April 17, 1998

Thank you for calling the United Methodist Committee on Relief Hotline, Friday, April 17, 1998.

UMCOR staff members are in communication with the Tennessee Annual Conference following last night's tornadoes. They are still in the early stages of assessing the damage. UMCOR staff and disaster consultants have been in Georgia and Alabama this week to help coordinate relief efforts following last week s tornadoes. UMCOR is working with the churches in Georgia to develop ministries with children who have been through a disaster. Volunteer teams from within Alabama have been helping to clean-up debris. At this stage there is no overnight housing for volunteers so they must live within a day's drive of the disaster area. To find out more about volunteering, call (800) 918-3100. Clean-up and rebuilding supplies are needed at the UMCOR Depot in Louisiana. These material resources will be distributed to the disaster areas as they request them. For a list of materials, call the Depot at (800) 814-8765.

The most effective way to join in relief and recovery efforts at this point is through financial gifts. The cost of meeting immediate needs, cleaning up debris and rebuilding will be extensive. Please give generously to UMCOR's Domestic Disaster Response, #901670. Your gifts will be used where they are most needed, or you may designate them for a specific conference.

Please remember the day of fasting, prayer and action on behalf of people suffering from famine in North Korea, April 24-25. For more information, call UMCOR at (800) 554-8583.

Please pray for the victims of these storms and others who suffer from disaster, war and hunger.