Many Unaccompanied Children Arriving at New Tent Village for Quake Survivors, Reports CWS

Governments Ratchet Up Support, But Still Not Enough, Say Aid Agencies--Still Dire Need for Tents, More Helicopters

BISYAN, PAKISTAN--Fri Oct 28--In the tent village established in Bisyan, humanitarian agency Church World Service aid workers say they are noticing a sad trend: that an increasing number of those now showing up to take residency in the camp are children with no elders to support them.

Church World Service (CWS) reports it is now expanding the tent village to provide shelter and medical services for 2,450 of the quakes most vulnerable survivors. The Church of Pakistan will provide medical services within the camp.

The emergency shelter village is part of accelerated efforts by CWS, other aid agencies, the Pakistani government, the U.S., and the United Nations and other world bodies, now racing against time to rescue and bring aid to some 800,000 people still homeless before winters killing onslaught descends in the next couple of weeks in the remote Himalayan area.

But the troubling evidence of children orphaned by the disaster or separated from their families is evoking concerns for a haunted, traumatized generation. And lack of skilled emergency medical and surgical expertise is causing another layer of trauma.

Everywhere, the childrens eyes are breaking our hearts.

CWSs Parvez says, "Everywhere, the childrens eyes are breaking our hearts. Most have lost at least a father or a mother," he says. "There is no clear figure as to how many children are displaced.

"We are receiving reports," he said, "that the limbs of quake-affected children are being amputated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Polyclinic, and other hospitals because of lack of plastic surgery experts."

"According to experts," he said, "many quake-affected children in Pakistan are suffering from mental disorders and physical disabilities owing to lack of psychiatrists and plastic surgery experts in the country."

In addition to emergency relief, CWS is already beginning to put pieces in place to provide psychosocial services for quake survivors, especially the children, and the agencys long-term response will include shelter construction materials.


Accelerated action still not enough, not quick enough; thousands more tents needed now.


But accelerated relief efforts by all in the region, and Wednesdays United Nations donors conference at which the UN announced its expanded appeal for $550 million for the South Asia quake disaster, are still not enough and not fast enough, say aid agencies.

In fact, today the United Nations warns that it is running out of money and will be forced to ground its helicopters now delivering relief supplies, unless donors quickly provide the funding they have pledged to the UN appeal.

One hundred multi-national source helicopters are now operating in the region, dropping emergency supplies and airlifting injured survivors to the nearest medical facilities. Yesterday (Thurs., Oct. 27) the U.S. and NATO agreed to provide more helicopters to accelerate rescue sorties and air drops of supplies.

Yet more are being called for, and the cry continues for more--many more--immediate tents. Church World Service is calling for national governments to release tents from warehouses throughout South Asia.

"Many more tents are needed," says Church World Service Regional Director in Pakistan Marvin Parvez. "So far, 62,075 tents have been delivered."

Call for government, agency collaboration on tent distribution

>From the U.S., CWS Director of Emergency Response Donna Derr says, "We are hearing deep concerns from the region over the Pakistan governments ban on suppliers supplying tents to anyone but the government.

"We know that Pakistans primary concern is for the welfare of its most vulnerable," Derr says, "so we are all making a plea for greater cooperation and coordination between the government and the NGOs on this matter, to avoid any impedance in getting tents to those who desperately need them."

Due to impassable roadways from the quakes destruction, there are still 480 villages that are still inaccessible in Battagram, Mansehra, Shangla, Kohistan, and Abbottabad, said CWSs Parvez. In less than three weeks winters bitter snowfalls will cut off roads already impassable from the earthquake.

As participants in UN cluster meetings that are orchestrating emergency response logistics on the ground, the Church World Service team reports that the Pakistan government is considering mass evacuation of the areas of Allai and Battagram.

Pakistan army aiding CWS in airlift of supplies to un-reached Allai-Battagram.

"With help from the Pakistan Army, we have been airlifting relief goods to survivors in Allai-Battagram, one of the areas still not reachable by road," says Parvez.

In the North West Frontier Province, Parvez says CWS and its partners have so far distributed 3,185 shelter kits to shelter 22,295 individuals, and food packages for almost 18,000 individuals.

Church World Service and its partner agencies who are members of Action by Churches Together (ACT) have been the largest donor of shelter and food packages in the area, says Pakistan Army Lt. Col. Ahmed Zakeer.

As chair of the Pak-Humanitarian Forum (PHF), Church World Service reports that in an emergency meeting this week, forum member NGOs discussed action plans to handle such priorities as: improving capacity at the airport in Islamabad to process aid shipments; the need to bring in women physicians--who would be guaranteed safety and security--to help care for pregnant women affected by the quake; and special attention to the needs of women and unaccompanied children.

Sparked by Pakistans immediate needs, Director of Microsoft Humanitarian Disaster Management David Roberts visited the country this week to offer technological assistance in helping set up a data management system deemed crucial for future community-level disaster planning and preparedness. Data gleaned from the current earthquake disaster will be stored as baseline information in the system, which Microsoft sees as part of a long-term partnership with Pakistan.

Sources: United Nations, regional authorities

Contributions to support earthquake survivors may be sent to:
Church World Service
Southern Asia Earthquake--#6979
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
Contributions may also be made at www.churchworldservice.org,or by calling 800.297.1516, ext. 222.

Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the United States providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance in more than 80 countries.


Church World Service
28606 Phillips Street
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
info@churchworldservice.org
800-297-1516; fax: 574-262-0966
Regional office toll-free 888-CWS-CROP (888-297-2767)

Church World Service
475 Riverside Dr.
New York, NY 10115

UMCOR Disaster Response Network Assists the Most Vulnerable Wilma Survivors

by Michelle Scott

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2005—Hurricane Wilma is the latest in a string of major hurricanes to strike the US. Its strong winds tore a path across South Florida, blowing off roofs, shattering windows, and tearing down trees. In this active storm season, responders feel weary and, in some cases, have been slow to be on the scene following this latest hurricane.

Not so with United Methodists. Because of the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s trained network of disaster responders, and the Florida Annual Conference’s experienced staff, Wilma survivors are getting the help they need.

