September 7, 2005

Hurricane Relief Update

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MMDC AND SAGER BROWN

Midwest Mission Distribution Center
1022 New City Road, P.O. Box 56, Chatham, IL 62629
Phone: 217-483-7911, Fax 217-483-7981
Hours: Open M-F; 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (CDST)
www.midwestmissiondc.org/

The direct phone number for United Methodist Committee on Relief Sager Brown Depot is: Toll-free 1-800-814-8765.

YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER AND LIVE IN NORTH INDIANA

By Bonnie Albert, NIC VIM coordinator

As North Indiana Conference VIM Coordinator, I have compiled a list of things that you can do in response to Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. We have an awesome network right here through the United Methodist Church. Let's make it work.

1. 1. Know the contact people in North Indiana Conference:
   • Bonnie Albert VIM Coordinator 219 464-1447 bonkay@hotmail.com
   • Charles Jones Disaster Relief Coordinator 765 643-9613 k9tzj@arrl.net
   • Connie Payne Coordinating donations 765 985-2864 cfpayne@myvine.com
   • Ann Kumeh Relocation questions 574 287-9452 annkumeh@aol.com
2. Check the e-HUM Web site www.inareaumc.org several times each week to learn what is currently needed for the Katrina victims. Take that information to your local Missions committee for action.
3. Organize the preparation of health kits and flood buckets in your local church. These items are always needed at the UMCOR depots. Follow UMCOR directions very carefully. See attached for directions. Contact Connie Payne for collection information.
4. Contact Midwest Distribution Center in Chatham, IL to see if they need assistance during this very busy time of checking health kits before sending them out. Call for information 217 483-7911 about how you can help.
5. Be a Red Cross volunteer right in your own community. Call centers need lots of volunteers now. Become a Red Cross volunteer by signing up for the training immediately. Contact your local Red Cross office for details.
6. Get training to be a Community Emergency Response team member. Contact your local emergency management office. (Check the phone under County Offices. Every county has one.)
7. Get Disaster Response Training. Contact Charles Jones. At this time most teams that go out through UMCOR, Red Cross or other organizations must have "early response" training.
8. In consultation with Red Cross and your church family make plans to include a family who wants to be relocated as a result of the disaster. Contact Ann Kumeh for details and how to prepare the congregation for this ministry.
9. If you or someone you know are willing to go to disaster areas to help in the rebuilding process, contact Bonnie Albert or Charles Jones. They are working to connect individuals with teams.
10. Explore the M.E.R.C.I. disaster program of the North Carolina Conference. They are organizing most of the UMVIM teams that will go into disaster areas. Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana will contact them when they need a team to come help in the damaged area. www.merciumc.org/  They also have an UMCOR warehouse and are taking in supplies that need to be organized. Call 919 739-9167 for more details.

WOW 2005 TRAINING EVENT COMING OCT. 15

If WOW 2005 (Winning Our World) Through Volunteers in Mission) is not only your calendar for Oct. 15, 2005, now another reason for doing so has just been added. To respond to the urgent need of the people suffering from Katrina and the aftermath, we will be offering disaster training for individuals and team leaders who are called to respond. The people leading the session are trained in Disaster Relief. Ask your pastor for registration forms or find it on the conference website www.nicumc.org. Write in Disaster Relief Training on the registration form to assist us in planning.

For further questions, contact
Bonnie Albert, VIM Coordinator NIC
219 464-1447 or bonkay@hotmail.com 

SOUTH INDIANA CONFERENCE ADDS TWO MORE COLLECTION LOCATIONS

Terre Haute -- Terre Haute District

United Methodist Temple
5301 S US Hwy 41, Terre Haute, IN 47802
Phone 765-299-1898, Fax 765-299-1981
e-mail white.umt@verizon.net 

Madison -- Columbus District

Trinity United Methodist Church
412 Main St., Madison, IN 47250
Phone 812-265-3059 Fax 812-265-6570
e-mail trinitypastor@seidata.com

NORTH CONFERENCE COLLECTION POINTS FOR UMCOR RELIEF SUPPLIES

(more will be added)

St. Luke's United Methodist Church
700 E. Southway Blvd., Kokomo, IN 46902
Phone 765-453-0555
e-mail office@stlukesumc.net

Markle United Methodist Church
165 W. Morse St., Markle, IN 46770
Phone 260-758-2855
kayepatton@onlyinternet.net 

Kirby Risk Supply in South Bend
1904 N. Kenmore St.,

THE KOKOMO KATRINA PLAN

Dave Mullens and Jeff Newton of Kokomo in the North Indiana Conference have been working on a plan that they feel can be implemented in just about any community. In the next few weeks, when the need may be the greatest we, the church, can be prepared to meet the long term needs of displaced families. The plan is for churches or groups of churches to sponsor a displaced family. This is a long term commitment (8 to 12 months) that will require the churches to show exceptional love, compassion, grace and sacrifice. They are hoping to relocate 10 displaced families in Kokomo and have talked with the school superintendent, the mayor and the local Red Cross, all are supportive and very encouraging. All are preparing to welcome new families to our community and into the schools. The details and philosophy of the plan may be found at http://katrinarelocationplan.com. It is their prayer that we as the church can make a difference in the lives of others, especially displaced families of Katrina. For more information, contact Jeff Newton 765-461-9618 or David Mullens david.mullens@gmail.com.

