"We are deeply saddened for the loss of these nine brave firefighters. ERD will work with Coastal Crisis Chaplains to provide much-needed care and support to the Charleston community after this tragedy," Richard Ohlsen, ERD's director of domestic disaster preparedness and response, said in an ERD news release.
 
ERD is working in partnership with the Coastal Crisis Chaplains to support the temporary hiring of chaplains to provide counseling and support to Charleston's first responders, families who lost loved ones, and the Charleston community.
 
In April, severe flooding in Bergen, Essex, and Hudson counties in New Jersey left 40,000 people without electricity, and forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate their homes.

ERD is working with the Diocese of Newark to help the Northern New Jersey Long Term Recovery and Un-met Needs Roundtables. ERD's support will aid people who do not qualify for federal disaster aid, according to ERD's news release.
 
"ERD provides for the long-term needs of communities and victims after disasters. It takes several months for those affected to recover. It is important that we work together to help people through these round tables as the insurance and the federal assistance they receive is often not enough," said Ohlsen.

To help people affected by disasters, please make a donation to the "Emergency Relief Fund" online at http://www.er-d.org/ or call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to: Episcopal Relief and Development "Emergency Relief Fund" P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.