Seeking Out the Most Vulnerable
UMCOR disaster response consultant, Christy Smith, toured damage along Florida’s east coast to find United Methodists responding to the needs of their community, seeking out those left especially vulnerable by Hurricane Wilma. After her assessment of the damage and witnessing all United Methodists are doing to help Wilma survivors – from shelters to food to pastoral care, Ms. Smith commented, “Again and again I am overwhelmed and awed by the dignity of those who endured so much.”

United Methodists in the Tamarack area of Florida are going door-to-door in 19 buildings housing seniors to ensure they have food and other essentials. Rader United Methodist Church in Miami has opened its doors to become a distribution center in spite of no electricity and a downed tree on the building. And there are others, providing food, and shelter, seeking out migrant workers and low-income families who might be otherwise overlooked.

Long before a disaster strikes, UMCOR works to prepare annual conference personnel to respond. Through trainings in early response, spiritual and emotional care, and others UMCOR’s disaster response network is equipped to respond appropriately to their community’s needs.

How You Can Help
Cash gifts will help UMCOR continue to support annual conferences and interfaith response efforts to Hurricane Wilma as well as other hurricanes. Due to the magnitude relief efforts required to adequately respond to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma generous donations to UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005, are needed.

Checks can be mailed to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. One hundred percent of every donation to any appeal, including UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005, goes to support recovery efforts. If you would like your gift to go to a specific region or storm response, please not this on your check.

YOU can HELP the Community Care Fellowship in the following ways:

 Community Care Fellowship requests that you help in their ministry to the homeless and poor by donating the following items:
socks – all adult sizes need
men's briefs – medium, large, and extra large. The need is
critical, as of this morning Community Care had no men’s briefs
at all.
empty plastic grocery-type bags
instant oatmeal
coffee – regular, not decaf, and ground so it can be used in a percolator

 Also, we are in desperate need for volunteers who can help with the registration desk and hygiene room on Wednesday mornings (9:00 to 12:00). Currently we have only one volunteer on alternate Wednesday mornings. If you have questions or would like to volunteer, please contact Rev. Pat Freudenthal at 227-1953.

 There is a great need for immediate financial gifts from those individuals and local churches who feel that it is crucial that we minister to the poor and homeless. As of noon on Wednesday, October 26, the Community Care Fellowship is $25,000 in the hole. The Fellowship is experiencing increasing, almost unprecedented, need for its services in the midst of what can be called national “compassion fatigue” after numerous disasters in the U.S.A. and abroad--hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, tornados, pestulanceand earthquakes. Send checks to Community Care Fellowship, 511 South Eight Street, Nashville TN 37206. Or bring check, money order, cash, or piggy banks by the office of the Tennessee Conference treasurer, 1110 19th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212. Make sure any check is earmarked for the Community Care Fellowship. Questions? Need further information? Contact Rev. Pat Freudenthal at 227-1953

A Hurricane Update from Dr. Anne L. Burkholder, Director of Connectional Ministries for the Florida Conference

Dear Friends,

Just want to bring you a quick update. The upper two thirds of the conference are faring well. We never lost electricity in the Lakeland area and were able to get back to work immediately.

Our Storm Recovery Center, 1-800-282-8011, ext. 149, was up and running yesterday. We are in the throws of early relief, in areas that are prepared to receive! Please check the website for updates and call to find out where volunteers and teams are needed. http://www.flumc.org

In an odd sort of way, our being so practiced at this (eight storms in 14 months) has resulted in a pattern of preparation that is becoming “normal” and less anxiety producing for us. Of course, Wilma wasn’t ever really headed straight for us at any time, which made our prep much easier.

Electrical outages are the major concern for now throughout the lower 1/3 of the state as it will take upwards of a month to get many areas back up. We have significant low income areas where folks are out of work because of the outages, and they will need support for a while. The South East Coast really took it harder than the South West, and that is where almost one third of Florida’s population lives. Parts of the keys are still under water. Thirty claims were filed by churches for damages just yesterday.

Christy Smith is already here and Tom Hazelwood arrives tomorrow. I am actually comfortable enough that I am leaving for a four day weekend to celebrate our wedding anniversary! I think we really are getting to where we are experiencing hurricanes as the “new normal.”

Check the Florida Conference website or call the Florida Conference Storm Recovery Center phone number for continuing updates on how to assist.
Website -- http://www.flumc.org
Florida Conference Storm Recovery Center - (800) 282-8011 ext 149


Thanks so much for your support.


We are in need of the following items:

Non-perishable food—as much as we can get—we will prepare meals as we did here last year.

Baby items—diapers, food, formula, etc.
Personal Hygeine Items
Depends.
Feminine Hygeine Items
Batteries
Tarps
Roofing Nails with Tabs
Water—(please send no more than 20% water on a truck) We need the above items much more!



Anne



Dr. Anne L. Burkholder

Director of Connectional Ministries

Florida Conference

P. O. Box 3767

Lakeland, FL 33802

863-688-5633, ext. 103

aburkholder@flumc.org

Hans Vaxby, Bishop for Russia and all of Eurasia, to be at Brentwood UMC for Consultation, November 5, 2005

Bishop Hans Vaxby, the new Bishop for Russia and all of Eurasia, will be at Brentwood United Methodist Church, on Saturday, November 5, 2005, at 10:00 AM for a mini-consultation. We want to invite everyone to this event, who is interested in learning more about what the Methodist church is doing in Russia, it’s growth and it’s future, and how you can get involved.

To help us plan, if you wish to attend, please make a reservation by contacting Juanita Hobbs @ 324-7222 or jhobbs@bumc.net or by going on our website at www.bumc.net.

We are offering a box lunch at a cost of $10.00 per person. You may reserve a lunch at the time you make your reservation and then pay at the door. The lunch reservation deadline is Wednesday morning, November 2, 2005. This will be a real treat to spend time in fellowship with Bishop Vaxby as we break bread together.

We want to show our support for Bishop Vaxby and all that he is doing, so please join us for this event.

Juanita Hobbs

Director of Mission and Outreach
Brentwood United Methodist Church

Documentary on Child Survival coming soon to PBS

From The United Methodist General Board of Church and Society--tell a friend

Documentary on Child Survival coming soon to PBS!
Please publicize!

