The UMCOR Hotline

November 8, 2005

In Today's Hotline:
Midwest Tornado: Picking up the Pieces
Pakistan/Kashmir: Relief Efforts Continue
Central America: Helping the Most Vulnerable
World AIDS Day is December 1, 2005
New Resource: UMCOR Christmas Wish List

MIDWEST TORNADO: PICKING UP THE PIECES

Around 2 a.m. Sunday morning a destructive tornado touched down in Kentucky and then moved across the Ohio River into Indiana. The warning sirens failed to wake many residents, contributing to number of people killed and injured by this twister.

UMCOR Disaster Response Coordinators as well as personnel from South Indiana and Kentucky conferences toured damaged areas on Monday. Charlie Douglas, Disaster Response Coordinator for Kentucky, reported that more than 150 homes in Munfordville, KY, were either completely destroyed or seriously damaged. Additionally, most downtown businesses were wiped out by the tornado.

Volunteers will be needed to help with cleanup and repairs. Call the volunteer hotline for more information: 1-800-918-3100. Your generous gifts to UMCOR Advance #901670, Domestic Disaster Response, allow UMCOR to respond quickly and effectively to devastating tornados and other disasters within our borders.

PAKISTAN/KASHMIR: RELIEF EFFORTS CONTINUE

The rush to provide relief to earthquake-affected areas in South Asia continues. UMCOR Partners such as Church World Service, International Blue Crescent, Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action, and others are working to provide relief in the form of shelter, food, and medical care.

The latest reports estimate that more than 73,000 people in Pakistan and about 1,300 in India were killed in the quake. Additionally, more than a half million people remain without shelter as the bitter winter approaches. Please keep hope alive by giving generously to UMCOR Advance #232000, Pakistan/Kashmir Earthquake. You can also give by credit card online at www.methodistrelief.org.

CENTRAL AMERICA: HELPING THE MOST VULNERABLE

Mudslides spawned by the unrelenting rains from a string of hurricanes and tropical storms have stripped the area’s most vulnerable people of their land, crops, livestock, and homes. UMCOR is working with partner organizations to provide immediate assistance and long-term relief.

Give generously to UMCOR Advance #501300, Central American Emergency, to help Central America’s most vulnerable people recover from the loss of home and property. You can also give by credit card online at www.methodistrelief.org.

WORLD AIDS DAY IS DECEMBER 1, 2005

A wealth of materials is now available on the UMCOR website to help you and your community observe World AIDS Day. The theme for this year is “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.” Learn more about how United Methodists are working to keep the promise to stop AIDS through a wealth of programs. Keep checking the site as it will continue to be updated as more resources become available. You can visit UMCOR’s World AIDS Day webpage here.

NEW RESOURCE: UMCOR CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

Share Christmas with the world. Use this list as guide for giving this Christmas season. This list gives some of UMCOR’s priority projects and examples of how your gift can help another person, family, or entire community. Click here to learn more about UMCOR’s Christmas Wish List and how you can promote it in your church and community.

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.