Ike Aftermath: IOCC Front line Reports Trauma Counselors Desperately Needed

INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES (IOCC)
110 West Road, Suite 360, Baltimore, Md. 21204
Tel: (410) 243-9820 - Fax: (410) 243-9824
Web: www.iocc.org - E-mail: news@iocc.org

September 19, 2008

Ike Aftermath: IOCC Frontline Reports Trauma Counselors Desperately Needed
(Galveston, Texas) - As residents try to return to their damaged or destroyed homes in Texas, officials are still warning of a secondary health crisis due to the lack of water, power, and running sewers in some areas. International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) has received an initial assessment of the situation from its Emergency Response Network team, which arrived in Galveston on September 17 and will stay in the area for the next several days.
IOCC will deliver 20 pallets of hygiene kits and medical supplies to local area hospitals and shelters, and will also send its "Frontline", a team of Orthodox clergy who are trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), a form of trauma counseling and evaluation. IOCC decided on this course of action after American Red Cross officials reported that shelters are completely full and invited IOCC to provide trauma counselors for those shelters. Earlier this year, IOCC completed training for 40 Orthodox clergy in CISM at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Boston and at St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center in San Francisco.
IOCC has issued an emergency appeal for its continuing response to the Gulf Coast Hurricanes. Orthodox faithful, including Sunday Schools, youth groups and others, are also urged to continue providing emergency clean-up buckets and health kits for shipment to the Gulf Coast (for information on assembling the kits go to http://iocc.org/emergencykits.aspx). IOCC distributed 1,000 such kits in New Orleans and Baton Rouge immediately following Hurricane Gustav.
Help us speed relief to the Gulf Coast's devastated communities by making a donation today. Call IOCC's donation hotline toll-free at 1-877-803-4622, make a gift on-line at www.iocc.org, or mail a check or money order payable to "IOCC" and write "US Emergency Response" in the memo line to: IOCC, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, Md. 21263-0225.
IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented over $275 million in relief and development programs in 33 countries around the world.
Media: Contact Ms. Amal Morcos at 410-243-9820 or (cell) 443-823-3489.