Rx for Survival--A Global Health Challenge, a six-hour PBS television production narrated by actor Brad Pitt, will air November 1-3, 2005. (Please check your local listings for times) We urge you to widely promote this documentary in your local church, community, family and friends!

The General Board of Church & Society has signed on as a supporter of this initiative due to its long-standing commitment to children and hopes this production moves those in the United States to take action to eliminate poverty and disease.

“Rx for Survival is the most ambitious global health media education effort ever mounted for Americans,” say producers of the documentary, WGBH (Boston)/NOVA Science Unit and Vulcan Productions. While the historic vignettes feature actors and sets, the documentary sequences were filmed in more than 20 countries around the world to capture the real-life drama of today’s struggle to overcome poor health and rampant disease. The series includes sequences filed in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Central America, the Pacific Rim, the Indian sub-continent and the United States .

According to UNICEF, more than 10 million children die totally preventable deaths every year. Child survival is one area of global health in which every American can take simple steps that make a dramatic difference. Millions of children die each year who would have a better chance at life if they received five basic and inexpensive health interventions: vaccines, vitamins, antibiotics, oral rehydration medicine to prevent death from diarrhea, and insecticide-treated netting.

Major funding for Rx for Survival -- A Global Health Challenge is provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Merck Company Foundation. For additional information on the documentary and related statistics, go to the following websites:

http://www.globalhealth.org/rx_for_child_survival

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/rxforsurvival/campaign

http://www.unicef.org

http://www.unaids.org


The General Board of Church and Society
100 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002 202-488-5600
FAX 202-488-5619
Order Resources 1-800-967-7000
www.umc-gbcs.org

Concern rises over lack of tents for Asia quake survivors

The quake left this young Pakistani, who lives in Balakot, nothing but two bags with food and clothes. The Oct. 8 earthquake was centered in the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir, and it caused death and destruction in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. A UMNS photo by Marianne Preus Jacobsen, NCA-ACT

Oct. 20, 2005
A UMNS Report by Linda Bloom*

Relief workers trying to assist survivors of the South Asia earthquake are racing against time and the approach of a harsh winter.

New estimates by regional officials of the death toll from the Oct. 8 earthquake had jumped to at least 79,000 by Oct. 19, according to the Associated Press. But the real concern is for the survivors, according to Marvin Parvez, director of Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan.

"With the 2 to 3 million affected and homeless, the government and U.N. estimates that the affected families need over 600,000 shelter kits or tents," he told United Methodist News Service.

"Currently, we have a little over 100,000 available in the supply chain, so you can see we have a huge gap between demand and supply here."

In an Oct. 18 New York Times article, Andrew Macleod, the United Nations' operations chief in Pakistan, said the problem was not the response from aid organizations but the size of the task. He added that "we need more winterized tents than exist in the world today."

Parvez pointed out that in many of the regions affected by the earthquake, there was a window of only 15 to 20 days from Oct. 19 before winter sets in, "and this will increase the vulnerability of the children and the elderly."

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working with CWS Pakistan/Afghanistan and the International Blue Crescent to respond to the earthquake.

UMCOR's parent agency, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, also is part of the Church of Pakistan's Mission Partners Forum. The Church of Pakistan - the largest Protestant Church in Pakistan - is a union of the Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran and Presbyterian (Scottish) churches.

The earthquake was centered about 60 miles north of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, and its impact was felt as far east as New Delhi, India, and as far west as Kabul, Afghanistan. Devastation occurred in northern Pakistan and in both the Pakistani-controlled and Indian-controlled sections of Kashmir.

CWS relief efforts are being organized through its Pakistan offices in Karachi, Islamabad, Mansehra and Murree. The agency also is part of the Pak-Humanitarian Forum, a collaboration of international humanitarian and emergency response agencies in Pakistan. Members of the forum are going out in teams to assess needs.

On Oct. 13, CWS air-dropped shelter kits from army helicopters to some of the most affected but hard-to-reach areas in Battagram, including 365 kits in Allai. But such deliveries were stalled Oct. 14-15 because of security concerns and poor weather.

CWS also has provided emergency food to families and will provide medical assistance to 100,000 people impacted by the quake - half in Azad Kashmir and half in the Northwest Frontier Province - through two health centers. According to Parvez, the health centers will provide immunization and first aid. The aid will focus on women, children and vulnerable families without food and shelter.

Church World Service's office and health clinic in Mansehra were damaged by the quake but the clinic is now cleared, open and serving survivors needing medical care.

While truckloads of supplies continue to arrive in the town of 35,000 - where nearly all the houses were destroyed - the effort "is just a drop in ocean," Parvez said.

He is concerned about reaching the more remote locations. The United Nations has estimated that only 30 to 40 percent of some 350 to 900 villages damaged by the earthquake have been inspected.

"All of us have to move very fast to make sure that we don't have more casualties," he explained. "Besides this, if we can't get aid out to the mountain villages, we will also see large numbers of people moving to displaced camps and public buildings down in the plains."

Complicating efforts are the more than 500 aftershocks that have occurred since the earthquake, along with rain, hail and even snow in some areas, he noted.

Parvez, who is of Methodist background, conveyed his "sincere thanks to fellow Methodists for all the support and cooperation."

Kristin Sachen, UMCOR's international disaster coordinator, reported that funds in the agency's international disaster account are low and inadequate to respond to the crucial needs in Pakistan. "We're really hoping that people will remember it in their Thanksgiving and Christmas offerings," she added.

UMCOR cannot participate directly in rescue and recovery efforts in Pakistan but will continue to respond financially through Church World Service and other partner agencies, she said.

Another such partner is the Church's Auxiliary for Social Action in India. CASA will target 10,000 of the most affected families in Kashmir and assist with winter clothing, utensils, blankets and tents, tarpaulins and tin sheets for temporary shelters.

"The heaviest burdens imposed by the earthquake have been on the womenfolk who have to look after the welfare of the entire family in an abnormal and adverse situation," CASA reported.

