August 24, 2004
USA and Caribbean: Response to Hurricane Charley Focuses on Vulnerable Populations
UMCOR workers accompanied Florida Annual Conference disaster coordinators last week to offer comfort and assess Hurricane Charley's devastation in debris-strewn Arcadia and Punta Gorda. In the words of one official, "Hardly a square inch of ground is left uncovered." Tangled concrete, rolled-over mobile homes, twisted metal, glass, uprooted and broken trees, splintered roofs and walls are the measure of damage estimated by FEMA to affect nearly 72,000 commercial and public buildings and 140,000 homes. By Friday August 20, UMCOR had assisted in deploying dozens of cleanup teams to seek out the elderly, disabled, and other vulnerable populations for their initial efforts. United Methodists in some of the hardest-hit areas are performing acts of service and ministry to their communities. Trinity United Methodist Church, for example, works closely with migrant farm workers in the area.
Hurricane Charley thrashed Havana, Cuba, and several outlying areas before it reached Florida. Havana residents have been coping with electrical power outages and severe damage to homes and churches, according to correspondence from the office of Bishop Ricardo Pereira of The Methodist Church in Cuba. His office is organizing food distribution to families who have sought shelter in temporary emergency shelters. The military has been clearing roads of downed trees and working to restore electrical service.
The hurricane and its twin storm, Bonnie, spawned tornadoes and heavy rains in coastal areas of North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland as they steamed up the eastern seaboard.
UMCOR has put out an urgent call for flood cleanup supplies to replenish the thousands of flood buckets sent to Florida. Donors can get an online list of supplies and instructions for shipping. The agency is urging volunteers to confirm that there is a job site to go to before setting out. The toll-free volunteer line is 1-800-918-3100. A special worship resource, "Hurricanes 2004," is available to download and print locally. Gifts of money are especially needed in these early phases of recovery. Your gifts pay for specially trained disaster workers from UMCOR's network to locate as many survivors as possible and talk with them one-on-one about their FEMA rights and their other needs; to develop a long-term plan with each one; to comfort those who are afraid, worried, or just having a hard time coping. Donations also provide direct assistance to survivors-- rent payments, doctor bills, money for replacement clothing, and other expenses. As rebuilding begins, your gifts will be used to buy things like tools, building supplies, roofing, flooring, and other needs to restore a family's home. Please pray for storm survivors in all locations, and give generously to UMCOR Advance #982410, Hurricanes 2004.
Southeast Asia and Pacific: Violent Weather Adds to Burden of Homeless and Ill
Already living on the edge, millions among the most vulnerable populations in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal are suffering even more during the worst monsoon season in years. UMCOR is responding through its partners in these regions, delivering plastic sheeting, emergency food, and medical assistance. Typhoons threaten other areas-- South Korea and the Mariana Islands. Your gift to UMCOR Advance #982450, International Disaster Response, assures that UMCOR will have resources to assist with recovery.
Burundi: Local United Methodists Support Vital Health Services
The United Methodist Church in Rutan Province, Burundi, has mobilized the community to contribute to the rehabilitation of Kayero Hospital so that families in the region can receive upgraded health services. UMCOR's partner Action by Churches Together is coordinating the funding. Civil war interrupted Kayero construction in 1993, and fighters looted pipes, electric cables, doors, windows, and other building materials. UMCOR is currently contributing to operation of the adjacent health center, replacing worn out equipment as funds become available. A generous gift to accelerate equipment purchase will also assist with hospital rehabilitation through UMCOR Advance #110265, Burundi Emergency.
UMCOR provides emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about UMCOR's ministries, please visit umcor.org. You can donate to any project by placing a contribution in the offering plate at a local United Methodist church; by sending a check to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068; or by calling 1-800-554-8583, where credit card donations are accepted. UMCOR is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and qualifies for the maximum charitable contribution deduction by donors.
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.