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October 12, 2001
UMCOR continues to work with the New York Annual Conference and New York City churches to provide counseling services in response to the September 11 attacks. Listening posts, or drop-in counseling centers, have been established in 8 Manhattan churches and will be established throughout the five boroughs of New York City.
UMCOR is working with FEMA and local organizations to assist families of undocumented workers who lost their lives in the attacks. These survivors have limited access to resources.
Facilitators are being trained to lead workshops throughout the country for people working with children and youth in the wake of trauma. UMCOR is supporting a conference-wide healing event in the Baltimore/Washington Conference which will include workshops on caring ministries and trauma healing for children and youth. To find out about holding a workshop in your area on children and trauma, call the UMCOR Emergency Services Office at 202-548-4002.
UMCOR is working with our ecumenical partners to provide shelter materials for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The UMCOR staff in Tajikistan will be working with local partners to deliver badly needed winter humanitarian aid supplies to Afghan civilians displaced by the conflict. Just across the border from Tajikistan, there are thousands of displaced people living in makeshift huts or without any shelter at all.
To support these national and international efforts to respond to the events set in motion by the September 11 attacks, please give to UMCOR Advance #901125-3 "Love in the Midst of Tragedy."
The town of Cordell, Oklahoma experienced extensive tornado damage last Tuesday. Hundreds of homes were either destroyed or heavily damaged. Volunteers are needed and interested persons should call the Volunteer Line at (800) 918-3100. Your gifts to UMCOR's Domestic Disaster Response, Advance #901670 will help people recover.
Many people in Houston, Texas are still rebuilding and recovering from the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Allison earlier in the summer. Hurricanes Juliette and Iris have caused extensive damage in Mexico and Belize. UMCOR staff are in the process of assessing the needs. Please support Hurricanes 2001, Advance #982350.
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.)
UMCOR is providing emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about current UMCOR ministries, please visit the website: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/
Please pray for those who suffer from hunger, poverty, natural and human-made disasters.
Photos: 1. Drawing by a boy expressing his feelings about the firemen killed in the World Trade Center attack. It says, "Dear The fireman I am sorry That some of you died when you tride to resque The pepol that died when the twen towers claped Love Bryan". (Click for larger version.) 2. Children visit firemen in New York City after the World Trade Center collapse. (Click for larger version.) Credit: copyright © Diana Barnett, September 2001. Used by permission