Donations to the United Methodist relief effort can be marked for "UMCOR Advance #232000, Pakistan Earthquake," and placed in church offering plates or sent to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, N.Y. 10087-9068. Contributions also can be made by phone at (800) 554-8583. If funds are intended for recovery in a specific region, that should be noted. More information is available at http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/earthquake/index.stm.

*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.

Frequently asked Questions about the United Methodist Communications Commentary

An article "The United Methodist Church Creates a Voice for the Voiceless on Gulf Coast" is on THE RESPONDER blog site at http://theresponder.blogspot.com/2005/10/united-methodist-church-creates-voice.html The material below answers questions you may have after reading the initial article.

Why is the church doing this?

Scripture is replete with admonitions for Christians to care for the poor, the hungry, the homeless, and those in distress. That includes creating a voice on behalf of marginalized and voiceless persons. We believe God calls us to be a voice for those persons.

Advertorials such as these are intended to create discussion. They add a specific perspective to the conversation. Ours reflects our concern for displaced persons, who are often poor and marginalized, and the urban, suburban, and rural communities in which they live. In good times, their voices are too often left out or ignored. After a disaster like this, it is even more important they have a voice and a role in the rebuilding of their communities.

Our United Methodist Social Principles (Para. 162. N and P in the 2004 Book of Discipline) provide an unambiguous foundation for speaking out on behalf of the persons affected by this disaster.

Where are the commentaries appearing?

They will be published in The Washington Post, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Biloxi-Gulfport Sun Herald and Jackson Clarion Ledger/Hattiesburg American in Mississippi, and the Mobile Register in Alabama.

Are these commentaries just another criticism of FEMA and state
and local government responses?

No. These commentaries are focused on the tremendous challenges confronting the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast and inland areas of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. We are concerned and focused on the future of this region. Others will review and analyze the past.

Who is paying for these commentaries?

Funding for the advertorials comes from United Methodist Communications’ regular budget. It is separate from the special budget that funds the national Igniting Ministry television campaigns. It does not come from donations to the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s efforts to assist persons in the affected area. The cost of the advertisements will be approximately $30,000.

Would it be a better use of money to give it to the church’s rebuilding effort?

United Methodists from around the globe are donating millions of dollars towards disaster relief and rebuilding of this region. These commentaries are an important part of our mission. United Methodist Communications is using other resources to create a relevant voice for the church in the rebuilding process. Our role is to communicate messages that inform, inspire, and engage as we share the love of God while making disciples for Jesus Christ and promoting truth and justice.

May local churches and annual conferences use them?

Congregations, annual conferences, and church-related organizations are encouraged to use the commentaries as an advocacy tool. They may be adapted for use as letters to elected representatives or letters to the editor. They may be posted on Web sites. They may be used as discussion-starters in church school classes and discussion groups.

What role did United Methodists in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama play in the development of these commentaries?

Staff at United Methodist Communications wrote the commentaries in consultation with a broad group of United Methodists. That group includes bishops from the affected areas, conference communicators from those areas, the officers of the Council of Bishops, and general secretaries of the general agencies of the church.

The United Methodist Church Creates a Voice for the Voiceless on Gulf Coast

NASHVILLE – In the first of two commentaries due to be published Friday, The United Methodist Church is urging that local people be at the table for the planning and rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. The commentaries urge commitment to a fair and inclusive process that creates better places for people to live.

The paid commentaries will appear in The Washington Post, the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and the Baton Rouge Advocate in Louisiana, the Mobile Register in Alabama, and the Biloxi-Gulfport Sun Herald and Jackson Clarion Ledger/Hattiesburg American in Mississippi. The second commentary is planned for next week.

“These commentaries are an important part of the church’s mission. As Christians, we stand at the intersection of the concerns of the world and the concerns of the church for the world,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. “The rebuilding efforts pose tremendous challenges, but also remarkable opportunities. It’s important to stand with those who are poor and vulnerable and too often forgotten by society,” he said.

The commentaries were developed by United Methodist Communications, in consultation with bishops of the affected regions, the officers of the Council of Bishops, agency heads, and the United Methodist Committee on Relief. The first commentary encourages broad local input and participation in the rebuilding process.

“Involving people from all walks of life in the reconstruction of areas devastated by the hurricanes will provide the insight and creativity to create communities that are stronger and more vital than ever before,” said Jim Winkler general secretary of the denomination’s General Board of Church and Society. “Functional cities and neighborhoods will emerge if residents are given a voice in planning and rebuilding.”

The copy reads:

In Rebuilding, Set a Place at Table for All

As the humanitarian crises caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita gradually slip off the evening news and front pages of our newspapers, the hard work of rebuilding communities is just beginning.

Following the catastrophic losses of these tragedies, people came together in remarkable and concrete ways, showing concern, compassion and generosity. Across the country, people banded together and lived the biblical call to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. We all learned that communities are not just places where we live and work, communities are the people who make those places unique.

We pray that this renewed understanding of community will inspire the rebuilding of the devastated areas. In order to rebuild a community, not just a city or town, it is crucial that those people who live there have a voice in the reconstruction. And it’s equally important that local companies share in the work and local residents are hired to do the labor, and are included in the planning.

Restoring communities also means encouraging and respecting all the voices of the community. By supporting equal access to housing, education, employment and medical care, rebuilt communities will be even stronger than before.

By incorporating local residents and businesses in the rebuilding process and laying a foundation of respect and equality, communities will not only be renewed, but the efforts to reach their reconstruction goals will also enhance human values, encourage personal and political involvement and open neighborhoods to people of all races, ages and income levels.

In the aftermath of the hurricanes, the outpouring of support was compassionate, fair and inclusive. And it is with these values that communities will be rebuilt.

The people of The United Methodist Church
Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.

Contributions to hurricane relief may be made at www.MethodistRelief.org. One hundred percent of donations made through The United Methodist Church on behalf of communities damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be used in the rebuilding effort. To obtain more information and add your voice, visit www.umc-gbcs.org/afterthestorm.

Church World Service--Stories on earthquake recovery in Pakiston

The American Public has not been getting a lot of information about the earthquake that hit northern Pakistan. We are sharing several postings from Church World Service about its assessment of the situation.

