Telephone:1-800-841-1235
Web: http://gbgm-umc.org/UMCOR-Hotline/
May 31, 2002: United Nations agencies reported this week that at least 10 million people in southern African countries are threatened by famine and on the brink of starvation. Malawi and Zimbabwe have the highest numbers of people at risk. The famine has been caused by two years of poor harvests due to a variety of natural disasters, economic crises, and political mismanagement of grain supplies. UMCOR has sent grants to provide emergency food assistance in Malawi and Zimbabwe and will continue to respond to this crisis. The food shortages are expected to continue until the next major harvest in April of 2003. Please give generously to UMCOR's Africa Famine Relief, Advance #101250-4.
United Methodists in Oklahoma responded to the bridge accident by providing counseling and serving food to the workers responding to the disaster.
The flood recovery work in West Virginia is moving forward, but the response is very difficult because this is the third time in a row that many of the homes have been flooded. They cannot be repaired or rebuilt in the same way as before and alternative solutions are hard to come by. A team of UMCOR consultants are meeting with the Bishop and other conference leaders to plan for a long-term response. In Illinois, the southern half of the state has been declared a federal disaster area because of flooding and tornado damage. United Methodists are playing a lead role in the clean up efforts and are positioned to play a strong role in long-term recovery. The clean up from the tornadoes is done for the most part, but they are still waiting for the water to recede before they can do a full damage assessment and clean up from the flooding. Both volunteers and financial resources are needed to respond to the flooding and tornadoes that have struck so many areas of the United States this spring. For volunteer information, please call (800) 918-3100. Please give to UMCOR's Domestic Disaster Response, Advance #901670-1 to provide financial support for immediate and long-term rebuilding and recovery.
Hurricane season begins Saturday, June 1. There have already been disturbances in both the Atlantic and the Pacific, and the weather experts tell us that we should prepare for a significant hurricane season.
Gifts may be made through local United Methodist churches, or by calling 1-800-554-8583. Credit card donations are accepted. You can also make a a secure online gift at http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/ .
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.