| UMCOR Hotline Archives 1998- | UMCOR Hotline Free Email Edition |January 31, 2001
UMCOR is responding to the earthquake in India and Pakistan through our ecumenical partners ACT (Action by Churches Together, the relief and development arm of the World Council of Churches) and CASA (Church's Auxiliary for Social Action) in India. Relief and assessment teams have been sent to the affected areas and are distributing food and non-food relief items. Plans are underway to send dry food, water, blankets, utensils and shelter materials to more than 35,000 people. To join in relief efforts and support long-term rebuilding and recovery efforts, please give to UMCOR's "South Asia Earthquake" Advance #274305.
A disaster response team from UMCOR and the Methodist Church in Puerto Rico is currently in El Salvador, working with the Methodist Church of El Salvador to continue to provide immediate assistance in the wake of the earthquake and to develop recovery and rebuilding plans in conjunction with ACT. UMCOR has provided disaster response training for church leaders in El Salvador. There is a very strong group of young adults in the church who will be trained to conduct assessments. At this point UMCOR anticipates that housing will be a long-term need in the wake of this disaster, and in the coming months volunteers will be needed for rebuilding work. Call the Volunteer Line at (800) 918-3100 to register your interest. Please give to UMCOR Advance #511447 "El Salvador Earthquake."
Thank you for your generous response to UMCOR's Christmas appeal for health kits and other material resources. The UMCOR Depot has received thousands of kits over the last few weeks. However, many of these kits are missing certain items, or include inappropriate items. UMCOR must buy supplies in bulk to complete these kits, and your gifts to the Material Resource Ministry Advance, #901440-5 will enable UMCOR to purchase these items. All the kits currently on hand will be shipped to their designated recipients in the next couple of weeks. We anticipate that there will be a need for health kits in El Salvador, and need to restock the Depot. For information on assembling and shipping kits, please call the Depot at (800) 814-8765 or visit the UMCOR website: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/kits.html.
Gifts may be made through local United Methodist churches, or by calling 1-800-554-8583. Credit card donations are accepted. (Read more about how you can help UMCOR's emergency responses.)
Please pray for those whose who have lost loved ones, homes and belongings in this disaster.