"Each Tent Saves a Family"

Battagram Base, North West Frontier Province, Pakistan--October 17--The earthquake that hit northern Pakistan on Oct 8, 2005, has shattered millions of lives. The survivors are in desperate need of help. The government; Church World Service and other aid agencies; and the Pakistan Army are carrying out desperate relief efforts to reach those survivors who are based in far-flung areas that are hardest to reach. Relief efforts are being hampered due to mudslides and heavy rain and hail storms. Snowfall has also started in some areas. The aftershocks continue to remind the survivors of the terrible disaster that changed their lives on October 8, 2005.

Amid these challenges, Church World Service has been able to mobilize and distribute shelter kits and food packages in North West Frontier Province. The Pakistan Army has been very cooperative in this regard, and has been airlifting Church World Service (CWS) relief good to areas of Allai-Battagram that are not reachable through roads.

Applauding CWS efforts, Col. Zakeer, at Battagram Base, North West Frontier Province, said that so far CWS has been the largest donor of shelter and food packages in this area. Talking to the CWS Pakistan/Afghanistan team, he stressed the importance of each tent that is being provided.

"With each tent provided, a family is being saved," said Col. Zakeer. Temperatures will further drop in the next fifteen days, which will make survival next to impossible for those people living out in the open, said Col. Zakeer, as he appealed for more tents.

Church World Service is helping to provide shelter kits (family-sized tent, ground sheet, plastic sheet, two iron poles, and four blankets), as well as family food packages, to 20,000 of the worst-affected families.

Each shelter kit is valued at $172. Contributions to support these efforts may be sent to:
Church World Service
Southern Asia Earthquake--#6979
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
Contributions may also be made online, or by calling 800.297.1516, ext. 222.

______________________________________________________

Badly Needed Shelter Material on its Way to Pakistan; The Injured Cry Out for Medical Attention

Balakot, Pakistan--Church World Service reports that it has provided tents for 6,000 people, along with 10,500 blankets, to some of the most remote quake-affected areas of North West Frontier Province, and another airlift is planned with more tents, blankets, and additional equipment for producing clean water.

A Church World Service assessment team saw first-hand the enormous need for tents, especially in the mountain areas, where nights are cold and winter approaches.

"Even though we have very little food and the water is dirty from the mud after the earthquake, we do manage. What we need are tents. Without tents and blankets, we will freeze to death," said Fazi Akbar, from North West Frontier Province.

In the last few days, government officials have announced a sharp increase in the death toll; some non-governmental organizations in Islamabad believe that many more than 50,000 people have been killed. The number of casualties is thought to be at least 65,000, and two million people are homeless.

A week after the disaster, 20 percent of the affected areas still have received no aid at all. A large number of survivors live in areas that cannot be reached, and so far there have been too few helicopters to cover the enormous need for transportation and evacuation of injured people.

Each day people are dying from lack of medical assistance and medicines. Bodies are left in the ruins, under the masses of clay, or covered by dirty sheets on the pavement. And even if not visible, the stench of dead bodies gives a constant reminder of the magnitude of this disaster.

______________________________________________________

A first-hand account. Arne Grieg Riisnæs of Norwegian Church Aid, a CWS partner, gives the following account:

When the first life-giving aid reached the remote villages of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, the scenes were heartbreaking.

The October 8 earthquake could hardly have hit a more vulnerable area than the North West Frontier Province and the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir. Many of the inhabitants live without roads and telephones--and are nearly totally isolated from the outside world. Nobody knew the dimensions of the devastation in this area or the number of people killed and wounded. Yet from 50 years experience in the area, Church World Service knew people would need a helicopter loaded with tents and food.

The sight of the area was horrendous. Nearly all buildings were either partly or completely ruined. Around the ruins of the homes of thousands of families, survivors had pieced together blankets and sheets, trying to protect themselves from the rain and the cold nights. As soon as the helicopter approached the ground, people came from all over and threw themselves at it.

"Please help us! Please, sir. We have lost everything. We will freeze to death," Fazi Akbar said. He is the headmaster of a small school completely destroyed in the earthquake. He was frantic that it took six days for aid to reach them after the quake.

"Still, getting some tents and blankets is a big gift. We have so many wounded, and last night we could see snow on the mountaintops. It is very cold, and it will only get colder. A lot of people are afraid they will freeze to death," Akbar said.

"Look at my eyes. I have not slept in five nights. My children are afraid there will be another earthquake, and they cry during the night," Gul Mond said. He thanks Allah that his small family survived, but he get tears in his eyes when he talks about all those who died. Everybody in this little village of Karg has been hit.

After stacking up hundreds of tents on the small landing spot by the river, the chopper took off. On the ground, people desperately threw themselves over the tents.

Ten minutes later, the helicopter landed in another village to hand out more tents. Lieutenant Kazaan had hardly opened the door before he was surrounded by hundreds of people. Seriously injured people were everywhere. Some were totally apathetic, while others cried quietly from provisional stretchers. More and more people kept coming, many of them with bloody and dirty bandages. After a few minutes, the lieutenant decided to evacuate as many wounded people as he could.

A little boy screamed as he was lifted into the helicopter. His leg had been severed, and the shaft of the bone was sticking out under congealed blood. He had been like that for six days. Young and old were fighting to get their family members on board the helicopter. It was complete chaos, and the fact that the inhabitants of this village speak Pashtu and therefore did not understand the military commands given in Urdu made the situation even worse.

A little girl fell off the blanket she was being carried in. The helicopter was very soon filled up, with room only for a small percentage of the wounded. Before the helicopter took off, the lieutenant shouted that more helicopters would arrive soon.

The helicopter headed for the army hospital in Abbottabad. A man sat holding his 14-month-old daughter in his arms. Her leg was broken, and one of her hands was partly crushed. Under her hair was a deep wound. Someone said that her sister and brother were killed in the earthquake. Their father had dug his three children out of the ruins with his bare hands. He clenched his daughter, all he has left.

Church World Service and Norwegian Church Aid and are members of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International.

______________________________________________________


Church World Service Expands Relief Efforts in Spite of Weather

NEW YORK / ISLAMABAD - Church World Service (CWS) is expanding its relief efforts to reach survivors of the October 8 earthquake but is hampered by adverse weather and security conditions.