INVOAD ASKS THOSE WANTING TO HOST EVACUEES CONTACT DHS

The Indiana Volunteer Organizations Acting in Disaster, a state agency, has announced that those wishing to host families in their homes or through other housing arrangements to contact the Indiana Department of Homeland Security at 317-233-4487. Hosting entails liabilities and we have been informed that DHS will assist with the liability issues involved in hosting.

HURRICANE RELIEF PRAYER SITE AVAILABLE

The Center for Congregational Leadership, with the specific leadership of the Center for Worship Resourcing of the General Board of Discipleship (special thanks to Safiyah Fosua and Dean McIntyre), has created a Web site for people to share prayers for the victims, survivors, and persons seeking to assist those affected by hurricane Katrina. The site is: http://prayers.umc.org. If you write prayers, consider posting. If you wish to join in the prayers already written, come and read. In either event, come and see.

UMCOR GIVING IS AVENUE OF CHOICE FOR UNITED METHODISTS

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is involved in coordinating relief efforts, assessing hurricane damage in the disaster zone, distributing supplies, and bringing together resources to care for evacuees through the annual conferences in the affected states and other organizations. United Methodist congregations across the nation have shown an outpouring of support by providing food and shelters for displaced persons, organizing volunteers, assembling flood buckets and health kits, collecting donations, and counseling and praying for the victims. Tax deductible contributions can be made online at www.MethodistRelief.org, through any local United Methodist Church or annual conference (see below), or by mailing a check to: UMCOR Advance No. 982523, Room #330, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115. To date, UMCOR has received more than $1.7 million in credit-card giving.

Gifts given in the South Indiana Conference for Hurricane Relief (UMCOR Advance No. 982523) need to be sent to:

South Indiana Conference Treasurer
1520 South Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403-5167

Gifts given in the North Indiana Conference for Hurricane Relief (UMCOR Advance No. 982523) need to be sent to:

North Indiana Conference Treasurer
P. O. Box 869
Marion, IN 46952

NORTH CONFERENCE VOLUNTEER IN BILOXI REPORTS BACK

John Randall, reported the following today on the North Indiana Conference NICEMAIL.

"While Bud was in Biloxi today, he called and reported there was an area ready for some clean-up help.

He said, 'We will be working with UMCOR, staying in dorms, (power is on) in churches. They will feed us.' Specifically, it looks like we will be cutting and stacking trees and debris. If you can run a chainsaw or Bobcat or front-end loader, we will put your talents to work. If you can't go, but would like to help pay for equipment rental or gas, that would be great. I anticipate leaving early, Monday, Sept. 19. If you are interested, let me know by calling 260-466-6405 (cell)."

SAINT LUKE'S RECEIVES MORE THAN $100,000 FOR HURRICANE RELIEF

The Rev. Kent Millard, senior pastor of Saint Luke's UMC in Indianapolis, reports that on Sunday, Sept. 4 they received a special offering for victims of hurricane Katrina of more than $96,000 at St. Luke's main campus and about $10,000 at the Garden satellite services at Beef and Board and Oak Hill Mansion. About 60 percent of the offerings will be used for services provided by the United Methodist Committee on Relief in the south. Saint Luke's had about 170 volunteers show up on Labor Day to fill 175 flood buckets and 2,000 health kits which are being shipped to the UMCOR distribution center in Baldwin, La. They will have another flood bucket and health kit packing day on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 10 am. About 40 percent of the offering will be used for relocating and resettling survivors from the hurricane in Indianapolis. We are also joining in the South Indiana Conference lead teams to provide people to partner with the Trinity United Methodist Church in Gulf Port, Miss. in providing relief cooks to provide food for 2,000 people they are feeding each day.

HUNTINGTON DISTRICT TO HOST BENEFIT PANCAKE BREAKFAST AT MARKLE

The Huntington District reports, they have another semi promised to them and are thinking that they could send it out in two weeks on Sept. 26, if they can fill it too! The Lord is working in wondrous ways! Pancake and Sausage Breakfast at the Markle United Methodist Church, Saturday, Sept. 17, from 7 to 10 a.m. FREE WILL DONATION (all monies sent to UMCOR for hurricane relief efforts) Join us and help out the Hurricane Survivors! The Markle United Methodist Church is a North Indiana Conference collection point for health kits, flood buckets, blankets, bottled water and disposable diapers.

USA TODAY AD URGES AMERICANS TO 'BE THE HOPE'

The United Methodist Church is sending a message of hope and compassion to those affected by the hurricane and its aftermath in a full-page advertisement in today's editions of USA Today. The ad, sponsored by the denomination's communication's agency, calls upon people of all faiths to work together to "be the hope" and to support relief efforts by volunteers and giving through whatever means they choose. View the ad at http://www.ignitingministry.org/pdfs/katrina_bethehope.pdf. 

For daily updates of what is happening in the South with relief efforts, log on to www.umcor.org. 

For continuous news stories about relief efforts, log on to www.umns.org. 

Compiled by
Dan Gangler, director of communication
Indiana Area of The United Methodist Church

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