North Central Jurisdiction

West Ohio Conference: Update on Logan County Tornados

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has requested a federal emergency declaration from President Joe Biden for the 11 counties affected by the March 14 tornados. This would bring additional funding for those who sustained damage but were uninsured and have been unable to access other government funds.

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

TWK Conference: Dresden, TN and Mayfield, KY — In December of 2021 tornadoes ripped through western Tennessee and Kentucky devastating and displacing many individuals and families in the area. The Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference is assisting in the rebuild efforts of individuals impacted by these tornadoes. Volunteer assistance with home rebuilds started in fall of 2022 and will continue throughout 2024. The scope of work on most homes may include the following (this is not an exhaustive list):

  • Siding

  • Framing** (experienced volunteers only)

  • Flashing

  • Painting

  • Flooring/Subfloor installation or repair

  • Hanging Doors

  • Trim installation

  • Drywall

  • Mudding

  • Roofing** (experienced volunteers only)

  • Laying brick** (experienced volunteers only)

  • Landscaping

  • Moving and/or building Furniture

  • Cleaning

Accommodations are held at local churches in the area. Each site is equipped with showers, a full kitchen, and the conference or the church itself provides air mattresses or cots for all volunteers. Volunteers are expected to bring the following:

  • Bedding

  • Towels

  • Toiletries

  • Work Clothing

  • Food – Kitchen provided at housing site

  • Transportation

  • Water Bottles

We require all groups to carry insurance. We recommend going through UMVIM for insurance purchase. Insurance offerings can be found at www.umvim.org/insurance

We require all groups to submit a background checks for all participants on the team (criminal and sex offender checks are only needed). The nature to obtaining the background checks is different in each state; consult with your local church, conference, or law enforcement agency for direction on how to obtain a background check in your state.

To learn more about volunteering with us please visit our webpage.

KENTUCKY CONFERENCE:

Contact Jim Savage for latest recovery opportunities in the KEN Conf at:

jsavage@kyumc.org (270) 993-8908 or visit: https://www.kyumc.org/disasterresponse

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.