CWS truckloads of material continue to arrive in Mansehra on a daily basis, but weather conditions hampered relief efforts for a second day on Saturday. Staff carried out a needs assessment for emergency water and sanitation at Ayub Medical Hospital-Abbottabad on Saturday morning. Bad weather forced the team to abandon its assessment visits to Battagram and Balakot.

On October 13 (Thursday), CWS began to air drop shelter kits from army helicopters to some of the most affected and difficult to reach areas in Battagram, including 365 kits in Allai village. Using army helicopters has allowed CWS to carry out rapid distributions not only in inaccessible areas but has also prevented goods from being looted.

Because of the deteriorating security situation, CWS was not able to resume the air delivery of shelter kits the following morning (Friday, October 14), and heavy rains and hailstorms prevented the air delivery of shelter kits on Saturday.

The Pakistan meteorological office was forecasting more thunderstorms and hail in the coming days, which could further delay relief efforts and put survivors at greater risk.

CWS reported that the army has been extremely cooperative so far in the air-drop operation, and that currently the needs-assessment team is negotiating the delivery of more shelter kits to hard-to-reach areas. CWS said the army was very pleased to see the swift response of CWS and that the brigadier in charge there said that CWS has brought in the largest consignment of shelter kits so far. However, CWS also reported problems in obtaining enough shelter kits and trucks for transportation to meet the high demand.

To meet some of the demand, a flight with the first 40 to 45 metric tons of tents was expected to leave Oslo on Sunday, and the remainder of the 85-metric-ton shipment will arrive in Pakistan this week.

Over the weekend, Pakistan's government announced the latest death toll with a figure that had been revised sharply upward. In addition to rain and hail, snow has begun to fall in some parts of Kashmir. The arrival of harsher winter conditions makes reaching the earthquake survivors all the more crucial. With as many as 2.5 million people homeless, reports from the affected areas say that survivors' most critical needs are not food and clothing, but shelter and medical assistance, as many hospitals were destroyed in the earthquake as well.

Pakistan's disaster-response chief said that the authorities would not be able to provide shelter before the winter to many of the homeless survivors. Major General Farooq Javed told a news conference in Islamabad there were dire shortages of blankets and tents, but plans were underway to import two million blankets and 100,000 large tents.

Donate to South Asia Earthquake Response Contributions to support these efforts may be sent to:
Church World Service
Southern Asia Earthquake--#6979
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515

Contributions may also be made online, or by calling 800.297.1516, ext. 222.

UMCOR Hotline - Special Edition for October 14, 2005

NEW BULLETIN INSERT: SOUTH ASIA AND CENTRAL AMERICA DISASTERS

Two terrible disasters occurred in our world last week: mudslides in Central America buried entire villages and killed hundreds; and a powerful earthquake rocked Pakistan and neighboring countries killing tens of thousands and displacing millions. UMCOR is responding to these events through local partners already operating in the affected areas.

The new UMCOR bulletin insert, "A Message of Hope: When the Earth Shakes and the Mountains Give Way," tells just how UMCOR is providing hope in these seemingly hopeless situations. It also explains how you can be a part of this response.

Please print and share this bulletin insert with others. Consider a special offering to ensure that your heart and hands can continue to work with vulnerable people in these two devastated locations. The bulletin insert is available at http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/print/bulletininserts/pakistan.cfm


HOW YOU CAN HELP

Cash gifts will help UMCOR continue to support the immediate relief and long term recovery of those affected by these disasters. Please give generously to the following UMCOR Advances:

--UMCOR Advance #232000, Pakistan Earthquake --UMCOR Advance #501300, Central American Emergency --UMCOR Advance #982450, International Disaster Response (Gifts to this Advance go to where they are most needed.)


UMCOR provides emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out
more about UMCOR's ministries, please visit http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/ .
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. 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.

And, please pray for those who are hungry, displaced, sick or in poverty
because of these and other natural and human-made disasters, and for the
workers who minister to them.

To subscribe send a blank email to: join-umcor-hotline@list.gbgm-umc.org

BE SURE TO RECEIVE UMCOR EMAILS: some Internet Service Providers like AOL,
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Please add umcor@gbgm-umc.org to your list or address book so that our
messages will arrive in your inbox, not your "junk mail" or "trash."

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://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/

Pakistan quake took wrenching toll on children

Pakistanis injured by the earthquake are loaded onto helicopters to be transported to facilities where they can receive medical attention. The Oct. 8 quake, with its epicenter in the Pakistani-controlled area of Kashmir, caused damage throughout the region. A UMNS photo by NCA/ACT International.


Oct. 14, 2005

A UMNS Report
By Chris Herlinger*

"This is going to be the one remembered as the earthquake that killed the children."

That is the viewpoint of Marvin Parvez, a Methodist and the Pakistan/Afghanistan director for Church World Service.

Parvez has been on the scene in Pakistan helping coordinate the CWS response to the calamitous earthquake that, as of Oct. 14, had killed more than 25,000 people.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working to assist earthquake victims through CWS and the International Blue Crescent.

While there are occasional bits of good news about rescued survivors -- as he spoke by phone Oct. 11 to CWS headquarters in New York, Parvez received "beautiful news" of four children being rescued from a school -- reports from the scene have otherwise been extremely bleak.

"There are recovered bodies of children being set outside of schools, ready for burial," he said. "As a parent, this is very difficult to see."

He added: "It's a horror story that doesn't end. You find yet another village that has been flattened by this earthquake."

Efforts to rescue survivors or retrieve bodies are being hampered by the inaccessibility of remote rural villages. "These villages are in mountainous regions where there no roads," he said.

Parvez urged support for CWS efforts to provide shelter to earthquake survivors, saying there is "tremendous need right now. People have lost their homes and need shelter. People are very scared, and they can't afford to lose any more loved ones."

In addition to support, Parvez, asked for prayer from U.S. Christians and supporters of CWS efforts in Pakistan. "We need prayers for parents who lost their children," he said, "and for children who lost their parents."

