STAIR program steps up to help children after Katrina

By Stephanie Kovac*

Willa Cristina has spent her life raising five children and seven grandchildren. At age 80, she thought retirement was finally around the corner, but Hurricane Katrina had more work in store.

"I thought I had retired from everything, but they're desperate for tutors this year," says Cristina of New Orleans.

She's now committed another year of her life to another child - 7-year-old Da'Lan Hammette.

The second-grader lost everything in the storm and now lives with her family in a trailer provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in a Pepsi-Cola parking lot near New Orleans.

Da'Lan is one of 10 students involved in a children's literacy program known as STAIR or Start the Adventure in Reading, and she's receiving one-on-one instructional help from Willa, a six-year volunteer.

STAIR, a nonprofit organization, originated in New Orleans in 1985 but was virtually wiped out by Katrina last year.

"We lost our curriculum materials, our library books, a lot of our materials because our sites were totally inundated or damaged in some way," says STAIR Executive Director Sara Woodard. "So we had to kind of regroup and salvage materials from other sites."

Getting on track
Before Katrina struck, STAIR had 24 sites in the New Orleans area. Today, it has only 12, but it is getting its program back on track. Three area United Methodist churches are among those hosting the program, including St. Paul's United Methodist in Jefferson Parish, Algiers United Methodist in Orleans Parish, and Belle Chase United Methodist, the first-ever site in hard-hit Plaquemines.

The Rev. Sheri Zehner of St. Paul's says the church is a perfect partner for the program, and notes that the children need comfort now more than ever. "School can be a very frantic place, especially now, when they're just trying to figure out where their lives are, where they fit in."

Finding someone to talk to can be hard, especially for children, Zehner says. New Orleans has a shortage of mental health workers, and many parents and children alike are turning to the clergy.

"A lot of the children want to come into the sanctuary and just sit for a while, which is strange, but they do," Cristina says.

While the walls of St. Paul's United Methodist are providing a safe haven for youngsters such as Da'Lan, the tutors are lending a listening ear. They too know consolation is as important as comprehension.

"Our refrigerator broke," Da'Lan interjects in the middle of her lesson. "Ah, yes," replies Cristina, "everybody's refrigerator broke, I think." And young and old share an impromptu moment of laughter.

A necessity for recovery
Woodard does not doubt this year will be difficult for all involved.

"It's an emotional year for the tutors too because it's not just something that happened to one group, it happened to everyone," Woodard explains. "I think the tutors can really relate to what the children have been through since they've been through it themselves; they've experienced the sense of loss also."

Still, Woodard says the program can be part of the city's recovery process, and she views it as an absolute necessity given that so many children have been in a variety of schools the past year and may have fallen behind.

"We want to make sure they get a good education and that they graduate from high school, go to college here, and then join the work force because we're going to need them more than ever now."

Before Katrina, 90 percent of STAIR children were African American. Since the storm, the program has had an influx of Caucasians and Hispanics because so many Hispanic workers have moved to the area to help in the rebuilding. The program is adapting to accommodate their needs, including staffing more bilingual tutors.

Churches such as St. Paul's are adapting too. St. Paul's has installed showers in the upstairs space once used by STAIR in order to open its facilities to work teams from outside the area.

The church has also prepped its fellowship hall to accommodate tutoring on Mondays and Wednesdays.

St. Paul's believes that mission and outreach are what Christ calls us to be about, Zehner says. "If one child is helped along their journey, that's a huge reward."

*Kovac is a freelance writer based in McKinney, Texas.

Well House helps women get lives on track after prison

By Lilla Marigza*

With its freshly painted green exterior and flowers blooming in the yard, the Well House looks like any other along its street in San Antonio. But this house is home to 10 women who are trying to make a fresh start.

The Woman at the Well program was founded in 1995 to help women coming out of prison. Statistically, two-thirds of people who are released from incarceration will return within three years. The program addresses common problems that lead to recidivism and offers housing, counseling and help with job placement.

On this day, the staff is giving an informal orientation for a new arrival. There are long lists of house rules, chores and a strict schedule, all designed to instill structure and good habits. This personal discipline will benefit the women as they re-enter the work force, but on the first day, it can feel overwhelming.

Staff member Terry McDowell assures a new resident. "It's doable," McDowell says. "It depends on how bad you want it. How hard are you willing to work for yourself? You can't do this for a boyfriend or a husband or a mother, the kids. … Do it for you."

McDowell knows firsthand what it is like to go through this process. She is a graduate of the program and returned to the Well House to work as the house manager.

She found out about Well House from her cellmates in jail, where she was serving a year for violating her probation on a drug charge. During her seven month stay as a resident at the house, she earned her high school equivalency degree.

