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CHURCH WORLD SERVICE LAUNCHES NEW IDENTITY

CWSmark.jpeg (5269 bytes)November 29, 2001, New York City - International relief and development agency Church World Service (CWS) has unveiled a new visual identity. The effort is described as part of an ongoing endeavor to raise awareness and support for its work worldwide.

The organization -- formed in the aftermath of World War II to feed and help rebuild war torn Europe -- today operates in partnership with indigenous religious groups and other agencies to provide disaster relief, refugee assistance, emergency food aid and sustainable development programs in more than 80 countries. And, while Church World Service has helped literally millions of people around the world, up until now it has been largely unknown outside of religious circles.

In order to raise its profile and appeal to a wider audience, the organization is positioning itself as an effective means for socially conscious people of all faiths and persuasions to take action toward the common goals of human rights, world peace, and ending hunger.

"We have something to offer the world," explains CWS Executive Director John McCullough. "We have a great history and a promising future. Our strategy is simple: tell people who we are and what we do. We know from experience that when people learn about us they want to help."

Church World Service has been active in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11. In the United States, CWS is providing training in trauma and grief counseling to clergy and caregivers and networking to provide counselors to facilitate long-term recovery of families and communities. And in Afghanistan and Pakistan, CWS is providing emergency assistance to Afghans uprooted by war, drought, and famine.

"The key to our approach is sustainability," says McCullough. "We were working with the communities directly affected by the attacks before September 11, and we'll still be there supporting long-term, sustainable recovery years from now."

The organization's new mark, designed by brand identity firm titanium, inc., of Northampton, Massachusetts, comprises three symbols: the Christian cross, the circle -- chosen to suggest the global nature of their work -- and the outstretched arms of a helping individual. The composite emblem is set against a bold yellow color, employed because of its high visibility and universal association with a sense of urgency. McCullough says the new look will be rolled out over the coming months.

About Church World Service

Founded in 1946, Church World Service is an ecumenical relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry of the 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Working in partnership with indigenous organizations in more than 80 countries, CWS supports sustainable self-help development, meets emergency needs, aids refugees, and helps address the root causes of poverty and powerlessness.

Web Site: www.churchworldservice.org

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