Week of Compassion Special Day Offering — February 20 & 27
On Memorial Day 2019, tornadoes swept through the Miami Valley of Ohio, destroying thousands of homes and apartments and leaving a trail of downed trees and power lines in their wake. Many of the tornado-affected families have had to relocate multiple times since, due to substandard housing conditions and inflated rent.
Two years after the storm, the Stephens family of ten was still unable to find adequate housing and was forced to live apart. In addition to dealing with unscrupulous contractors, the family had to haggle with insurance companies as they tried to rebuild their home. Yet, all was not lost. The Stephens family connected with the Miami Valley Long-Term Recovery Operations Group (MVLTROG), and volunteer teams finished the repairs.
Alongside these traditional home repair projects, and with support from Week of Compassion, the MVLTROG helped launch the Tornado Survivors’ Pathways to Homeownership Project to help alleviate the housing crunch in the Dayton area. Volunteers and local nonprofits work together to transition “nuisance” properties and vacant lots into affordable, single-family housing options for tornado survivors who were displaced from rental housing, stabilizing both families and the community.
With support for long-term recovery, including innovative programs like the Pathways to Homeownership Project, Week of Compassion helps create opportunities for families to thrive after disasters.
When you give, you help rebuild communities recovering from disaster. You also empower farmers to grow new kinds of crops in a changing climate; you support refugees; you empower youth through education, and empower women through vocational opportunities. Your gifts of love have the power to transform lives.
Love is shelter.
Love is a listening ear.
Love is a hopeful future.
Love is a path forward.
When all else seems lost, Love Remains