solicits donations during its annual charity drive from Sept. 1 to Dec. 15. Established in 1961, it is the largest workplace charity campaign in the country and the only one authorized to solicit and collect contributions from federal employees in the workplace. The CFC touts itself as cost-efficient and totally accountable with mechanisms in place to make sure all the money employees donate gets to the organizations they chose.

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Holy Father's First Encyclical Highlights Love...
And the Mission that Motivates Cross

In the weeks that followed the release of Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, the staff of Cross International Catholic Outreach focused on the document during its daily Bible study and we discovered a clear link between the Holy Father's teachings and the methods used by Cross to serve the poor.  Ministry president, Jim Cavnar, has identified six key points that demonstrate this common vision and approach. 

To read the full text of the Holy Father's first encyclical, click here. 
To see how Cross reflects the teachings, click here.

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