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October 18, 2005 Hurricane Relief Update -- Be the hopeEdited by Daniel R. Gangler, director of communication SOUTH INDIANA CONFERENCE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR SENDS BLESSINGSSouth Indiana Conference Volunteer in Mission Coordinator Carolyn Ellis sends blessings to all who assembled and collected health kits, flood buckets and other supplies or gave money, transported gifts and supplies or served in someway the survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. United Methodists living in the South Indiana Conference and wanting to be a volunteer in mission in hurricane relief efforts, need to register with the South Indiana Conference VIM program by going to the SIC Web site at www.sicumc.org. lick on "Hurricane Relief 2005" for release of liability, insurance forms to be completed and sent to the SIC Center with payment of 75 cents a day per volunteer (check payable to South Indiana Conference UMC) and VIM application forms. All states are accepting these General Board of Global Ministries forms. These forms also enable the South Indiana Conference to know who is going and to develop a database for future trips. This information also helps the Recovery Relief Offices in the devastated Gulf States area. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR HEAVY DUTY CLEAN-UPEllis says volunteers are now needed for heavy-duty cleanup in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Texas. Clean up must be completed before rebuilding homes can take place. For more information, contact Elsie Miller at emiller@sicumc.org or by calling 800-919-8160 or 812-336-0186 ext. 221, or Carolyn Ellis, SIC VIM Coordinator, at at64cousin@yahoo.com or by calling 812-882-2716. URGENT NEED FOR WORK TEAMS AT WAVELAND, MISS.By Lorna Jost, Administrator There is a continued urgent need for a work team to service about 2,500 people per day, providing food and general assistance at a relief camp in Waveland Miss. Teams can rotate in and out to continue to serve these needs. A team should consist of 12 to 16 people. There are adequate sleeping facilities and showers are available. A mobile kitchen is in use for food service for the evacuees as well as the work teams. Sleeping bags and tents are needed. Given the urgency involved, first responder training is not required. Please contact Pete Jones 228-861-3013. HOUSING AND EVACUEE FAMILIESIn response to a question about housing and evacuee families, Nanci Youngblood of the Louisiana Conference Storm Recovery Center says, "We have dozens of offers but no takers. It is frustrating to have such good offers for temporary or permanent relocation when so many are still sheltered, but that is the reality right now. I keep thinking there will be a groundswell of change of mind when living in a shelter or crammed in at relatives houses becomes intolerable. I plan to talk with some folks here about a controlled way we might make this information available ? not wholesale publicity, but some way to get the information to people who might really want to take advantage of some fantastic offers." NORTH CENTRAL JURISDICTIONAL TEAMSAs of this past weekend, the North Central Jurisdiction has or will send (known):
After all the trainings that will be concluded in early November -- we expect another wave of teams to be scheduled. THANK YOU for your willingness to serve in this way! Hurricane 2004 recovery in Florida - 4 teams scheduled into next year Future Teams: Remember to check out the list of teams already scheduled for Gulf Coast assignments: http://www.gbgm-umc.org/northcentralvim/about_us.html Click on TEAMS For updated contact information for scheduling a team or individual and for upcoming team leader trainings check out this page: http://www.gbgm-umc.org/northcentralvim/ SOUTH INDIANA CONFERENCE VOLUNTEER TEAMS ASKED TO TAKE SUPPLIESCarolyn Ellis, SIC Volunteer in Mission Coordinator, and Bob Babcock, SIC disaster relief coordinator, request Volunteer in Mission Teams heading to Mississippi and Louisiana to take building supplies with them on trips to these two states. Bring 5/8-inch plywood, ?-inch sheet rock, sheetrock mud and tape, 2x4s precut any length and nails. Gulfport, Miss. Volunteers need to take roofing supplies as well as those listed. These basic materials are in short supply in disaster relief areas. Also, remember to take building tools and power equipment to use on the job. No tools will be available on site. VIM team leaders are encouraged to call their host churches to assess material needs. HELP NEEDED WITH THANKSGIVING PREPARATIONS FOR SEASHORE DISTRICTVolunteers of all ages area needed to make placemats for the Thanksgiving Day meal being planned for the Seashore District in Mississippi that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Suggestion -- on 11-inch by 17-inch copy paper, draw around your hands -- the thumb becomes