Dec. 22, 1997

Flooded Upper Midwest communities need long-term assistance

By Linda Bloom

NOTE: This story is part of a series of stories about relief efforts in the flood-ravaged Upper Midwest. Photographs are here.

For the water-soaked residents of the Upper Midwest, nothing has warmed the spirit as much as the generosity of strangers.

Robert Boyd, a member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Grand Forks, N.D., and dean of outreach programs at the University of North Dakota, called relief efforts there "a wonderful outpouring of unselfish caring" from across the nation.

"There are many who are saying we should be called `the American City' because America helped us get back up on our feet," he said.

But the need for help continues. The denomination has just finished its rehabilitation work for the 1993 floods in Iowa and is projecting a similar long haul for recovery in the Dakotas and Minnesota, said Gordon Knuckey of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).

"The church needs to remain concerned," he declared. "It always takes money and it takes volunteers."

The Dakotas and Minnesota combined have 610 United Methodist churches and 156,000 members.

The Rev. Duane Gebhard, Northwest district superintendent in Minnesota, considers the period leading up to the autumn freeze in 1998 to be crucial.

"We have seen that our real challenge is in the next 10 months... to really make a significant difference in the lives of most of these people," he explained.

"We're going to need hundreds of work teams through next spring and next summer."

Monetary donations to assist that work are being collected through the United Methodist Bishops' Appeal for Spring Storms and Floods, UMCOR Advance #901680-3. Donations can be made through local churches or directly to UMCOR at 475 Riverside Drive, Room 330, New York, N.Y. 10115. As of early December, more than $1.5 million had been received.

Source: United Methodist News Service.