Helping with the shelter project in Morocco has been an extraordinary learning experience, with volunteers from multiple cultures and languages working together to support the
During the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to assist with building shelters. I have enjoyed meeting and working with people from quite
For everyone who has been following along with the work in Haiti: The director of the work in Haiti, Andy Faller, will be traveling to
The recent weeks have been quite busy. Last week, we built a total of 64 shelters in two different villages. In the one village, I
In October of 2022, PCCR responded to the crisis in Haiti, and out of the food distributions and the work in prisons emerged a need
In the rugged Atlas Mountains, where communities have faced the harsh aftermath of an earthquake, we have been able to provide warmth, safety and hope
I had the opportunity to take a short trip to Haiti and see some of the work we are doing there. We visited one of
Did you know…The country of Morocco has 31 different ethnic people groups. Twenty-seven of them are considered unreached people groups, according to the Joshua Project.
It has been five weeks now since the border to the Dominican Republic has been closed, cutting off all import and export. Simple foods like
Since the beginning of the project in Ukraine, we’ve been assessing the crisis to ensure that the resources go where they are needed and don’t
Our staff team is growing! Meet Trevor Kilmer, our new US Response Director. “I grew up in Missouri but currently live in Pennsylvania. I have
A mother and her daughter, living in a small town too close to danger. They spend most of their time together in a deep dark
Attention! This field is closed, but if you’re interested in volunteering with us in future US responses, please click the link below to sign up
Would you help us build shelters in Morocco to prepare for winter? We are partnering with an another organization to build 1000 shelters for the families
As with any crisis response work, the needs evolve and the work changes. While Haiti is still in a crisis and is still experiencing a
The work in Ukraine began in February ’22 and here are the current statistics:2,264,600 pounds of aid have been delivered both to frontline communities and
We are now working in over four prisons in Haiti.We just can’t believe the doors that God has opened. One thing that we’ve noted is
As I reflect on the past few weeks of being in Morocco, I’m blown away by the God we serve. There have been so many
It’s been twelve days since the earthquake in Morocco, and it has been amazing to see how the locals have rallied to help each other
God with usThis is something I know to be true. I knew it before Ukraine, that God establishes our steps in life, and how he
On Friday night a 6.8 magnitude earthquake shook the Atlas mountains in Morocco causing much death and destruction, with almost 3,000 already confirmed dead.Over the
Literally everything was great! Initially, I was asked to help with housekeeping and cooking, but I was hoping that I’d get a chance to help
The Mel Stoltzfus Family band will be live at the event on Friday night!Come out for an evening of great food, great music and fellowship.
This week we had the amazing opportunity to share the word of God with over 700 inmates. We went deep into the prison and shared
Through the pizza project, we’ve had the opportunity to preach the Gospel to the military. Many of the soldiers have lost hope and, being in
As I was sitting in the skidsteer, my phone rang. I dug it out of my pocket, saw that it was a Florida number and
The need in Florida is huge. There are very few volunteers in the area which leaves more opportunity for contractors to take advantage of people.
Volunteers needed!We’re currently stationed in the town of Perry, Florida. Assessing the situation in the area is difficult because of the scale of the disaster.
