Historic Colorado Flooding Impacts Thousands
Baltimore, MD (September 17, 2013) — As thousands of Coloradans begin to recover from floods triggered by a week of historically heavy rains, Colorado members of the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) Emergency Response Network, or Frontline, have been reaching out to communities and parishes in the impacted areas to offer assistance. IOCC staff and Frontline volunteers have been in contact with Ecumenical partners and six Orthodox parishes in the areas that have experienced the most significant flooding to determine the needs and an appropriate response.
All of the Orthodox parishes in the area report no structural damage to their churches and minimal damages to their parishioners’ homes and businesses.
“Having recently experienced Coloradans’ Western hospitality while conducting a successful training in Denver less than a month ago with our Orthodox Frontliners from throughout the country,” stated IOCC US Country Representative Daniel Christopulos, “our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones, homes, businesses and livelihoods. We will continue to work with our partners on the ground in Colorado to see if IOCC’s resources can be utilized appropriately to help ease the suffering of those impacted by this most recent disaster.”
With support from a grant by the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the IOCC Frontline now has members in each of the ten Federal Emergency Response Agency regions of the country. Frontline volunteers provide a regional response capacity to disasters in the United States and enable the Orthodox Christian community to better coordinate with local, state and federal disaster response agencies.
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IOCC is the official humanitarian aid agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. Since its inception in 1992, IOCC has delivered more than $438 million in relief and development programs to families and communities in 50 countries. IOCC is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy.