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In Today's Hotline:
- US: UMCOR RESPONDS TO TROPICAL STORM FAY
- US: UMCOR CONTINUES TO HELP SURVIVORS OF THE 2005 HURRICANES
- GEORGIA: RELIEF CONTINUES
- US: EXPANDING CONGREGATIONAL HEALTH
- EVENT: HUNGER ACTION MONTH IS SEPTEMBER
US: UMCOR RESPONDS TO TROPICAL STORM FAY
With high winds and unprecedented rainfall, Tropical Storm Fay hit Fla. four times. Thousands of homes were damaged and more than a dozen deaths were reported.
UMCOR is working closely with the Florida Conference to provide relief and recovery. An emergency grant was issued and early response teams are on the ground in Glades County. As individual situations are assessed, teams are responding in other areas as they become accessible.
Please give generously. Congregations and individuals are urged to send completed flood buckets, bulk materials or a contribution to purchase supplies. A list of the contents can be found here. You can support the recovery efforts by giving to UMCOR Advance #3019695, Hurricanes 2008, Tropical Storm Fay.
US: UMCOR CONTINUES TO HELP SURVIVORS OF THE 2005 HURRICANES
Mr. Edward is spending the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in his new home in Pearlington, Mississippi, thanks to the efforts of UMCOR, Mississippi United Methodist Katrina Recovery, and teams of volunteers from across the US. Mr. Edward's home is one of nearly 32,000 that have been rebuilt or repaired through United Methodist efforts. UMCOR partners from Texas to Florida, have employed outstanding stewardship to stretch resources and reach over 120,000 individuals and families. A recently-released report details efforts through June 30, 2008.
Read more about Mr. Edward's return home in Bright Spots, a monthly newsletter that highlights stories of rebuilding and hope from UMCOR partners and storm survivors across the Gulf Coast.
Please support UMCOR in helping people recover their lives after a hurricane. Your gift to UMCOR Advance #3019695, Hurricanes 2008 makes a significant difference in the lives of people like Mr. Edward.
Since the conflict began in Georgia, UMCOR has been working to deliver much-needed supplies to help those most in need. To date, UMCOR has assisted more than 50,000 internally displaced people with hygiene kits, food packages and bedding kits. Medical supplies were distributed to more than 15,000 displaced people as part of two US government-sponsored airlifts of which UMCOR coordinated the medical supply portion. An UMCOR Sager Brown shipment is en route to Georgia and it is expected to arrive in mid-September pending security issues.
You can be part of the work and the humanitarian response to the conflict by giving to Georgia Emergency, UMCOR Advance #250305.
US: EXPANDING CONGREGATIONAL HEALTH
Carol Whitney, a faith community nurse, has developed a comprehensive congregational health team at Hughes United Methodist Church in Wheaton, Md. The team organizes workshops and addresses issues of nutrition. Church members are partnered with nursing home residents and trained to provide prayer, comfort and friendship.
Whitney attended the United Methodist Empowering Health Ministries event last year, and is now focused on developing an annual conference-wide health ministry. She is identifying parish nurses in the Baltimore Washington annual conference and creating a network for them to resource and learn from each other.
Register today for the Empowering Health Ministries Conference, produced by the United Methodist Church on September 21-24, 2008 in Lake Junaluska, NC. Click here to register.
EVENT: HUNGER ACTION MONTH IS SEPTEMBER
It is estimated that 37 million Americans live in poverty and many are choosing between buying food or paying utilities, according to America's Second Harvest, the nation's largest food bank network.
Throughout September, UMCOR is inviting United Methodists to join America's Second Harvest in its fight against domestic hunger through its Hunger Action Month campaign (formerly, National Hunger Awareness Day). America's Second Harvest will host nationwide events that include food drives, concerts, and volunteer outreaches to help bring relief to hungry people in the US.
Please donate canned goods to your local food banks or collect a special offering. For more ways you can help, visit www.secondharvest.org. You can also give to World Hunger and Poverty, UMCOR Advance #982920 in support of programs that provide options for people who are struggling to feed their families.
UMCOR provides emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about UMCOR's ministries, please visit umcor.org. You can donate to any project by placing a contribution in the offering plate at a local United Methodist church; by sending a check to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068; or by calling 1-800-554-8583, where credit card donations are accepted. You can also give online at givetomission.org. UMCOR is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and qualifies for the maximum charitable contribution deduction by donors.
United Methodist Committee on Relief
General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church
Room 330, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115
Voice Phone: 1-212-870-3816; FAX: 1-212-870-3624
Email: umcor@gbgm-umc.org
Web: http://www.umcor.org
UMCOR. Be There. Be Hope.
UMCOR's mission is to alleviate human suffering-whether caused by war, conflict, or natural disaster-with open minds and hearts to all people.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
