NORTHEASTERN jurisdiction

New England Conference: Vermont Floods

The New England Conference is currently seeking volunteers to assist with flood recovery work.

Earlier this year, the New England Conference was awarded a $399,450 grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to support flood recovery work and provide direct assistance to survivors in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

Since the flooding in 2023 that prompted the Conference to seek the grant, the area has been hit by two more significant rainfalls causing more flooding. (Read Bishop Johnson’s July 30 message).

Through the NEK-VT Recovery Project, the NEAC is coordinating volunteers – including mission teams – in the state from May to October 2024 and again in 2025. The immediate needs include small teams comprised of one ERT trained individual to three UMVIM Volunteers to assist with muck out and cleanup from the July 10 and July 30, 2024 flooding.

Contact David Murphy, davidmurphy4147@gmail.com for specific information before deploying.

South central jurisdiction

Great Plains Conference: Update on Nebraska Tornadoes

Please note the following requests from officials in the Omaha and Lincoln areas damaged heavily by tornadoes yesterday:

1. Do not self-deploy — The situation there is still quite dangerous, and emergency personnel ask that people wait to enter the area from outside until contacted by partner organizations. One of those is our Great Plains Disaster Response team. Rev. Hollie Tapley will alert you when it is time and where our teams are needed.

2. Donate only money at this time — The conference's disaster response fund (https://gp-reg.brtapp.com/GreatPlainsDisasterFundContribu...) is the best place because it gets funds to those in need the fastest. While kind of you to donate physical items such as clothing, food and household items, there is no place to store them, creating wider problems for people already stressed in the area of the damage.

North Central Jurisdiction

Iowa Conference

Friday night, April 26, 2024, as many as 78 tornados (per USGS and Local Emergency Management) raced across eastern Nebraska and western and central Iowa leaving devastation in their wake.  

Like many of you, my first instinct is to pack the car and help, but please don’t.

In the coming days (and weeks), we will have information and opportunities for you to help. All available resources, including housing, floor space, and Sunday school rooms, are being used to house and help survivors.

We will be in the way at this time. 

YOU CAN HELP 

  • PRAY. Pray for those affected, those grieving, those in the shelter, and those responding.  

  • DONATE. Make a financial gift to Iowa Disaster Response, Special Advance #223.

  • REACH OUT. Do you know someone who was affected by this disaster? Call them, send them a note or text. Knowing that others care and are praying makes a huge difference. It’s the best of who we are as a connectional church.

  • MAKE KITS. Clean up buckets and hygiene kits are necessary during before, during and after a disaster. For instructions, go to https://umcmission.org/umcor-cleaning-kit/ or www.midwestmission.org/kits for information on how to make clean-up buckets and other kits.

  • GET TRAINED. You can receive training and organize a team so that when the time is right, you can go and help. Early Response Training (ERT) and United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) Training will help to prepare you for volunteering. Contact Pastor Catie Newman at 712-899-4067 or disaster.response@iaumc.org to schedule ERT or Spiritual Care Training, or contact Pastor Derrick Okine for UMVIM Training. 

Thank you!
Pastor Catie Newman, Disaster Response Coordinator
Iowa Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church

West Ohio Conference: Update on Logan County Tornadoes

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has declared a state of emergency in 11 Ohio counties following last week's devastating tornados. In addition, the Ohio National Guard has been activated to help clean up debris in Logan County, one of the hardest hit areas, where three people were killed by the storms. At this time, Logan County officials are asking that you not self-deploy to the area as many roads are still littered with debris.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

  • PRAY - Pray for survivors who are trying to sort out their next steps.

  • GIVE - There are two ways to give to the West Ohio Disaster Response fund:

  • Online through the West Ohio website.

  • By mailing a check to West Ohio Conference, 32 Wesley Blvd, Worthington OH 43085, with "West Ohio Disaster Response" in the Memo line.

  • LEARN - Learn how to respond to disasters by attending the Early Response Team training on April 13 in Findlay.

  • Register for the April 13 ERT training.

  • WAIT - Only trained ERT's have been requested to assist with debris clean-up.

southeast Jurisdiction

SOUTH GEORGIA CONFERENCE:

For latest opportunities visit: https://www.sgaumc.org/disasterresponse

FLORIDA CONFERENCE:

The Florida Conference is requesting Recovery teams. Interested teams can visit: https://www.flumc.org/disaster-recovery-updates for more info.

MISSISSIPPI CONFERENCE:

Visit https://www.mississippi-umc.org/disasterresponse for information about serving in the Mississippi Conference.

Western Jurisdiction

The California Nevada Conference has two active wildfire recovery efforts underway.  Both missions will continue for several years.  

Slater Fire, Happy Camp - The first is in far Northern California, near the Oregon border.  Located in Happy Camp (home of "Bigfoot") we will be assisting with rebuilding homes lost in the 2020 Slater Fire.  Home rebuilding starts Fall, 2021.  The rebuilding is in/near Happy Camp and the adjacent tribal lands. 

 

This project is to assist Hope Crisis Response Network (HCRN) with about 80 homes over a three to four years.  This is a low-income area where there are many residents who need assistance.
  
Accommodations are at an Assembly of God church where there is a place to sleep, a kitchen and showers.  HCRN is providing the construction supervision, materials and tools.  Teams are limited to 6 to 8 people. The onsite cost for a team is about $125 to $150 per person, per week, plus travel to get there.  Medford, Oregon is the nearest flight destination, but there are other options – Portland and Sacramento being two major ones.

 

Camp Fire, Paradise - A second long-term mission is in the Town of Paradise, Butte County.  This is the rebuilding from the Camp Fire in 2018.  As you well know, this was one of the worst wildfire disasters ever.  After an extended, extensive public safety phase, debris removal and tree removal, non-profits have started rebuilding homes.  

 

We will be providing construction teams for those people who cannot afford to rebuild on their own.  Weeklong missions are immediately available for teams of 6 to 12 people.  The accommodations include twin beds, shared bathrooms and a kitchen for making meals. 

 

Our teaming partner is also HCRN.  Tools and supplies are provided by HCRN.  They have their own registration forms.  The cost for accommodations, food, a donation towards construction and other expenses is $150 to $175 per person per week, plus the cost of travel to get to Paradise.  Chico is the nearest city.  Sacramento is the nearest major flight destination.
 

For more information about either project, contact Steve Elliott, UMVIM Coordinator for the California Nevada Conference at UMVIMCoordinator@calnevumc.org or 925-640-9797.  To book a team, contact Travis Cox, Volunteer Coordinator for HCRN at travis@hcrn.info or 574-333-7728.