"I have done many things in my life," she says. "I am a wife and a mother and a grandmother, but now I have my education and I started to feel complete."

Knocking on doors
Rebecca Mays is also a program graduate and a staff member. She remembers arriving at Well House right after her incarceration. "I was bankrupt in every aspect of my life…"

Mays spent seven months in the program and is now working and attending college full time. Success hasn't come easily. She says re-entering the work force with a felony on one's record can be uncomfortable, but she encourages new residents to have confidence and persevere.

"You might have to knock on 15 doors, but two of those doors may open," she says.

Resident Sherryl Cloud appreciates the support she has found at Well House. "If I ever need a shoulder to cry on, they are here spiritually, emotionally, mentally." Cloud is looking for a job and working to mend fences with her family. "When I was in my addiction, I lost everything, including my children."

She served time in prison and has been in recovery for three years battling an addiction to marijuana and painkillers. She has lived in other halfway houses in the past but hopes this time, with the help of Well House, she will finally break the cycle for herself and for her five children.

"I need to stay clean not only for myself but for my children and for my family," she says. "They need me now. They have always needed me, and it took a lot for me to realize that."

Role models
Woman at the Well grew out of a prison Bible study ministry founded by United Methodist pastor Georgia Stone. Through reaching out to women who were incarcerated Stone understood their needs. "Several told me they had no role models to be like."

Stone says most women in prison have no support system. Often, drugs, prostitution and abuse are problems within their families. "They were going back into the very same things that would probably get them in trouble again."

She wanted to offer what no other halfway house was offering: a long-term stay that included counseling, education and an introduction into a church in the local community. All, she says, are essential for women trying to build a new life. "You have to have the spiritual component for it to work, but without the rest it won't work either."

About 80 percent of the women who come to Well House graduate from the program. Graduation means having a job, appropriate housing and an established support system once they leave.

Most women come to the house after serving in prison for three to seven years. The average stay at the home is nine to 12 months. Executive Director Priscilla Murguia explains that during that time, a resident is expected to find a steady job and a steady church.

"Finding a home church is part of her stay here with us … (and) staying active in a church … so she'll have that church family to stay connected with once she leaves the Well House," Murguia says.

While religion provides a strong foundation for recovery, it also means the program cannot receive any government funding. Support for Well House comes from Texas churches and individuals who also give to the cause through volunteer work.

In the 10 years she has headed the program, Murguia has seen 450 women helped by it. "Some will stay in touch with us, (but) very few because for most of them this is a part of life they don't want to look back at … and that's OK."

Murguia is thankful that graduates such as McDowell and Mays return to lead others through the journey. Murguia watched both women, like so many others, come to the house tired and scared and leave with confidence.

"You see the transformation taking place just by their physical appearance," she says. "Not only are they beautiful outside; inside their beauty starts showing, which gives the other women encouragement to believe in themselves through God and to work with the program."

McDowell and Mays have come a long way. Both women acknowledge that the temptations and problems of the past are behind them … but never far behind. Staying on the right path is a journey that only really begins once a person leaves Well House. "It's something that you don't just graduate from and walk away," Mays says.

Mays knows that overcoming her past may take years. She has a son who still won't speak to her, but this too she will overcome.

"The relationship hasn't gotten back together," she says, "but I don't dwell on that because I know in time … God's time not mine … it will happen. Well House taught me that. I have to do what I can, put the rest in God's hands and just keep moving forward."

*Marigza is a freelance producer in Nashville, Tenn.

Children learn seriousness of famine, plight of hungry children

By John Gordon*

MIDLOTHIAN, Va. (UMNS)-In less than two hours, members of Woodlake United Methodist Church packaged enough meals to feed more than 8,000 hungry children.

Ten-year-old Megan Herceg was among more than 40 fourth- and fifth-graders who learned about the seriousness of world famine while packaging food for the non-profit organization, Stop Hunger Now. She said she never realized how many people died from hunger.

The session began with a sobering statistic. "There are 30,000 people dying every day of starvation," said the Rev. Lee Warren, Virginia director for the Raleigh, N.C.-based organization. "That's one person every three seconds."

Church member Brandy Clark, 10, said the plight of hungry children was a sharp contrast to the holiday season she will enjoy with her family. "I think it's sad because my family always enjoys having Thanksgiving," she said, "and it's really hard for me to think of kids going without Thanksgiving."

Older church members assisted the children as they measured, bagged and weighed a mix of rice, soy protein, dehydrated vegetables and artificial chicken flavoring. Add water, and the ingredients become a vitamin-fortified, nutritious meal costing only 20 cents per serving.

