UMCOR Calls Cash Donations Most Effective Compassion in Wake of Disaster

by Linda Beher

Posted: December 31, 2004    Print-friendly

Should you listen to that strong impulse to send canned food, clothing, and other material goods to South Asia?

UMCOR agrees with other humanitarian agencies that cash donations are the best way to show compassion in the wake of an international tragedy. Although many people share the impulse to give "things," giving money is often the most efficient and expedient means to help.

This is what UMCOR recommends for collection of items and shipments overseas. "In the humanitarian world we talk about the disaster after the disaster," said the Rev. Kristin L. Sachen, head of UMCOR's International Disaster Response-- in other words, the shipping containers full of used items that have no practical use in the country or no designated recipients. These goods can swamp the local economy in a disaster-stricken region. "Relief agencies have to spend precious dollars to warehouse goods and hire personnel to manage the stuff," Rev. Sachen pointed out. Recent press reports cite the numbers of ports in the 600-mile swath of affected nations that are clogged with ships delivering piecemeal goods instead of being open for vital shipments of water, food, and medicine.

UMCOR's rule of thumb is, unless someone overseas has requested the specific items to be shipped, people should reconsider their impulse to give goods. But compassionate people do have options, Rev. Sachen said. "First, people can contribute kits to UMCOR-- health kits, school kits, layette kits and sewing kits," she said. "These are of uniform makeup, quality-controlled at the UMCOR Sager Brown depot by volunteers, and are the items we have learned are most useful under disaster situations cross-culturally," she explained.

Cash gifts will help UMCOR continue to support local Christian relief agencies in the disaster area that are known and trusted. "They are the agencies to which the local Methodists belong," she said. "In India and Sri Lanka they are providing saris and dhotas-- terms for culturally appropriate clothing-- lentils and oil, household utensils, plastic sheeting, and blankets to over 50,000 families."

How to Get Involved

"We appreciate so much the support of United Methodist Congregations who hear God's call to respond," says the Rev. Kristin L. Sachen, head of UMCOR's international disaster response. How about creative local fundraising? For instance: Hold a yard sale of donated items with the profits going to UMCOR for this project. Have a mission dinner and collect items for kits. Hold a talent show and sell tickets, have a car wash, have South and South/east Asia night with a local representative sharing the culture and receive a free will offering.

Please give to Advance #274305 and designate "South Asia Emergency" on the memo line of your check written to UMCOR. Give through your local United Methodist church or mail contributions to: UMCOR, 475 Riverside Dr., Room 330, New York, NY 10115. Call 1-800-554-8583 to make a credit card donation.

One hundred percent of every donation to this appeal goes to support relief and recovery efforts in the disaster-stricken regions. UMCOR also needs donations of health kits, school kits, and Medicine Boxes for this response.

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Linda Beher is communications director for the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

An Indian woman feeds her child at a relief camp in the southern Indian city of Madras after the area was hit by a tsunami on Sunday, December 26, 2004. Rescuers scoured coastlines around the Indian Ocean on Wednesday for survivors of Sunday's giant waves that killed tens of thousands. The United Nations has mobilised what it called the biggest relief operation in its history. REUTERS/Babu, courtesy www.alertnet.org, December 29, 2004.

UMCOR's Seven "Must-Answer" Questions for Collections of Goods

Before churches and individuals begin a collection of goods, UMCOR advises asking the following questions. If your answer to any one of them is no-- consider an alternative compassionate response.

   1. Has someone overseas asked you for these specific items?
   2. Is that person capable or receiving and distributing the items in a fair manner to the most deserving?
   3. Do you trust the person not to sell them for their own profit?
   4. Does the person have the financial capacity to pay customs, taxes, and costs associated with trucking the items?
   5. Can you guarantee that the items you send will be clean, new, and items that you would not be embarrassed or angry to receive yourself?
   6. Will you pack the items in uniform-size boxes, clearly labeled with amount and worth of the contents?
   7. Do you have the money to ship the items?