The UMCOR Hotline

August 16, 2005

In Today's Hotline:
Africa: All Africa Famine Relief
Mexico: Health Kits Help
India: Helping the Most Vulnerable
Armenia: Brave Heart is Healthy

AFRICA: ALL AFRICA FAMINE RELIEF
As news of famine in Niger continues to grab world headlines, the numbers of starving people throughout the African continent continues to grow. According to the Famine Early Warning network and USAID, seven countries in Africa are facing severe food shortages: Niger, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Zimbabwe.

UMCOR is working to relieve suffering in several of these areas either directly or through partner agencies such as ACT International. UMCOR is providing immediate relief by supporting feeding centers and is looking to prevent future food shortages through long-term solutions. Your gifts to UMCOR Advance #101250, All Africa Drought and Famine Relief will support this important work of providing food for the hungry.

MEXICO: HEALTH KITS HELP
Hurricane Emily wreaked havoc on villages in northern Mexico late last month. People in small towns and with few resources lost their homes, livelihoods and property in the storm. The McAllen District in southern Texas is organizing United Methodists to bring relief to Carboneras, a particularly hard-hit fishing village in Mexico. UMCOR assisted their efforts by providing health kits that were sent by UMCOR Sager Brown and distributed to residents in Carboneras and another town.

Health kits are in high demand this year. They help people who have lost their homes and possessions to keep themselves clean and healthy. You can help UMCOR meet the many requests for this helpful item and other material resources by giving to UMCOR Advance #901440, Material Resources. To learn more about how you can make and send health kits go to the UMCOR website.

INDIA: HELPING THE MOST VULNERABLE
UMCOR and Churches Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) are partnering to deliver aid to the thousands of people affected by the unprecedented floods in Mumbai and surrounding areas of western India. Mumbai is one of India's cosmopolitan cities where the country's financial and movie industries are located.

The 37 inches of rain that fell in 24 hours caused massive flooding that took nearly a thousand lives and wiped out the livelihoods and homes of many more people. Roughly 10,000 homes have collapsed in the affected districts. Through this partnership food, potable water, clothing, and other necessary items are being delivered to the most vulnerable people.

Your prayers and gifts to UMCOR Advance #982450, International Disaster Response, India Floods, will assist in a meaningful way.

ARMENIA: BRAVE HEART IS HEALTHY
Today Qajik (meaning "Brave Heart") is running and playing with his friends in his village in Armenia. He was not always that way. When he was just over a year old, Qajik was not developing at the same rate as the other children. His family had to borrow money to bring him to a pediatrician. The doctor said that Qajik had a severe vitamin deficiency and needed a special diet and multivitamins without knowing that this was financially out of reach for them.

When they returned brokenhearted to the village they learned about a local health post that could provide Qajik with the vitamins he needs at no cost. Because of UMCOR's support, this health center carries vitamins and medicines that can be supplied at low or no cost to its patients. Thanks to the multivitamins he received from UMCOR, Qajik is now able to run and play with his friends and is living a normal life.

Your gifts to UMCOR Advance #250225, Armenia Emergency, support UMCOR's important work there.

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.