|TOP|Church World Service is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity International in a unique new partnership to repair the homes of 500 low-income families left badly damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year.

Habitat for Humanity International, a Christian organisation which builds homes for underprivileged people the world over, will donate more than US$3million to CWS through its “Operation Home Delivery” programme that will go towards the home repair projects set up by CWS member denominations and local long-term recovery committees.

"For nearly 30 years, Habitat for Humanity has been building simple, decent housing in the United States and around the world," said Ken Meinert, senior vice president of Habitat's Operation Home Delivery.

"This partnership with Church World Service helps us to further our relationships and grassroots partnerships with local congregations and to further address the needs in the Gulf Coast by helping people return to decent, affordable homes as part of the long-term recovery.

|AD|“CWS and denominational members have been at the centre of recovery and we are honoured to partner with them."

CWS and Habitat are hopeful that around 500 homes will be repaired in the next two years.

“This collaboration is going to have a major impact where it counts most--at the community level, where people with very limited resources for recovery have had their lives upended by last year's storms," said Church World Service Chief Executive John McCullough.

"Over the past eight months, we have been helping the people, the schools, and the churches of the Gulf Coast recover, and we will continue to accompany them on the journey back to normality for as long as it takes.
"Having a partner like Habitat for Humanity, with its demonstrated commitment to faith in action, backing our efforts is very important to us. We hope this will be the beginning of an ongoing collaboration."

Church World Service works in relief, development and refugee-assistance by collaborating with existing community groups and enabling them to set up independent, non-profit organisations committed to filling in the unmet long-term recovery needs of people in the local community left vulnerable by disaster.

The church umbrella organisation has played a key role in post-Katrina reconstruction through its Emergency Response Programme. Meanwhile Habitat for Humanity continues to run towards its goal of constructing 1,000 new homes in the affected Gulf Coast regions by mid-2007 through its Operation Home Delivery programme specially set up to respond to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.