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March 2, 2001
Relief work continues in the wake of the earthquakes in El Salvador and India. UMCOR partners in both countries continue to distribute relief supplies and assess the damage and needs. In addition, both CASA (Church's Auxiliary for Social Action) in India and the Methodist Church in El Salvador are developing long-term plans to rebuild homes that were destroyed. Your gifts are urgently needed to help people recover from these devastating earthquakes. For India, please give to "South Asia Earthquake" Advance #274305; for El Salvador, give to "El Salvador Earthquake" Advance #511447.
Teams of local volunteers are working to clear debris following the tornado and other severe storms in Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed or heavily damaged by storms in these three states. The UMCOR Depot sent a shipment of personal hygiene, baby and household supplies to Mississippi. UMCOR consultants and annual conference disaster response workers are helping to establish interfaith community groups to implement long-term recovery and rebuilding work. Your gifts to UMCOR's Domestic Disaster Response, Advance #901670 will help people rebuild and repair their homes. You may also give to this Advance to help people repair homes that were damaged in the Washington state earthquake.
People in Afghanistan are suffering from extreme cold and famine which is exacerbated by continuing war. Tens of thousands have been displaced by war or by lack of food in their own communities. They are migrating to camps that can offer very little relief, and many people, most of them children and elderly persons, have died of exposure on the way or after they arrive in the camps. UMCOR is working through ACT (Action by Churches Together) to provide relief. Please join in these relief efforts by giving to UMCOR's International Disaster Response, Advance #982450. Designate your gift "Afghanistan Relief."
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 remember that the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering is March 25. UMCOR depends on this offering to undergird its entire ministry. To order offering resources, call 888-862-3242.
UMCOR is providing emergency relief in many countries at this moment. Please pray for those who suffer from hunger, poverty, natural and human-made disasters in Afghanistan, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Kosovo, Mozambique, Malawi, Serbia, Sudan and the United States.
Photo: A man in Matazano, a remote village in Sonsonate, works on a temporary shelter to replace his family's home that was destroyed in the January 13 quake in El Salvador. Paul Jeffrey / ACT
