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February 1, 2002: UMCOR staff have been in communication with the leaders of the annual conferences in Oklahoma regarding the ice storm. When they are able to get out, they will assess the damage to see if assistance will be needed. Conference leaders in Tennessee report that local churches and districts are responding to those affected by recent flooding. UMCOR has sent a grant in response to a request from the Pacific/Northwest Conference to assist farmworkers who lost their homes and jobs in a severe storm last summer. Your gifts to UMCOR's Domestic Disaster Response, Advance #901670-1 enable UMCOR to respond to storms and other emergencies throughout the United States.
The amount of work yet to be done in Houston to recover from the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Allison is overwhelming. United Methodists are part of the Disaster Recovery Interfaith agency. They are currently working with 420 families who need assistance in repairing or rebuilding their homes, counseling, and help with rent, utilities, and doctors bills. Many of them have used all their resources trying to repair their homes and have nothing left for other bills. The recovery agency hopes to rebuild 300-400 homes during this coming year. There are 1000 families still waiting for assistance. Please continue your gifts to Hurricanes 2001, Advance #982350-4. Volunteers are desperately needed to help with the rebuilding work in Houston and in North Carolina. For more information, call the Volunteer Line (800) 918-3100.
UMCOR has sent several grants to our ecumenical and United Methodist partners to provide relief for people affected by the volcanic eruption in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. Thousands of people in Goma and the surrounding area have lost their homes, property, crops, water sources, schools, and livelihoods. UMCOR is working with our ecumenical and United Methodist partners to provide food, water, firewood, shelter materials, blankets, and kitchen utensils. The North Katanga Conference in the D. R. Congo is suffering from a cholera epidemic caused by recent flooding, and UMCOR is sending a grant to purchase medicine. For both of these situations, please give to Democratic Republic of Congo Emergency, Advance #198400-0.
Gifts may be made through local United Methodist churches, or by calling 1-800-554-8583. Credit card donations are accepted. (Read more about how you can help UMCOR's emergency responses.)
UMCOR is providing emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about current UMCOR ministries, please visit the website: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/ .
And, please pray for those who are hungry, displaced, sick or in poverty because of these and other natural and human-made disasters, and for the workers who minister to them.
Photo: People with jerry cans and basins line up to receive water at one of the many water distribution points in Goma. Credit: Rainer Lang/ACT International, January 2002.