US DISASTER RESPONSE[Florida Hurricane]Last night we deployed the RV and trailer to Florida and they will be reaching their destination shortly.This morning a little before
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a mandatory evacuation order for settlements on the eastern bank of Kupiansk due to escalating Russian
Q: Why should I take the training?A: There are lots of people who can and want to volunteer and yet aren’t allowed to work with
Our work in Haiti has shifted to mainly focus on the prisons. We are currently working in three prisons, and plan to visit a fourth
This past week we returned to Kherson to assess the current needs and provide assistance where needed.I was blessed as we provided aid to IDPs
Q: Can I volunteer with PCCR without taking the training?A: When we respond to a disaster that happens within the US, we will often open
Our team had all been away from Ukraine for a few weeks, and just last Wednesday, we all got back and reunited again. I wasn’t
US DISASTER RESPONSE[Barre Vermont Flooding]The last few days in Vermont have been highly rewarding! We’ve put in long days of hard work, and we are
While I was in Haiti to visit the project, I sat in a meeting with a few of the Haitians who help manage the work
The Kherson region has been devastated by the dam break and flood. At one of our distributions, we walked around to check on the damaged
A PEEK INTO THE NEWSLETTERIn the last quarter, we have focused a lot of time on internal development, as well as developing the training. Amidst
SIGNUP IS OPEN FOR THE NEXT TRAINING!For all of you who like planning months ahead, here’s your chance to sign up early. We have limited
In the Prison service we lead songs and preached on the consequences of sin using the story of Achan as a example. Afterwards, we had
The pizza projects for soldiers and military hospitals with our chaplain are one of my favorite projects in Ukraine. A few weeks ago, we had
US DISASTER RESPONSE[Barre Vermont Flooding]I would say that floods are probably one of the worst types of disasters to clean up. The water rises quickly,
Last week, we completed another First Response Training consisting of two guys and three girls. One of the guys will be going to Vermont this
US Disaster Response[Barre Vermont Flooding]The streets are muddy, the air is filled with the smell of wet things, damp, moldy, slimy and utterly depressing. The
Mervin was one of the first guys to take the First Response Training back in August of 2022 and has been with us ever since.
[Vermont Flooding]Approximately 500 buildings in Montpelier have been damaged, and many of these are small businesses. Fortunately for the people of Montpelier, they have been
In the last 2 weeks, I was in Haiti for nine days.It was an incredibly eye-opening experience for me, a key point that really stood
Direct distributions, which we usually hold in frontline towns and villages, continue to be our main outreach to the Ukrainian people. Going into these places
Merv King is the CEO of Plain Compassion Crisis Response and does an amazing job of leading out and creating the culture we have in
On the very first boat trip in Kherson, a few of our team evacuated an elderly woman who had recently suffered from a stroke, along
Haitians definitely don’t have it easy. It can be discouraging to think that even though we helped a few hundred people, there are still thousands
Meet Dorcas Kauffman, our Marketing Director! When she joined our team back in August of 2022, she had volunteered as a photographer in Ukraine for
Part 2Within an hour or so, God provided us with two boats through an unexpected encounter with my cousin, who was also volunteering in the
Part 1It all unfolded in a blur of urgency and compassion. As our team arrived in the flooded city of Kherson, the water levels were
As the latest addition to our team, Emma Yoder joined us when we badly needed help with data entry.After the work in Ukraine began, we
Training with PCCR was an amazing opportunity! It challenged me both spiritually and mentally. I learned a lot of new tools to use when responding
Over past two weeks we have been able to bless a lot of people who were affected by the flood. This flood was a crisis
Introducing Staff introductions Meet Thea Gorber from Lobleville Tennessee. She serves as our administrative assistant. She has served in this role since July 2021. Her
As I drove through Legoane just after the flood, I was blessed with how the community was rising up and helping one another. There are
During the early hours of the morning of June 6th, Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka dam creating a humanitarian aid disaster in the city
The situation in the prisons is dire. There are about 700 prisoners altogether, with 60 to 70 people crammed into 15’ x 15’ rooms. Most
Over the past few days, our team had the opportunity to participate in tactical training. The training was taught by a professor from Lviv. Even
Well, it’s officially official! Tickets have been purchased, and we are moving back to the US in less than a week!Several months ago, we felt
This past weekend, we held our first ever staff offsite. Our vision for this offsite was to get to know each other better and to
“We just want to live”These are the words you hear from the Haitians: people who have learned to live in a country where insecurity reigns
The full scale war has been going for 449 days now, and every day and night countless defenders stand guard for the peace and sovereignty
This week has been particularly difficult for the prisons. We’ve not been able to access the food that we were normally able to get due