Participating groups contribute funds to cover the costs of the meals, which are being stockpiled as part of Stop Hunger Now's Operation Sharehouse. The organization's goal is to build a warehouse on every major continent. It supplies food to orphanages and schools in dozens of developing countries, from Haiti to Sudan.

"We just take for granted how easy it is to just go to the store and buy a turkey and put it in the oven, have all the fixings," said church member Terri Russell. "And they just don't have that."

This "makes me feel like I'm really doing something worthwhile and makes me feel very good. I get personal satisfaction from it," added Edna Webster, 77.

Warren, a United Methodist pastor, said experts believe hunger could be cut in half in the next 10 to 15 years. She said schools that offer meals also see an increase in attendance.

"The U.N. set up model programs of the free-lunch program in approximately 30 countries, (that serve) maybe 80 million children," she added. "They found that (school) enrollment doubled immediately. You cannot learn on an empty stomach."

Bringing the packaging program on-site to churches, schools and other organizations helps the volunteers get directly involved in working toward a solution to the hunger problem.

"People have shared how before they've written a check and they don't feel as emotionally connected to the problem," said Warren. "This way, they see the actual meals. And they feel that they are making a greater difference."

The Rev. Ellen Heatwole, associate pastor at Woodlake and leader of the WOW youth group, agrees that involvement is important.

"We've become very 'instant gratification,'" she said. "Just stroke a check, or I'll just give it away. But anything that you do hands-on is the part that will transform you."

Stop Hunger Now's largest packaging event took place in August at North Carolina State University in Raleigh when 650 volunteers packaged more than 150,000 meals.

Stop Hunger Now was founded in 1998 by Texas native Ray Buchanan, an ordained United Methodist minister. Before that, Buchanan worked 18 years as the founder and co-director of the Society of St. Andrew, a food-relief organization based in Virginia.

*Gordon is a freelance producer and writer based in Marshall, Texas.

Katrina Aid Today doubles assistance to families

By Jennifer Burcham*

WASHINGTON (UMNS) - Case managers for Katrina Aid Today assisted nearly 28,800 families - roughly 75,000 people - by the end of October and continue to open about 1,000 new cases each week.

According to a recent fourth quarter report from Katrina Aid Today, affiliates working on long-term recovery with survivors of Hurricane Katrina virtually doubled the number of families helped since its last report in July.

"Since issuing the report, our new total is 30,112 families. That's nearly 80,000 individuals," said Warren Harrity, executive director of Katrina Aid Today. "That means we have served more people than the entire population of the pre-Katrina Lake Charles, La." Lake Charles had 70,555 residents before the 2005 hurricanes.

Katrina Aid Today is funded through a $66 million grant to the United Methodist Committee on Relief and monitored by Federal Emergency Management Agency. The consortium consists of 25 agencies with years of disaster recovery case management experience serving either as national partners or as local service providers under the Katrina Aid Today umbrella.

Although it has been more than a year since Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf Coast, the figures confirm that many people across the nation are desperate for aid. The consortium plans to assist about 70,000 more Katrina-affected families over the next 11 months.

Housing, job training, employment assistance and utility payments and supplies are the most pressing needs for these families, according to the report. Health concerns were also on the minds of Katrina survivors as they sought services from Katrina Aid Today partners.

Sharon Truly, 48, is a Katrina Aid Today client. Though a Louisiana native, she had never evacuated for a hurricane. When Hurricane Katrina came barreling through New Orleans, she thought it was just another storm and decided to ride it out at a motel with her husband, her son and her 21 exotic birds.

"In one day, everything you have in your whole life is wiped out. That fast," Truly said, with a snap of her fingers, as she looked through photographs of the things she lost.

Truly, who suffers with seizures, migraine headaches, a chronic respiratory disease and ruptured disks in her back, is unable to work. She must have oxygen to sleep at night. Her oxygen concentrator was flooded and she also had trouble getting her prescriptions filled. She eventually relocated to Memphis, Tenn.

That's when she heard about the Memphis and Shelby County Community Services Agency, a member of Katrina Aid Today.

Truly's case manager helped her find an apartment and furnish it, and get her prescription medications refilled. The case manager also is helping her map out a plan for her recovery, and assisted her in applying for an educational grant.

Today, Truly is working toward her bachelor's degree online and plans to start a home-based business selling vitamins and nutritional shakes.

The consortium has more than 1,400 full-time and volunteer trained disaster recovery case managers working in 32 states. They help survivors define the things that are holding them back from rebuilding their lives and then assist them in mapping out an "action plan for recovery."

More information can be found at http://www.katrinaaidtoday.org, the consortium's Web site.

*Burcham is a staff writer for Katrina Aid Today.