Donations to the United Methodist relief effort can be marked for "UMCOR Advance #232000, Pakistan Earthquake," and placed in church offering plates or sent to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, N.Y. 10087-9068. Contributions also can be made by phone at (800) 554-8583. If funds are intended for recovery in a specific region, that should be noted. More information is available at http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/earthquake/index.stm.

*Herlinger is communications officer for the Church World Service Emergency Response Program.

RURAL AREAS OF MISSISSIPPI STILL CALLING FOR EMERGENCY HELP FOLLOWING KATRINA, RITA, SAYS CHURCH WORLD SERVICE

Agency Helping Hard Hit, Under-Served Communities Organize for Long-Term Recovery

NEW YORK - Wed Oct 5- In southern Mississippi this week, Church World Service (CWS) disaster responder Tim Johnson says the agency is helping community groups begin to organize long-term recovery resources for Hurricane Katrina and Ritas most vulnerable survivors, but, says Johnson, long-term recovery looks a long way off for many along the Gulf Coast and even farther inland.

Johnson says, Some rural areas like Lucedale, Mississippi, werent the super strike zones that Biloxi was during Hurricane Katrina, but they experienced significant damage and so far they are still outside the net of major response.

Johnson is one of the humanitarian agencys team of responders in the devastated Gulf Coast who are assessing ongoing emergency needs but are particularly focusing on establishing new community-based, long-term recovery organizations that will serve survivors with unmet needs. Were particularly concerned about those rural areas that get less focus, he says.

With 60 years experience in domestic and international disaster response, Church World Service provides emergency aid, long-term recovery programs, and in the case of Katrina and Ritas aftermath, the agency is assisting in the relocation of evacuees.

Were already well into the process of meeting with community and faith groups to help them see how they can access broader resources down the line, says Johnson. Whats constant are the communities and the churches in those communities. Long term recovery will be their responsibility when other support organizations have gone.

Yet, more than a month after Katrina and now following Ritas hit, Johnson says in some areas of the Louisiana bayou country and coastal Mississippi and Alabama, chronic emergency needs are just beginning to be heard and met.

Johnson says Lucedale, Mississippi, is one of those rural areas that was away from the mass destruction zones. The damage is more hidden, not obvious from the roadways. But, he says, there are thousands of people living there, and they desperately need help - now and over the long haul.

Even if they have homeowners insurance, many dont have enough, he said.
Clean-up is a huge task, and some areas arent cleaned up at all yet, and its been a month since Katrina.

Some people are just getting tarps for damaged roofs and some are still living in dwellings that dont have tarps, says CWSs Melina Pavlides, who accompanied Johnson. If youre a renter and your roof is damaged, you dont get a tarp. Sometimes the landlord evacuated and hasnt come back.

Peoples phones dont work, so they cant call anyone for assistance. And some dont have transportation. So they couldnt call FEMA for the $2,000 reimbursement program that ended last Monday. And if you were a renter, you wouldnt have qualified for that anyway.

Thursday, October 6, Johnson was in Mississippis Hancock, Jackson, and George Counties, meeting with county leadership to assess needs and begin to organize for long-term recovery. In Lucedale on Friday night (Sept. 30), Johnson met with the mayor, city council members, community and church leaders to introduce them to how community-based long-term recovery programs work following a disaster.

The people around Lucedale knew the bigger picture was out there, says Johnson, but they needed someone to put it all together for them. Right now, theyre still in emergency relief stages, and its overwhelming.

Those in Lucedale who want to take on local responsibility just didnt know the process for organization around long-term recovery, Johnson says.

One man told us they just needed someone from a national organization like CWS to help them scout down the trail.

But for the moment, he said, some were simply happiest to find access to emergency supplies. A cold snap was predicted for the weekend, Johnson says, and one woman told us, Now at least I know where to go to get blankets.
There are people Im worried about, so now I can get blankets and take them there.

Rev. Elijah Mitchell, a district disaster coordinator, was at the Lucedale organizing meeting. A United Methodist minister in the Biloxi area, Mitchell lost two churches during Katrina. Mitchell told CWS six people went to one of the churches for shelter during the hurricane and were killed when the church was destroyed by the storm.

The church is now a mound of cinderblocks, says CWSs Pavlides. Mitchell and other church leaders are using church storage facilities in Stone County adjoining Lucedale to warehouse blankets, cleanup buckets, building materials and other recovery supplies.

At the Gulf Coast, Pavlides says, Moss Point, Mississippi, was still reeling from the devastation. We saw one neighborhood of modest little homes, built one after another in rows. Theyre ruined. They may have to just bulldoze all of the homes. People would be able to keep their land and rebuild.
Reportedly, contractors may waive the bulldoze fees.

Church World Service delivered basic medicines and a shipment of Emergency Clean-up Buckets to First Christian Disciples of Christ Church in Moss Point last week, and CWSs Johnson and Pavlides were there to further assess needs and support long-term recovery organizing.

Theres a clinic staged at the same church in Moss Point, says Pavlides, with volunteer nurses from places like Honolulu and Seattle. Theyll be there until November. Theyre authorized to write prescriptions, she says, so theyll be able to dispense medicines from our shipment.

Pavlides says a mobile pharmacy in the area was also distributing medicines donated by CWS and schools of pharmacy.


CWS continues pace of relief supply shipments, cash grants

CWS continues to distribute relief supplies and issue cash grants for relief and recovery across the region. The global relief, development and refugee resettlement agencys latest shipment of 10,000 blankets and 10,000 Gift of the Heart Health Kits was expedited to distribution points in the Gulf Coast area over the weekend, and a next shipment is pending. So far, Church World Service has shipped more than $1.3 million in material assistance to Katrina- and Rita-affected areas.

In a separate Midwest-wide ecumenical Festival of Sharing effort, collections filled a 40-foot container load with CWS Gift of the Heart Health Kits, Clean-up Buckets, and other provisions, which are now en route for distribution.

Church World Service is continuing its national fundraising campaign for survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita with funds earmarked for emergency aid and long-term recovery.

Contributions to support these efforts may be sent to: Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515, or call 800 297 1516 ext. 222. For more information, see: www.churchworldservice.org

Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the United States providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance in more than 80 countries.