In 18 work hours, two “shifts” have never been so hard to describe. Three men shared how, a fewhours ago, they were a team of
A smile and a parcel of food, some hygiene kits and a whole lot of compassion is good, and it’s what I believe God has
What if we never helped?This is a question that comes to mind when people ask me why I am doing this.In a time when everyone
“Thank you for thinking about us! Thank you, thank you so much! We will have rice tonight for the first time in a long time…” “…make
This past week has been quite different as we’ve transitioned away from mostly running food distribution to doing more medical evacuations. Change is never easy,
On Tuesday, one of the young men came to us after our prison church service and told us that ever since we started holding the
When we first started working in Haiti, we had no idea where it would lead to. People went hungry, prisoners were starving and children were
We drove over three hours today. About halfway to our destination, it started to snow. There was something calming about the trip this time, the
Recently we ran into a man in town who was release from prison not too long ago. He was very excited to share how his
Having been asked to share a few words, I’m struggling hardcore to find the right words. What would be most important to tell? What is
“We can’t thank God enough for sending you to help! We look forward to the meal you bring each week.”“The highlight of the week is
“Thank you so much for coming and bringing aid! You have no idea how happy we are to see you. No one has been able
In the past several weeks we have seen some of the local churches step up and do what they can to help the inmates in
This week, we wrapped up our tornado cleanup responses both in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, and Little Rock, Arkansas.Our volunteers spent around 2000 hours working alongside
Our work in Ukraine has taken an interesting turn. We are transitioning from moving food to assisting with medical work.The medical system in eastern Ukraine
The grief and loss of all the devastation in Rolling Fork, Mississippi gripped my heart.I observed what a beautiful town it had been and to
I recently had a conversation with the mayor in an area where we have done food distributions before. He told me: “Thank you, thank you,
One lady and her daughter were at a prom night and by the time they got the warning, the tornado had already passed through. One
Little Rock, AR had a tornado that went right through the city, leaving significant damage in its tracks. The National Weather Service Assessments are estimating
One of the jobs that we were working on yesterday and today was a home where the tornado had picked up a semi truck from
Most of the areas in Haiti are experiencing a drought. Many people need to walk a great distance to find a spring or well that
Rolling Forks MS, March 27 2023The streets are in chaos, clogged with downed power lines, sightseers and volunteers. The fields of rubble are seemingly endless,
It’s been two weeks since I left Ukraine. And I miss it so much.I miss the smiles of welcome as we entered a village.I miss
During our initial assessment, we found that the tornado had done extensive damage in the town of Rolling Fork. The town has about 1750 residents
Oftentimes, it’s really hard to know when to say yes or no to the requests for help. In the zones that we work in and
It has been an interesting 6 weeks since the death of Pete Reed. I had been working closely with him, and when he was killed,
One of my highlights is being able to share the love of Jesus with the people we help. We’re not only showing them the love
I remember a trip when three of us went to Lysychansk last summer. Some soldiers were accompanying us and they were very hesitant to move
Part 2 – From Our International field directer:At one point, we went to the island where we are working. This is also a poverty-stricken part
With the warmer temperatures coming, the stove project got wrapped up and food distributions are starting again, but on a smaller scale than previously. We
Part 1 – From Our International field directer:A single gunshot breaks the silence as we are sitting on Andy’s front porch, waiting on the hygiene
In the recent weeks, there has been a steady supply of humanitarian aid readily available in Ukraine. In one of the towns, the major explicitly
The hygiene kits for the prisons arrived!It was challenging to get them shipped from Port-au-Prince too to the south, where the prisons are. The original
I remember one instance, when we were on our way from Zaporizhzhia. I got a call from one of our contacts, asking for an evacuation.“I’m
One big problem this week was that we were running out of diesel to be able to do distributions. It has been weeks since we
Several months ago, we had delivered firewood and wood stoves to villages on the front line. This week we returned to do several distributions and
A lot of testimonies come from the front lines. The place where you get so used to the sound of mortars blasting, it becomes a
Today during our prison service, we had a time of prayer where many of the prisoners were on their knees crying and praying. Many times,
This story happened last Tuesday at the church service in prison. One of the inmates was asked to pray with the group and in her
” Good evening. I am crying.. May God bless you and your family. My thanks is to God who doesn’t forsake me, and who sent
Haiti We had gotten reports from a community in the mountains that was in great need and today, we were able to bring food in.
