  |
|
Hurricane recovery in LouisianaNEW YORK, October 6, 2005- Hurricane recovery in Louisiana is slow, but steady. Having been struck by two major hurricanes in the span of one month, people throughout state are engaged in recovery and relief work. The diaspora created by hurricane Katrina alone has left no US state untouched. Persons in need of a new or temporary home are seeking shelter in every state. According to the New York Times 46 percent of those displaced by Katrina are within 100 miles of New Orleans itself, requiring local communities to stretch their facilities and resources to accommodate the influx in population. UMCOR is providing support to United Methodist Annual Conferences and National Mission Institutions to assist them in these efforts. While towns throughout Louisiana are no strangers to hosting evacuees in the wake of a hurricane, the large numbers of displaced people and the length of time they will need shelter is unprecedented. In a recent tour of Northern Louisiana, UMCOR Consultant saw United Methodists rolling up their sleeves and helping out wherever and however possible. Churches have “risen to the occasion,” said Christy. “Each has found a unique niche,” to respond to the needs of their guests. United Methodist institutions are also providing homes for the homeless. The Louisiana United Methodist Children’s Home in Ruston is making room for 37 children and 12 staff members from the Methodist Home for Children in New Orleans. They evacuated to Ruston the day before Katrina hit, thinking it would only be a few days. Now, the Louisiana United Methodist Children’s Home is renovating additional space for the children to live there for the anticipated six months to a year it will take for them to return to New Orleans. UMCOR provided a grant to both institutions to assist them in meeting the day-to-day needs for the children in their care. |
 Residents at the Louisiana Methodist Children's home in Ruston learn computer skills. The home, in the northern part of the state, has received evacuees from the Methodist Home for Children in New Orleans. Photo courtesy of Louisiana Now! How You Can HelpGive: Your generous gift to UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005 will help those affected by this year’s hurricanes. If you would like your donation to go to those affected by a specific hurricane or a specific region, please note that in the memo line of your check. You can give online, at your church, over the phone at 1-800-554-8583, or by mailing a check directly to: UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. Checks should be written to UMCOR with the Advance number and name written on the memo line of your check. Send: There is an urgent need for both health kits and school kits. These collections of everyday items will provide displaced families with some basic necessities. The health kits contain items such as a toothbrush, wash cloth, and soap. The school kits contain items like paper, pencils, and items to help children start school. For assembly and shipping instructions, call UMCOR Sager Brown at 1-800-814-8765 or visit the UMCOR website. You may also give a financial donation to to UMCOR's Material Resource Ministry, Advance #901440 to purchase kit supplies that the Depot staff and volunteers will use to assemble health kits and school kits. Go: Volunteers will be needed in hurricane recovery. To find out how you can help with hurricane cleanup, contact your United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Jurisdictional Coordinator. A list of these coordinators is available on the web at http://gbgm-umc.org/vim/vimcoords.htm or write Mission Volunteers at voluntrs@gbgm-umc.org for contact information. They will provide details on creating and training a team as well as scheduling details. For information on what disaster sites are currently scheduling volunteers, call the Volunteer Hotline at 800-918-3100. Resources
|
Print-Friendly.