the head of the turkey, the fingers are the feathers, then add feet and comb. Label placemats with common names such as grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, aunt, uncle, or cousin, etc. Including a prayer is fine. Fall leaves are fine. (Do not say "from our house to your house" since many houses were destroyed. If you can make ten or one hundred, these placemats will be appreciated. Volunteers are planning on serving 3,500 dinners on Thanksgiving. Please send placemats to Attn: Elsie Miller, South Indiana Conference, 1520 S. Liberty, Dr, Bloomington, IN 47403-5167. The deadline is Nov. 16. HOME DEPOT DOUBLING VALUE OF GIFT CARDS FOR HURRICANE CLEAN-UP, REPAIRNorth Indiana Conference VIM Coordinator Bonnie Albert reports that generous and caring people continue to call and inquire about what they can do to help the situation in the Gulf States area. Here's something that came to Lori Lewis Cain of the Lafayette District. The Lafayette District received a call from the Regional United Methodist Disaster Response Office located in Gateway UMC at Gulfport, Miss., saying HOME DEPOT just announced that they would double the value of gift cards purchased at HOME DEPOT for use in purchasing building supplies for HURRICANE CLEANUP and REPAIR! This regional district welcomes gift cards from Lowes, HOME DEPOT (Double Value) and Wal-Mart. Send gift cards to:
The Gateway UMC has two ministries, one of which is working with the homeless. The church states their homeless congregation is calling to report they want to return to Gulfport! Clean -up and repairs are the first steps to make their dreams come true! MESSAGE FROM BISHOP HOPE MORGAN WARD TO OTHER BISHOPSMississippi Bishop Hope Morgan Ward sent a letter to the other bishops of The United Methodist Church, including Indiana Area Bishop Mike Coyner, thanking them for their prayers and support "during this extraordinary time." She said many bishops have expressed a desire to visit the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, to see the relief work and be involved in the recovery effort. Ward invited the bishops to visit and work among us in Louisiana/Texas or Mississippi/Alabama in January and/or to come to Mississippi/Alabama January 5-8 or to Louisiana/Texas January 12-15. She reminded the bishops that "conditions will be rustic. Cuisine will be simple. The spiritual rewards, however, will be exceptional!" She wrote: "We believe that this will be a faithful witness to the connection as well as opportunity for the bishops to work in our devastated communities and preach in our churches." GULF COAST STORM CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION
SOUTH INDIANA VIM TEAMS PLANNING TO HEAD SOUTH FOR RELIEF EFFORTS
KENTUCKY GROUP TO PICK UP ITEMS IN BLOOMINGTON DISTRICT OCT. 24Kentucky Mountain Mission will have a truck in the Bloomington District on Monday, Oct. 24. The truck will stop at Linton First UMC, Newberry UMC, Spencer UMC, Fairview UMC and Saint Mark's UMC. For a PDF file flyer of items needed, call Jessica Lindsey in the Bloomington District Office at 812-339-1445. THE PROMISE HOSTS SPECIAL CONCERT FOR HURRICANE RELIEFTHE PROMiSE United Methodist Church is scheduled to host a concert on Saturday, Nov. 5, for hurricane relief, in partnership with Cheerful Heart Ministries. This night of contemporary Christian music will feature: Andrew Carlton, Roads to Rome, Michael Cook and special guest Todd Day. The evening will be hosted by the youngest Christian comedian (that we know of) -- 10-year-old Conner Gaw. Tickets are $5 each, and are available online at www.cheerfulheart.com/Main/family_promotions.htm, or at THE PROMiSE, 12648 E. 116th St., Fishers. The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. All concert attendee's are asked to bring either a Wal-Mart or Home Depot gift card for Hurricane survivors. Roads to Rome will be delivering the gift cards to the survivors. For more information, contact the Rev. Jennifer Pollard at jennifer@thepromisechurch.org. DONATION NUMBERS ASSIGNED FOR HURRICANE RITA ADVANCE SPECIALDonations to support the United Methodist response to Hurricane Katrina can be made online at www.methodistrelief.org and by phone at 800/554-8583. Checks can be written to UMCOR, designated for "Hurricanes 2005-Katrina, Advance No. 982523," or "Hurricane Rita, Advance No.901323," and left in church offering plates or mailed directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. Contributions may also be designated for a specific state affected by the hurricanes. LATEST INFORMATION ON HURRICANE RELIEF AND PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE RELIEF # # # If you know someone who has yet to sign up for e-HUM, they simply need to send a blank e-mail from their preferred e-mail account to add@inareaumc.org. e-HUM Alert copyright 2005 by Indiana Area United Methodist Communications. |
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