Ukraine Over the last two weeks, we have shifted directions from the WARM project to bringing food to churches and organizations. One of the latest
We just finished the First Response Training, with all the trainees graduating on Thursday. It was amazing to see this group pull together, develop leadership
Turkey/Syria Today was a storm of events, working to establish contacts in a new country. We met with one government organization in a town in
Ukraine The last three weeks, Pete and I had spent hours and days together. We were working on setting up the evacuation network and during
Haiti Imagine that you only make the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour (a total of $58.00/day), but one gallon of fuel costs $145.00. Or
Many times our work here in Ukraine is carried out with the help of other organizations. The past few weeks, we started working with an
Ukraine Several weeks ago, while we were delivering wood stoves to a front line village, there were several Ukrainian mortar teams firing away at the Russian
Haiti For me, it’s an opportunity to be a part of the work with Plain Compassion. In the mountains, where we have done food distributions,
I am very sincerely grateful for what you are doing for our residents in the city of Avdiivka. You did not stay away from the
Ukraine In the last three months, our work has shifted from transporting and distributing food to Ukrainian churches and organizations to distributing firewood and wood
Haiti The work in Haiti is more complicated than some other parts of the world. We are not being bombed by Russia or any other
Haiti It’s a privilege to be a part of the work in Haiti. As I think over just the events of the last week, I
Ukraine This week, I was helping the WARM Project, which consisted of delivering wood stoves and firewood into front-line villages. Many of our recipients don’t
Ukraine Come again, we’re always glad to see you and love serving with you! Thank God for you! With love from Nikopol!Merry Christmas and Happy
Thank you Ebling’s Service Plus, for your support in our U.S. Response program!Because of your contributions, we are much closer to having the First Response
Ukraine The WARM project has been an enjoyable part of the work here. It feels good to see people set the stoves up and once
Haiti A huge part of our work is in the prisons. The prisoners tell us over and over again how thankful they are for the
Haiti The situation in Haiti remains difficult as gangs continue to control all the main roads in and out of the capital. Kidnapping rates remain
Ukraine The photo of this sunset is a special photo. It was taken 6 weeks ago on a delivery we did.Several hours before this photo,
“Thus far the LORD has helped us.”This verse comes to my mind when I think over the past year and how God brought us thru
This year has been an interesting year for our family. January found us in Kentucky running the PCCR tornado response. We were directing teams of
Our year with PCCR was an incredible experience, full of growth opportunities.Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to assume the US Response Director responsibilities.
My journey with PCCR started in August of 2021, when Daniel Beiler asked me to join a response team to do medical evacuations after the
This week has been particularly busy. On Tuesday, we distributed 1700 pounds of rice and 500 pounds of beans to 140 families in a rural
Thank you so much for supporting our ministry with food to distribute!~Yura, pastor of three churches in Kramatorsk.Thank you so much for your hard work
Today, I had a chance to have a long talk with one of the prisoners. He has been there for a long time and knows
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been one month since I left for Ukraine. Time sure flies when you’re having fun.If I had to
From the high levels of insecurity, protest, lack of fuel and high food prices: Food distributions come with many difficulties. Sometimes, we have to visit
Ukraine Things are at an interesting place for us here in Ukraine. The longer we are here, the more contacts and relationships we are establishing.
