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October 2004 |
Church copes with Hurricane Jeanne's deadly devastations
From UM Newscope
Hurricane Jeanne has caused more deaths than Charley, Frances and Ivan combined, according to the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Most of these deaths have been in Haiti, where the rains caused flooding and mudslides killing more than 1,500 victims.
Raphael L. Dessieu, president of The Methodist Church of Haiti, reports 1,200 church families have been affected by the storm. In an initial response, UMCOR will partner with Action by Churches Together, the international alliance of humanitarian aid organizations. ACT, currently assessing response options, reports access to many of the affected areas is possible only by air since roads are still under water. An assessment team has reached Gonaives, where urgent needs include fresh water, food, emergency shelter, and medicines.
In addition, UMCOR's office for refugee ministries has issued an urgent call for advocacy of temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants who may be threatened with immediate return to Haiti. Designating Haiti for this status would allow Haitians already in the United States to remain here until recovery from the recent storms has improved stability there. Addresses of President George W. Bush and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge.
Florida recovery
In the Alabama-West Florida Conference, workers have begun the long cleanup process. Some churches have been providing hot meals to more than 1,500 people a day.
The power of Hurricane Ivan's storm surge ripped away beach areas a block deep, and wind flattened many homes out of range of beaches in the Pensacola, Fla., area. UMCOR has already provided $10,000 in relief funding to Alabama-West Florida, and the conference reported that it is working on requests for additional money.
"At this time, our main needs are monetary gifts and work teams," said Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster. "We are not currently seeking shipments of materials such as food and water, just generous donations that will enable relief workers to serve those affected by the hurricane in the quickest way possible." Meanwhile, according to a posting on its Web site, the Florida Conference Center in Lakeland is without power and is unable to receive phone or e-mail messages. The temporary phone number for the conference's storm recovery efforts is 813-989-0535.
Flooding in Pennsylvania
In the Western Pennsylvania Conference, Bishop Thomas Bickerton has urged UMs to respond to flooding, which caused tens of millions of dollars in damages.
He also is asking his 900 churches to collect a special offering for area flood victims. The Morning Call reported that St. Paul UMC in Hellertown was renting a room for services in a nearby community center. According to the newspaper, the Sept. 18 flood filled the church's basement with water, sewage and fuel oil, destroying records and appliances. In Western North Carolina, the Lake Junaluska Conference Center is helping the Federal Emergency Management Agency with housing for 100 people displaced by flooding or working on the cleanup effort.
Urgent call for flood buckets
UMCOR continues its urgent call for flood buckets. For information on how to contribute, visit www.UnitedMethodistRelief.org. Secure online donations can be made there for UMCOR's appeal, Hurricanes 2004, Advance #982410.
Gifts may be designated for specific regions or directed "where most needed." UMCOR does not provide assistance for church building repairs. Support for those efforts must be directed through annual conferences.
Newscope with contributions from Linda Beher (UMCOR) and Meredyth Earnest (Alabama-West Florida).
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008