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Click here for "Some Thoughts on Giving: Christmas 2001"
December 21, 2001: In Sierra Leone, efforts are underway to resettle those who were displaced, to rebuild homes and community buildings, and to re-establish the activities of daily life that were disrupted by years of war. UMCOR, the United Methodist Church in Sierra Leone, and the British-associated Methodist Church of Sierra Leone are working together to rebuild homes and schools; to provide adequate water and sanitation facilities; to provide vocational training for youth, especially those who were conscripted to be child soldiers; to foster peace and reconciliation initiatives; and to provide livestock, seeds, and tools. Please join in this recovery work by giving to Sierra Leone Emergency Relief, Advance #181205-1.
UMCOR and its ecumenical partners are in the midst of obtaining shelter kits for people in the Taloqan region of Afghanistan. Each kit consists of a large winterized tent, winter blankets, a large floor covering, pillows, and sleeping pads. The kits were quickly manufactured to order in Pakistan and are enroute to Tajikistan. Though transportation is extremely difficult, UMCOR staff expect that more than 2000 kits will be delivered to Afghanistan by early January. Those who will receive the kits are either displaced by the war and cannot return home or have returned home, only to find their houses destroyed. Household and hygiene kits will be distributed with the shelter kits. Your gifts to Love in the Midst of Tragedy, Advance #901125-3 make this work possible. Funds from this Advance are also being used to assist with recovery from the September 11 tragedies in the United States. The Board of Directors has just approved two 1 million dollar grants from this fund: one will be used to provide ongoing and long-term counseling, another will support recovery initiatives of local United Methodist Churches in the New York Annual Conference.
A red tide in the Appalachicola area of Florida has affected those who depend on shrimping and fishing for their income. UMCOR has responded to a request from the Alabama/West Florida conference with a grant that will provide assistance with food and housing. Clean-up and rebuilding work continue in many areas of the South following recent tornadoes and flooding. Please support these relief efforts by giving to Domestic Disaster Response, Advance #901670.
Volunteers are urgently needed in Houston, Texas and in North Carolina where the rebuilding from Hurricane Floyd continues. Please call the Volunteer Line at (800) 918-3100.
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 and continues to respond to the tragedies of September 11 and their aftermath in the US and internationally. To find out more about current UMCOR ministries, please visit the website: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor.
We wish you a joyous, peaceful Christmas. As we celebrate the birth of Christ, please hold in your hearts and prayers those who continue to suffer from hunger, poverty, and disaster.