Haiti There are so many Thank You stories of grateful people, but here’s one that needs to be shared:During a food distribution, a mother of
Ukraine For the last three weeks, we’ve had five people working on the wood stove project. We are working with community leaders to find the
Haiti Most Haitian prisons don’t provide food for the inmates, it’s the responsibility of the families to bring them food. When food became scarce and
Thank you so much for the food and everything you bring!! I sincerely wish you great happiness, peace and goodness for your sensitivity, for your
While Haiti continues to suffer from gang violence, we are delivering food to several different regions that are within our reach, with each zone targeting
The past three days have been an exciting experience. We had the opportunity to distribute food to people who have received very limited aid up
Many of the the people who receive aid are elderly or single moms. These food distributions give us an opportunity to share the gospel and
The past two days have been intense and fulfilling. We left our base at 5 am yesterday and started what we thought would be a
Distribution is going well despite all the challenges we face with the insecurity here in Haiti and expensive hard to find diesel fuel. On Sunday,
We did a food distribution in the mountains yesterday. Some of the local people are starting to contribute to the prison outreach. It’s amazing to
Six weeks ago we were contacted by Samaritans Purse and asked if we were interested in partnering with them on a wood stove project. Since
Lakeland Mennonite Church in New York has been busy making hygiene and clothing kits for the prisoners in Haiti. These kits are going to the
~ ‘Good morning, in an hour we will bring you 1.5 tons of food.’ Our morning began with these words. An hour later Plain Compassion Crisis
Over the past few days, we had meetings with the people who are involved in the food distribution. They want to help and not just
Early one morning a team of 6 and 260 food parcels packed in 2 vans, headed out again to the Eastern frontlines of Donetsk to
While I was out getting supplies for the Jacmel Prison the lady selling the charcoal we bought asked what we are doing with it we
As many of you know, Haiti is in a severe crisis. Gang violence and protests continue to hamper or block food and water deliveries, and
Last Friday we went to do a distribution at a section of the front lines we had not been to before. We knew it to
Today, we’re doing a food distribution to help the people in a remote area in the mountains above Petit Goave. They are struggling to survive
The situation in the Haiti prisons has always been bad. About a year ago, the judicial system of Haiti collapsed. As a result, many prisoners
Recently we did a distribution in a town that is being torn apart by bombs.In the small crowd of people, a lady started crying as
We are supporting several Haitian churches that are actually doing the work. They are very grateful to be able to reach the most vulnerable in
On Tuesday we took another trip to the liberated territory in the Kharkiv region. Taking 300 food parcels in two vans, we went to some villages
In 2019, we started working with the Venezuelan refugees in Colombia. Since then we have been assisting these Venezuelans and the most needy Colombians by
…and another group of trainees graduated with flying colors from the First Response Training! It was exciting to see them progress through the training and
“Today I got your box of food. Everything is so vital for those who spend time by their stoves. There so many words! It is
Response update: During our initial response to this disaster, we partnered with another organization. Our assignment was to be available to respond to rescue requests. Our
Destruction.So much destruction.Broken dreams.Broken families.Broken hearts. So much brokenness, both physically and emotionally.Nearly everywhere you look when we go east to the frontlines you see destruction
Hurricane Ian made landfall on Wednesday afternoon as a category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of approximately 150 mph. It did a lot of damage
We are partnering with another organization to launch a heating initiative. They are providing wood stoves and firewood to people who still live in houses
One of our volunteers put together a small slideshow reel of our first aid run into Izium, in the recently liberated Kharkiv region. donate here
We received a Thank you note from a partnering church and want to pass it on to you. Good day,Thank you very much for such a
During this last week, Ukraine has retaken large amounts of territory from the Russians, and today we took three vehicles and five tons of food
Yesterday we made the decision to close down our part in the eastern Kentucky flood disaster response. The work is not done yet, but we
When I saw the destruction from the flood, it made me sad. A lot of people have been sleeping in tents for awhile, and some
Last week we reached 1,000,000 pounds of food and humanitarian aid supplies moved into the hands of needy Ukrainians! Thousands of volunteer hours, thousands of
Volunteers needed for Kentucky flood cleanup!! Today and tomorrow we are wrapping up a few projects in the Buckhorn, KY, area, and then tomorrow we will
This week we had a series of meetings with the local community leaders and other organizations, and we, as an organization, found a need we
The last several weeks we have been busy distributing food, having church services and distributions on the front lines, and doing evacuations. The first two weeks
We are currently evaluating the scope of the overall needs in Kentucky, as they seem to be shifting some. The immediate large scale disaster cleanup
The last two weeks have been quite intense in some ways, and yet we have also had a lot of fun. We have been cleaning
We all had to move from different occupied areas in Zaporizhzhya oblast. We had had medical issues and no money for food, living expenses and
The last two weeks have been quite intense in some ways, and yet we have also had a lot of fun. We have been cleaning
It is difficult for me to find the words to accurately describe what I saw, felt, and experienced while in eastern Kentucky. We drove through
Farmers in Paraguay have a saying that they like to share during tough times. Hope is not the same as optimism. It is not the
Jesse and Joan are a couple in their 70s who lived and built their lives here for more than fifty years. All their work was
This week we were able to complete 9 projects with approximately 260 man hours. The projects involved cleaning up a lot of debris out of
One of the most important things we do in Ukraine is take loads of food and other humanitarian supplies to organizations reaching the individual citizens.
