August 31, 2005

UMCOR Begins Three-Stage
Response to Hurricane Katrina

In these early days after a disaster of this magnitude, there remains a state of emergency. Communication with the affected areas is difficult and details continue to be uncertain about persons and places connected with The United Methodist Church. But even as the official rescue efforts are occurring, UMCOR is engaged in the planning and strategizing for long-term recovery.

Early reports from the affected annual conferences are still unclear with many areas not yet heard from. UMCOR Disaster Response executive Tom Hazelwood will arrive in Jackson, Miss., Thursday to tour the coastal areas with Bishop Hope Morgan Ward and to initialize the Mississippi Annual Conference disaster response efforts. UMCOR consultants are being deployed to the Louisiana Annual Conference and the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference on Friday to undertake the same tasks. Alabama-West Florida reports that the damage from Hurricane Katrina is much more severe in Alabama than from Hurricane Ivan last year. This compounds the damage in those areas which have not fully recovered from Ivan.

UMCOR Disaster Response is a three phase process. The emergency phase is the present stage and is anticipated to last for up to 10 days. During this time rescue efforts and infrastructure repair are carried out by official agencies.

In the second phase, the relief phase, assistance is provided to home owners who need to "muck out," assess damage, receive emotional and spiritual care, and begin their long road to recovery. During this time the local churches are very active, acting as shelters and support areas for the community.

The third phase, long-term recovery, involves a holistic approach to people who have suffered losses, covering everything from seeking them out in their neighborhood to providing information and advocacy about their federal and state assistance rights. In coordination with other religious bodies and community service agencies, UMCOR will participate in repairing and rebuilding of homes, and assistance with living expenses.

"This is an anxious time for all of us because we are awaiting word from those we care about," said UMCOR executive Kristin Sachen. "But we wait with hope in our hearts and with our hands and minds engaged in preparation for the right time for us to act on the scene." UMCOR is committed to the most vulnerable people affected by this hurricane, including those yet to be visited by what is now tropical storm Katrina. "We will bring our years or experience, our capable volunteers and our creativity to the rebuilding of these communities," said Sachen.

How you can help.

In the meantime, here is what Hoosier United Methodists can do in this massive effort to assist the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Pray for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, Dennis and other storms of this season.

Use the prayer sent earlier today by Bishop Coyner.

Assemble Health Kits and Flood Buckets

UMCOR has identified an urgent need for both health kits and flood buckets. These collections of everyday items help families recover during the early days after a major disaster. The health kits contain items such as a toothbrush, wash cloth, and soap. The flood buckets contain items like gloves, household cleaners, and bleach to help people clean their homes to make them livable again.

The need for Health Kits is especially acute, according to Gwen E. Redding, director of the Sager Brown Depot of UMCOR in Baldwin, La. The center is to the west of the major storm impact and did not sustain major damage.

It is our understanding that the State of Louisiana is closed to anything other than emergency vehicle traffic and Louisiana residents, therefore health kits and flood buckets need to be held at your church until further notice.

The South Indiana Conference will announce collection points. Disaster Coordinator Bob Babcock and Volunteer in Mission Coordinator Carolyn Ellis will update the bishop's office daily, during this crisis period.

The North Indiana Conference Disaster Coordinator Charles Jones has not yet made any decision on collection.

Here are the instructions for health kits which are a top priority need.

A Health Kit contains specific items; please do not deviate from these items.

• 1 hand towel (15" x 25" up to 17" x 27")
• 1 wash cloth
• 1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
• 1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
• 1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz and up)
• 1 toothbrush (single brush only in original wrapper; no child-sized brushes)
• 1 large tube of toothpaste (4.5 or larger, expiration date must be 6 months or longer in advance of the date of shipment to Sager Brown)
• 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages

All items should be placed inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag. No money, notes, religious or political literature, or other items should be placed in the kits.

The value of a health kit is $12, if persons want to contribute the money.

For kit contents, make gifts to UMCOR Advance #901440, "Material Resources."

Given the emergency, delivery is strongly encouraged, but kits may also be shipped to: UMCOR Sager Brown Depot, P.O. Box 850, 131 Sager Brown Road, Baldwin, LA 70514-0850. Please also provide $1 per kit to cover distribution costs. This many be sent to Sager Brown to the UMCOR Advance #982730, "Contain Your Joy."

The disaster relief centers also need Flood Buckets. (For information on Flood Buckets log on to http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/kits.cfm. )

Another need is blankets. New blankets are preferred but recently cleaned blankets in good condition are acceptable.

Announce these needs. Begin to collect and assemble kits, but hold them until information on collection and distribution is given.

Donate funds for flood bucket materials for those not able to assemble kits.

Give a financial donation to UMCOR's Material Resource Ministry, Advance #901440 to purchase cleaning supplies that the Depot staff and volunteers will use to assemble flood buckets. Place this gift in the church offering plate marked "UMCOR's Material Resource Ministry, Advance #901440." These funds will be forwarded to the conference treasurer.

Receive funds for Hurricane Relief

Please give generously to UMCOR's Hurricanes 2005 Global, Advance #982523. Your tax-deductible gift may be placed in United Methodist church offering plates or sent directly to: UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. Checks should be written to UMCOR.

Churches can forward funds to the North Indiana and South Indiana Conference Treasurers. Individuals can donate online or make a credit card donation by calling 1-800-554-8583.

Plan for Volunteer in Mission trips to devastated areas after relief efforts are completed.

It's way to early to actually go to these devastated areas to help as a volunteer. It's also very dangerous. The Volunteer-in-Mission phase is months away, but it's not too early to plan for a Volunteer-in-Mission group to go to one of these areas hit by hurricanes.

Stay tuned. More information will be shared tomorrow. For an update of United Methodist news concerning hurricane recovery, log on to www.umc.org.

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

TOP OF PAGE