The UMCOR Hotline

August 31, 2004

September 1 Update: UMCOR's Preparation for Hurricane Frances.

Georgia: Kits for Internally Displaced Mothers and Children
Residents of South Ossetia, described in the Western media as a "break-away province" in the republic of Georgia, are fleeing unstable conditions for Tbilisi and Kutaisi. UMCOR is responding to the needs of these newly displaced persons-- mostly women and children-- with 15,000 health kits and 5,000 school kits. In addition ten pallets of soap, donated by a generous manufacturer, will be in the forty-foot container, valued at $241,000. You can help underwrite UMCOR's continuing ministries of peace-building and conflict resolution in Georgia with your donation to Advance #250305, Georgia Emergency.

USA and Caribbean: UMCOR Acts in Vulnerable Communities
UMCOR volunteers are seeking out vulnerable populations in southwest Florida, such as farm workers, whose livelihoods were lost as Hurricane Charley leveled the citrus crops in its path. Orchards are littered with green citrus the size of plums. Also, since the hurricane destroyed large areas of rental housing, many farm workers are living out in the open. In Cuba, Hurricane Charley has been nicknamed the "lumberjack" storm because it uprooted or snapped off more than 8,000 trees in Havana.

In areas of the Carolinas and Virginia, Tropical Storm Gaston soaked dozens of roads, killing several people. Unfortunately, Hurricane Frances may follow. The more dangerous storm, with winds at 125 mph that may increase, threatens to graze Puerto Rico and plow into the Bahamas before striking the coast of the United States.

UMCOR continues its urgent call for cleaning supplies to replenish depleted stocks. Donors can locate a list of specific items and shipping instructions online. UMCOR is urging volunteers to confirm that there is a job site to go to before setting out. The toll-free volunteer hotline 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. Please donate generously to UMCOR Advance #982410, Hurricanes 2004, and pray for the hurricane survivors in all the affected areas.

Sudan: Humanitarian Crisis Worsens
People fleeing violence in Darfur are living under fragile conditions all over the vast countryside, according to UN reports. Anti-rebel militias, accused of following scorched-earth policies, have driven over a million from their homes. UMCOR, working in concert with an international coalition of faith-based organizations, Action by Churches Together, is providing emergency food, plastic sheeting, tools, and seeds to Sudanese refugees in Chad. ACT is also furnishing educational materials for the most vulnerable children. Please help with your generous gifts to UMCOR Advance #184385, Sudan Emergency.

Armenia: Self-Reliance Is UMCOR's Best 10th Anniversary Gift
What began as an UMCOR project to supply Armenians with critical prescription drugs has grown into a multi-faceted program celebrating its tenth year this fall. Thousands of beneficiaries in the former Soviet republic enjoy upgraded health, improved standards of living, and self-reliance as a result. But much remains to be done. UMCOR's newest initiatives in Armenia take aim at human trafficking-- a modern form of slavery, usually snaring women and children for commercial sexual exploitation. Your gift can help in a meaningful way. Please donate to UMCOR Advance #250225, Armenia Emergency.

Liberia: Urgent Need for Health Kits, School Kits at UMCOR-Managed Camp
Demand is exceeding supplies of health kits and school kits at Soul Clinic Camp near Monrovia, Liberia. Some of the 23,000 displaced people who occupy the camp, managed by UMCOR, have been refugees or internally displaced since 1993. There are three ways to help. Assembling kits-- or, if you prefer, purchasing bulk supplies-- is a great mission project for a church school class or congregation. UMCOR also welcomes your gifts of cash to Advance #901440, Material Resource Ministry, to enable the purchase of kit supplies by UMCOR staff.

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.

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Featured Photos
United Methodist Committee on Relief

ARCADIA, FLORIDA: Mobile home parks received the brunt of damage from Hurricane Charley. A number of trailers were completely destroyed. Many of them were rented by migrant workers, who are left with little or no belongings. Credit: Tom Hazelwood/UMCOR, August 2004

ARCADIA, FLORIDA: Three children of migrant farm workers stand outside their home in southwest Florida. UMCOR volunteers are seeking out vulnerable populations whose livelihoods were lost as Hurricane Charley leveled the citrus crops in its path. Credit: Tom Hazelwood/UMCOR, August 2004

See more UMCOR photos of the aftermath of Hurricane Charley.

More Information About UMCOR's Work

• Church Bulletin Insert: Hurricanes 2004.
• Hurricanes 2004: UMCOR's Response.
• Liberia Emergency: UMCOR's Response.
• Iraq Emergency: UMCOR's Response.
• Sudan Emergency: UMCOR's Response.
• Sudan Relief and Development Supplies Cost List.
• UMCOR Emergency Kits: Health kits, school kits, flood buckets, and more.
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