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UMCOR staff, consultants, and volunteers are continuing to match the needs of Oklahoma City area tornado survivors with volunteers form the Southwest who are willing to assist. Volunteer workers from Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas are arriving to assist. Those interested in working a day or several days can call 1-800-918-3100 to pre-register their arrival. It is estimated that work teams will be greatly needed in three to four weeks to assist with recovery efforts. Volunteers coming to Oklahoma should arrange for their own lodging. UMCOR will match workers with those desiring assistance. UMCOR currently has staff in and volunteers in Iowa assessing the flood damage.
Please continue to send your gifts to UMCOR's Domestic Disaster Response, #901670-1 and to UMCOR's Spring Storms '99, Advance #901415-4. Give through your local United Methodist Church or call (800) 554-8583 to make a credit card donation.
Ebenezer Church is serving as UMCOR's main site for debriefing parents and providing pastoral care for those affected by May 20th's tragic high school shooting in Atlanta. It has been reported that six people were shot, two were released and three remain in stable condition. United Methodists in the area have set up an ecumenical healing meeting for Sunday, May 23 at 4:30pm at Ebenezer to gather the community together in this time of need.
More than 3000 refugees from Kosovo have arrived in Fort Dix, New Jersey. United Methodist congregations in UMCOR resettlement areas who are interested in sponsoring/assisting refugees should contact their local Church World Service refugee office. For the list of sites, see the UMCOR website at http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/kosovo.stm or contact UMCOR's refugee office at 212-870-3807, fax 212-870-3624.
UMCOR continues to respond to Kosovo refugees in Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Hungary and Bosnia through ACT (Action by Churches Together). UMCOR is working with CitiHope International to provide medicines and medical supplies to refugees and their host families in Macedonia. UMCOR staff in Bosnia are working with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees to meet the needs of 75,000 ethnically diverse refugees that have gathered in the Sarajevo area. They are helping to build refugee camps and provide food. Please continue your support of UMCOR's International Disaster Response, #982450-8 in this ongoing crisis.
Please pray for those who suffer from war, natural disasters, hunger and poverty.
UMCOR Hotline:
Phone: 1-800-841-1235
Web: http://gbgm-umc.org/UMCOR-Hotline/
E-mail: umcor@gbgm-umc.org
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