At the request of the Southwest Texas Conference, UMCOR has sent an emergency grant of $100,000 to assist victims of flooding in ten communities. Three rivers and three creeks have flooded an area that spans four districts. Two members of UMCOR's Catastrophic Disaster Response Team have been deployed to the area and a truckload of flood buckets and other cleaning supplies has been sent from the UMCOR Depot. You can join in this response by giving to UMCOR's Advance #901315-0, "Texas Floods."

UMCOR continues to work with the conferences in the Gulf-coast states affected by Hurricane Georges. There is an urgent need for food in the Florida Keys. People wishing to donate food must be able to transport it to Florida or pay to have it shipped. Call Bill Rhan at 800/297-4233 before sending or bringing food. Volunteers are urgently needed in all of the affected areas for clean-up and debris removal. Call the UMCOR volunteer line at 800/918-3100. For instructions on assembling flood buckets, call the UMCOR Depot at 800/814-8765 or click here.

An UMCOR disaster consultant is currently in the Caribbean to assist with damage assessment and recovery plans in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis. The team will also travel to Montserrat as part of UMCOR's continuing response to the volcano eruption. UMCOR is working to meet the critical need for food in the Dominican Republic where the hurricane destroyed crops. Your financial gifts allow UMCOR to buy and ship bulk quantities of food. To assist with relief efforts in the Gulf states and the Caribbean, please give generously to the Churchwide Appeal for Hurricanes '98, UMCOR Advance #982515-0.

At the board meeting this past week, the directors of the General Board of Global Ministries gave an offering of more than $1800 for the Medicine Box program. They also pledge to contribute 354 medicine boxes. To find out about the Medicine Box program call 800/554-8583 or visit its website.

Thanks to a year-long grassroots effort by Bread for the World members, both the House and Senate approved by unanimous consent the Africa: Seeds of Hope Act. This bill "will refocus U.S. aid to Africa more effectively to fight hunger and poverty." To find out how you can be a part of Bread for the World, call UMCOR at 800-554-8583.

Please pray for those who suffer from the hunger, poverty, disasters and war.

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