March 20, 1998

Remember that the One Great Hour of Sharing offering will be taken by local churches this Sunday, March 22. This offering provides important basic support for the work of UMCOR.

Local churches, districts, and conferences continue to respond to the devastation caused by tornadoes, storms and flooding throughout the Southeast. Clean-up is underway following the flooding in Elba, Alabama, and 53 counties in Southern Georgia have been declared a Federal Disaster Area because of flooding. United Methodists are well organized with a flood relief center in Albany and disaster coordinators in each of the affected districts. UMCOR staff and consultants are also working with the Alabama/West Florida Conference to monitor and respond to flooding in the panhandle of Florida.

In Osceola County, Florida, where the tornadoes struck, United Methodists are leading the recovery efforts. A warehouse is serving as a distribution site, and volunteers have been trained to do casework and provide pastoral care. Rebuilding and construction volunteers will be needed soon.

This weather pattern established by El Niño has created a conveyor belt of storms that began last December and will continue for several months to come. Your financial gifts are critically needed for this long-term response. Please give generously to UMCOR's El Niño Response, Advance #982328-6. The UMCOR Depot's flood relief supplies have been depleted. Please call the Depot at (800) 814-8765 for a list of needed supplies. These resources will be used throughout the disaster areas. Volunteers may call the volunteer line at (800) 918-3100.

Please pray for those who are affected by these El Niño driven disasters both within the United States and throughout the world.

UMCOR Hotline:
Phone: 1-800-841-1235
Web: http://gbgm-umc.org/UMCOR-Hotline/
E-mail: umcor@gbgm-umc.org