December 21, 2004
Sudan: New E-Bulletin Insert Anticipates UMCOR Team Arrival
Working through ecumenical partners, UMCOR has already helped to provide displaced families from Darfur with blankets, seeds, and tools, as well as temporary schools for children. Soon United Methodist aid workers will be delivering direct services in South Darfur. The new programs will promote child protection, stable livelihoods for women, and safe returns to rebuilt villages. You can find a new electronic bulletin insert about UMCOR's plans for the Sudan on our web site. It's print friendly, ready for you to download and use locally. Please encourage your congregations to pray for the people of Darfur and to give generously to UMCOR Advance #184385, Sudan Emergency.
Uruguay: UMCOR Grant to Fund Medicines and Food
The Methodist Church in Uruguay is sending teams of volunteer doctors and technicians to one of the most impoverished and isolated areas in their nation. An UMCOR grant will provide medicines and emergency food as the teams begin to strengthen the medical system and implement feeding programs. Church officials report that 69% of the children in the Department of Artigas, near the Argentina and Brazil borders, live below the poverty line and that infant mortality there is the highest in the country. This ongoing health emergency is one of the many "unseen" disasters that don't receive major media attention. You can provide hope for the people of Artigas and others through your gift to UMCOR Advance #982450, International Disaster Response.
Grenada: UMCOR School Kits Shipped for New School Term
Several thousand school kits are on their way to children in Grenada thanks to generous volunteers who help to assemble these supplies. A few months ago, hurricanes leveled many Grenada schools. School kits are a fun way to experience hands-on mission. You can find out more online. Or donate $12 per kit to UMCOR Advance #901440, Material Resources Ministry, to assure a ready supply for the future.
One Great Hour of Sharing: Keep UMCOR's Lights On!
On behalf of The United Methodist Church, UMCOR brings relief when a catastrophe strikes. We rush to disaster areas all over the world with aid and-- along with food, clothing, shelter, and medical help-- we stay to assist survivors rebuild lives. From re-educating soldiers to feeding school children to establishing medical clinics in remote villages, we are hope for millions in nearly 100 of the poorest countries in the world.
Most contributions to UMCOR are designated for specific programs-- and those programs receive 100 percent of those gifts. So part of the One Great Hour of Sharing offering plus a small percentage of other general donations support UMCOR's administrative costs. Order your resources today! It's easy and fast on the web. When the offering plate comes your way on March 6, 2005, please give to the One Great Hour of Sharing. Thank you for your generosity!
Spirit of Christmas: Thanks for Giving!
During this season, we remember the life of the one who came to transform. With your generous gifts, you make transformation a real possibility for the millions of people who experience the work of UMCOR. Thank you for offering your gifts to those who are truly in need. May you experience the remarkable love and joy of the "real" Christmas. Merry Christmas from the 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.