The El Niño weather pattern continues to produce devastating storms across the United States and in many other countries. Local United Methodist Churches, district and conference coordinators are working to help victims of the tornadoes in Florida, floods and mudslides in California and floods in southern Texas. Many experts attribute the severity of the Northeast ice storm in January to El Niño as well.
UMCOR staff members and consultants are currently on site in Florida, helping the conference to develop both immediate and long-term relief and recovery efforts. Your gifts to UMCOR's Domestic Disaster Response, #901670 are critically needed. The recovery from El Niño driven storms will take many months and be very costly.
UMCOR has also sent grants to assist with relief efforts in Ecuador, Peru, and Indonesia. El Niño is causing torrential rains, flooding and landslides in many of these areas, and drought in others. The lack of rain in Indonesia is contributing to the raging fires in the rainforests. Earlier, El Niño contributed to the devastating hurricanes and typhoons in Mexico and the Pacific. You may join in these relief efforts by giving to UMCOR's International Disaster Response #982450, or Hurricanes 97, #982515-0.
Opportunities for volunteers include: flood recovery efforts in the Upper Midwest, housing construction in Montserrat, cleanup from the Northeast ice storm, and, in the coming months, volunteers will be needed in Florida. Please call the Volunteer Line at (800) 918-3100 to register your interest.
Please remember those affected by these disasters in your prayers.
UMCOR Hotline:
Phone: 1-800-841-1235
Web: http://gbgm-umc.org/UMCOR-Hotline/
E-mail:
umcor@gbgm-umc.org
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