There is a lot of hopelessness settling in for many of the local people. The shock of what happened is wearing off and the reality
We keep hearing story after story of people’s crazy experiences while having to evacuate their homes from the rising flood waters. It is a miracle
We here at PCCR want to say a big “Thank you” to Blessings of Hope! Yesterday, with their help, we were able to bless the
This last week we worked on approximately 20 different properties cleaning out houses, cleaning up debris, fixing some driveways, and cleaning out some creeks. We
In the past several weeks we have started another kind of new line of work. We started assisting in evacuating people from the red and
This past week has been one I will never forget. We were in the contested town of Soledar. So many times we were in situations
Are you looking for purpose and direction in your life? We developed a training program that is designed to provide you with leadership training, spiritual
Kentucky UpdateWe continue to clean out houses and clean up yards and driveways, and we are so grateful to all the volunteers who have come
A note from Elam Gingerich. Elam has been helping PCCR with the overall management of our Kentucky flood response. I came to the flooded area a
Ukraine update On Sunday we were asked if we are willing to do rescue operations in a hotly contested town in the Donbas region. We agreed
Yesterday we had a few teams out working on projects, one of which included ripping out a finished basement. We had to clean out basement
Two weeks ago we took a load of food to a church contact in a village far off the beaten path, close to the front
As of last evening, the governor of Kentucky added several more counties to the emergency declaration so they will be eligible for FEMA assistance. The
A lot of destruction! That’s my description. I didn’t know what I was going to see, and it can almost be discouraging to see how
The Russian military is gaining momentum again in the Donbas region. The fighting is slow and bloody with many dead and injured on both sides.
Yesterday, we had a lot of pieces come together. We were able to secure lodging accommodations in a nice, big facility that can sleep a lot
Written by one of our volunteer coordinators. Yesterday morning we started out with a briefing for some of our first volunteer teams. Then our first crew
We are looking for approximately 30 volunteers a day for the next several weeks to help homeowners cleanup from the flooding. To sign up, please
One of the homes we worked on today belonged to two older ladies. They had 18 inches of water in the house during the heavy
A few days ago, we went to check on a small village at the Ukrainian-Russian border. This village has around forty people, mostly elderly ladies
We are opening the project for volunteers to come in and help with the flood cleanup efforts. There is a lot of manpower needed to
Today we had team of people out scouting the area of Buckhorn, KY. Based on our assessments, there are thousands of houses damaged in the
We have been preparing to respond to stateside disasters during the upcoming hurricane season and any other disasters that may arise. Our first response teams
We have a team on the ground assessing the need right now. It’s a terrible situation. The local fire and police departments are busy doing
This note is from someone whom you helped. Thank you for partnering with us to bring hope to the people of Ukraine! ‘Thank you very much
Once again, Kentucky needs our help! Southeastern Kentucky had massive rainfalls, with reports showing 7-10+ inches between 9pm Wednesday night and 9am this morning. In Whitesburg,
During the last several weeks we have taken a step back and are in the process of evaluating the needs in Ukraine. We are specifically
We get to hear all kinds of interesting stories and here is one we needed to pass on! This is a testimony from an organization
Time for introductions! We are excited to have Mervin Beiler as our new Stateside Response Director, he will be taking the lead in responding to
Today a military chaplain and I went to a town close to the front lines and held a church service and did a distribution. Last
Today we packed a record of food parcels at our warehouse! A grand total of 1,025! Three hundred were done this morning between 4 and
Today was another intense but good day. It was a day of maneuvering around soldiers, military equipment, and checkpoints; dodging explosions; doing distributions; and supplying