Church World Service
28606 Phillips Street
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
info@churchworldservice.org
800-297-1516; fax: 574-262-0966
Regional office toll-free 888-CWS-CROP (888-297-2767)

Church World Service
475 Riverside Dr.
New York, NY 10115

The Story of Interfaith Dental Clinic – “The Little Clinic that Could”

Good, quality dental care can be a luxury to some families. Maybe it is a single mom, working two jobs. Maybe it is a senior citizen who ekes by on Social Security. Maybe it is a hard-working father supporting a family with his minimum wage job. Without dental insurance, these families often just don’t get the care they need.

Ten years ago, a local dentist, Dr. Tom Underwood, had an idea to help families like these. Underwood had been on several mission trips to third-world nations and noticed that many Tennesseans had worse oral health than the people there. He knew that hard-working people who lived along the poverty line often fell in the cracks between public health care and private practice.

Underwood approached the West End United Methodist Church and the Nashville Dental Society with a proposed solution. The two entities would develop a clinic to serve the unmet dental needs of the working poor population in middle Tennessee.

The West End United Methodist Church agreed to provide a space in its basement so volunteer dentists could see patients. Local dental suppliers donated the necessary dental equipment and materials. The late Dr. Charles Ingram volunteered his time to be the first clinic administrator.



In 1994, the clinic opened its doors for a few nights a week. All dental services were donated by volunteer dentists, specialists, hygienists, and assistants. In 1995, the Interfaith Dental Clinic was able to hire Dr. Rhonda Switzer as full-time executive director and staff dentist.


The clinic’s board decided to focus the agency’s efforts on employed families who were committed to regaining optimum oral health and learning the skills to maintain it. Qualified patients are accepted for an average period of one-year, during which they receive sliding fee scale prices on all the services necessary to restore their mouths, both functionally and esthetically. The average patient pays about 20% of market value. After patients complete the program, they are discharged into the private practice world to maintain the work that has been done through regular cleanings. This referral encourages self-sufficiency and makes room for new patients.

Today, the clinic sits in a six-operatory building and boasts 11 staff members. During the last fiscal year, the clinic saw about 800 patients and restored almost 300 to optimum oral health.

The clinic’s budget for the 2005-06 fiscal year is $1,299,000 with patient fees accounting for 25% of the agency’s budget. The rest of the funds are raised through United Way, private foundations, churches, companies, and generous individuals in the greater Nashville community.

The clinic couldn’t operate without the generosity of community volunteers. Last year, about 200 people volunteered at the clinic, and dental professionals alone gave more than $200,000 worth of services to Interfaith’s patients.

While the clinic has continued to grow, there is never a shortage of people needing its services.“Right now, the clinic turns away 10-12 families a day.” says Switzer. “We could be double the size we are now and not run into a shortage of families who need our care.”

To help meet this need, the clinic is currently raising $1.2 million to expand its program by 30%. The expansion will include four new dental operatories, a larger lab and sterilization area, and additional dental staff to serve the patients. The expansion will open in January 2006.

To find our more about the clinic call 329-4790 or log onto www.interfaithdentaclinic.com.

United Methodist Cash Contributions to Gulf Hurricane Relief Reach $11 Million

New York, NY, October 3, 2005-Cash contributions to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) for hurricane relief and rehabilitation in the Gulf Coast region reached $11 million on October 3, 2005.

The figure incorporates donations covering both Hurricane Katrina, which struck on August 29, and Hurricane Rita, which came ashore on September 24.

Of the total, $2.7 million has come through internet and telephone contributions; the remaining $8.3 million by check, according to Roland Fernandes, treasurer of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. UMCOR is part of that agency.

"United Methodist generosity to those in crisis is amazing but it is not surprising," Mr. Fernandes said. "We have a firm belief in this Church that we serve Jesus Christ when we serve those in need."

Contributors may designate their gifts for areas affected by Hurricane Katrina or by Hurricane Rita, or to those places most in need. Donations can also be earmarked for particular states.

One hundred per cent of every contribution to UMCOR goes to the cause designated. The agency is known especially for its long-term commitments to peoples whose lives are shattered by natural or human-triggered disasters.

UMCOR is providing two giving numbers through The Advance for Christ and His Church for Gulf hurricane relief. Checks should be made out to: UMCOR, with an indication of whether the sum is for "UMCOR Advance #982523 Hurricane Katrina" or "UMCOR Advance #901323 Hurricane Rita." Both numbers or one number and the word "both" will indicate general assistance.

Tax-deductible gifts may be placed in any United Methodist church offering plate or mailed directly to: UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Credit card donations are also being taken by phone at 1-800-554-8583. The online giving address is: www.methodistrelief.org.

If You Desire to Send a Relief Team--DO NOT Call a local church in the Storm Damaged Area--USE the Call Centers in the Affected Annual Conferences

This morning a conference call with United Methodist relief workers from across the Southeastern Jurisdiction revealed two important items:

1. PLEASE contact the call centers of affected annual conferences to schedule teams (NOT local churches). Pastors have been overwhelmed by direct phone calls and need people to “use the connection.” Some areas can host volunteers, while others still need totally self-sufficient teams. The call centers can help provide information and make connections, allowing the local church to focus on ministry. Teams are greatly in need in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida (west and south). The call center numbers:

Alabama-West Florida Conference Storm Center - (866) 340-1956

Louisiana United Methodist Storm Center - (877) 345.5193

Mississippi Conference Storm Center - 866/435-7091 or 7092 or 7093

Florida Conference Storm Recovery Center - (800) 282-8011 ext 149

Texas Conference 713-533-3713 (temporary), new call center number TBA


2. Flood Buckets, Financial Donations, and Gift Cards are greatest needs at the moment. We will be sending most supplies to Sager Brown depot for the time being. Donations can be made to UMCOR Hurricanes 2005, the TN Conference Disaster Fund, or directly to the affected annual conferences. Gift Cards to Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart (with amount marked in permanent ink) sent to the Tennessee Conference Office will be forwarded to affected conferences so families can buy what they need and also contribute to the local economy. For tax purposes, it would be best for persons to contribute money and have the church or conference purchase the cards.