Hurricanes 2005: Where the Money Goes

New York, NY, December 6, 2005—The United Methodist Committee on Relief. (UMCOR) is assisting recovery in 13 states either directly affected by 2005 hurricanes or hosting hurricane evacuees. Some $24 million has so far been contributed by Church members and friends. Still more effort and more funds will be required to respond to this year’s horrific storms, especially Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

UMCOR’s “specialty” is long term relief and recovery work. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, UMCOR estimates that long term will translate to upwards of six years, particularly in hard-hit areas of Louisiana and Mississippi.

The $24 million mark in contribution was reached at the end of November, according to Roland Fernandes, treasurer of the General Board of Global Ministries, of which UMCOR is a part.

Establishing a Long Term System of Response
In order for the long term recovery process to work, there needs to be a good establishment of the system. UMCOR works through annual conferences in each affected area which must have a contractor, a volunteer coordinator, local recovery stations, and a process to evaluate requests for assistance and to handle them in a fair and equitable way. They need to purchase supplies and set up material depots and coordinate the release of supplies. While UMCOR is providing training, consultant support, and funding to help each annual conference provide all of these services, it still takes time to set up an effective system to respond over the long term.

The magnitude of the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina means that what would seem what would be significant strides for recovery in other hurricanes appears to be only drops in the bucket in response to this one.

Where the Money Goes
The UMCOR board of directors voted to disperse funds to affected annual conferences for hurricane relief and recovery according to their expressed immediate needs at their fall board meeting. The funds released to Mississippi and Louisiana are for use in only the initial six months following the hurricane because the size of this disaster prevents us from foreseeing all of the possibilities for need. More funds will be sent to these annual conferences as these additional needs are made known.

Alabama-West Florida (12 months)
$914,000
Mississippi (6 months)
$1,397,289
Louisiana (6 months)
$2,052,221

This is in addition to $10,000 emergency grants that UMCOR sent to each of the following 18 United Methodist National Mission Institutions for immediate relief work.

Alabama
Dumas Wesley House
Faith Mission Outreach
Arkansas
Camp Aldersgate
Georgia
Open Door Community House
Illinois
Lessie Bates David Neighborhood House
Kentucky
The Bennett Center of London
Louisiana
Dulac Community House
Methodist Home for Children
Louisiana United Methodist Church Children and Family Services
Huston-Tillotson University
Mississippi
Wood Institute
Wesley House
Bethlehem Center
Moore Community House
Texas
Wesley House, Houston
Wesley Community Center
Good Neighbor Settlement House
Grace Community Services

UMCOR also sent $10,000 emergency grants to each of the following 11 annual conferences serving evacuees.

Alabama-West Florida
Florida
Kentucky
Mississippi, North Texas
Missouri
North Alabama
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference
Texas
Virginia
Wisconsin

Additional Areas of Support

Cleanup
UMCOR purchased and dispersed $85,543 in cleanup supplies such as mops, brooms, and buckets.

Consultants
UMCOR has placed 16 domestic disaster consultants, some full time in the field, to provide guidance to annual conferences in setting up their call service centers and long term recovery programs. The cost of their deployment as of Nov. 16 is $126,547.

Partner Agencies
UMCOR sent $50,000 to support Church World Service’s evacuee resettlement program.

International
This year’s storms also caused great tragedies in Central America. Thus far UMCOR has sent $69,095 to local partner organizations in Guatemala, Mexico, and El Salvador.

This list of numbers and places UMCOR has provided funding for does not include the incalculable cost of time so many volunteers have already provided and the generous spirit of churches who have opened their doors, their treasures, and their hearts to the hurting.

How You Can Help
If you would like to print and share this information with others, click here to download UMCOR’s latest Report to Donors.
Give to UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005
Online at: www.methodistrelief.org By phone: 1-800-554-8583By check: at your local church, or by mail to: UMCOR PO Box 9068 New York, NY 10087-9068