UMCOR staff members estimate that at least $5 million will be needed from United Methodists to assist the people of North Carolina and other states recover from flooding caused by Hurricane Floyd. Heavy rain in North Carolina this week caused further flooding. Truckloads of cleaning supplies have been sent to affected conferences from the UMCOR Depot. In the Franklin, Virginia area, conference disaster response workers are planning for a two year recovery period, and are working to assess needs, organize volunteers, receive and distribute material resources and provide pastoral care. Similar work is happening throughout Eastern North Carolina, where more than 30,000 homes have been affected by flooding, and in New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware. UMCOR is also responding to the devastation caused by Floyd in the Bahamas. Please give generously to Hurricanes '99, Advance #982460-1.

    In Oklahoma and Kansas people are still struggling to recover from the tornadoes in May. Ten thousand homes received major damage or were completely destroyed. $1.75 million is currently needed for reconstruction. Volunteers are available but funds are urgently needed to purchase building materials. Please continue to support UMCOR's Spring Storms '99, #901415-4.

    Due to Hurricane Floyd, the UMCOR Sager-Brown Depot in Louisiana is completely out of cleaning supplies. Please help re-stock the shelves. Flood bucket kits, individual cleaning agents, brooms, mops, sponges, and buckets are needed. Please do not send bleach. Call the Depot at (800) 814-8765 for more information.

    At the request of the Methodist Church in Taiwan, an UMCOR team is in Taiwan to help assess damage and develop recovery plans. Please give to UMCOR Advance #201325-3 "Taiwan Earthquake." To support ongoing earthquake recovery efforts in Turkey, give to Advance #675205-6.

    UMCOR is responding to the crisis in East and West Timor through ACT (Action by Churches Together). ACT partners in the area are providing basic relief items and helping refugees find safe housing. ACT is making preparations for a large-scale response in the coming weeks. Please give to UMCOR's International Disaster Response #982450-1. Designate your gift "East and West Timor."

Gifts may be made through local United Methodist Churches, or by calling (800) 554-8583. Credit card donations are accepted at that number. Volunteers may call (800) 918-3100.

    Please pray for all who have suffered from these natural and human-made disasters in so many parts of the world.

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