December 6, 2002: Today more than one million people are without electricity in North Carolina. UMCOR Disaster Response staff anticipate requests for response to this and other areas hard hit by yesterday's snow storms in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states. You can help by giving to the Domestic Disaster Response, Advance # 901670-1.
In addition to the food crises in southern Africa and Ethiopia, Kenya needs food aid for arid areas in its northern region. Nearly 250,000 people in West Pokot and Turkana are threatened with severe hunger. Please reach out by giving to UMCOR 's Advance #101250-4. You may specify Kenya, Ethiopia, or the Church Wide Appeal for Southern Africa Famine.
On behalf of United Methodists, UMCOR assists people in dire need around the world. Yet, even as requests for help grow, contributions to UMCOR's International Disaster Response have dropped off. Your contributions allow UMCOR to respond not only to highly-publicized emergencies but also to less-publicized disasters. Before the end of this year, please make a special effort to contribute to Advance #982450-8.
Response continues to the November storms that hit in parts of the Midwest and the Southeast. Recovery continues as well in Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Today the Holston Conference in eastern Tennessee is receiving case management training from UMCOR staffer, Nina Martin. UMCOR anticipates making a sizeable grant soon for the recovery process in Louisiana.
UMCOR has recently sent an additional $100,000 grant to the Southwest Texas Conference in response to a series of overlapping disasters. All this is in response to torrential rains last July followed by Tropical Storm Faye in September, three tornados across Corpus Christi on October 24, and heavy rains from Hurricane Kenna on October 26. To respond to any or all of these situations in the United States, please give to UMCOR's Domestic Disaster Response Advance #901670-1.
During this holy Advent season, why not send Christmas gifts to those in need by contributing to UMCOR Advance programs such as the ones mentioned in this hotline? UMCOR also has a "Wish List" on its "Whose Birthday Is It Anyway?" website at http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/whose.stm. There you will also find information about UMCOR Christmas cards. Proceeds from the sales will support UMCOR ministries around the world. Or why not help UMCOR Sager-Brown replenish its supply of emergency kits, or send bulk commodities for the kits? Both completed kits and items donated in quantity can be used. Kit information and card orders can be obtained by calling 1-800-554-8583. Or visit the web site: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/kits.cfm.
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/ .
During this holiday time, as you give thanks to God for the blessings of the past year, please pray for those who suffer from hunger, poverty, natural and human-made disasters.