UMCOR’s 2007 Calendar is Now Available

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2007—The United Methodist Committee on Relief announces its 2007 Calendar, Questions of Crisis: Answers of Hope. The 2007 calendar looks into the questions people ask when in the midst of a crisis. Basic needs such as food and housing that many take for granted become complex issues; keeping one’s family together seems impossible; planning past today’s needs becomes a luxury.

UMCOR’s integrated programs consider the root causes of the crisis and answer these questions with hope. They are answers that give hope for greater stability and peacefulness for today and for a better tomorrow.

The 12-month calendar features a collage of rich photographs each month with a vignette illustrating the transforming power of UMCOR’s programs. Calendars are available to order by calling 1-800-305-9857 or ordering online at www.umcorcalendar.org. Each calendar costs $8.50 plus shipping and handling.

The price of the calendars offsets some of the production costs. UMCOR does not use donations designated to UMCOR programs in the US and abroad to produce the calendar. Other funding channels created specifically for projects like the UMCOR calendar.

UMCOR is the not-for-profit global humanitarian aid organization of the United Methodist Church. UMCOR is working 81 countries worldwide, including the United States. Its mission is to alleviate human suffering-whether caused by war, conflict or natural disaster, with open hearts and minds to all people.

Advocacy, Cooperation Leads to Homes for the Tsunami’s Most Vulnerable Survivors

NEW YORK, Nov. 7, 2006—The Kuala Barracks in Bireuen District of Aceh Province are being dismantled, thanks in large part to the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s advocacy efforts. UMCOR worked with the local government to secure land and build homes for 65 families who became homeless when houses they were renting were swept away by the tsunami. This temporary shelter was constructed after the tsunami to house people left homeless by this disaster. Approximately 108 families lived in the crowded and dilapidated Kuala Barracks for nearly two years. For its former residents and the surrounding community, the dismantling of these barracks represents a giant step forward in recovery.

Families that owned land were able to leave the barracks and be resettled much faster than those who were renting their homes prior to the tsunami. Landowners were given priority in the reconstruction process because they had a plot of land on which a home could be rebuilt. By contrast, landless families living in the barracks were left in a kind of reconstruction no man’s land. Unable to claim a piece of property as their own, they were stranded in the temporary shelter awaiting a solution to their predicament.

Coordination Leads to a Solution
UMCOR worked closely with the 65 landless families living in the Kuala Barracks to ensure they were not left out of the rebuilding process. UMCOR approached the local government in Bireuen and encouraged them to seek funding from the Indonesian Rehabilitation Reconstruction Agency (BRR) to purchase land in the nearby village of Cot Batee for the families. Then UMCOR, along with the local village leaders in Cot Batee found people willing to sell their land to the government for the landless families.

Once the rights to the land were secure, UMCOR asked the community members to help clear their new land and hired machinery to do the heavy work. A new road and drainage channel constructed by UMCOR made it possible for contractors to move in and build 65 houses with a small living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and bathroom. Each house has water and is linked to the local electrical network. The houses are painted bright green, pink and orange, cheerfully standing out from the lush green tropical background of palm trees and rice paddies.

Making New Houses into Homes
The families have now all moved into the new houses. Now they are going about the business of making theses house in to homes—planting flowers and plants in their front yards and stringing up clothes lines, setting up small outside businesses, where neighbors like to visit, and hanging up what pictures survived the tsunami.

UMCOR established its Indonesia office in 2005 to assist in tsunami recovery. UMCOR was among the first organizations to work in the Bireuen District of Aceh Province.

United Methodist phone cards bringing light to soldiers

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

The only phone card Sgt. 1st Class John Brian Gregory can use that is not blocked by the Afghanistan government is the one featuring the United Methodist Church's Cross and Flame.
Gregory is "way out in the boonies" at Camp Salerno in Khost, Afghanistan, and he tells his wife Nina that the only way he can afford to call home is with a little plastic card sent to him by United Methodists in the United States.

"Just to hear his voice every few weeks makes all the difference in the world," says Nina. The Gregory's two children, Tia, 15, and Nick, 12, get to hear straight from their dad that he is okay and that's "pretty cool," according to Nina.

Since Veteran's Day 2003, United Methodists have donated more than 9 million minutes of free phone calls to service men and women working in harm's way in war zones around the world.

The United Methodist Endorsing Agency, Board of Higher Education and Ministry, started the phone card campaign to help military families stay in touch with each other. United Methodist Communications teamed with the endorsing agency in 2004 to design cards featuring the United Methodist Cross and Flame and the message "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors. The people of the United Methodist Church."

When soldiers use the cards they hear a recorded prayer: "The people of the United Methodist Church are praying for your safety and sense of peace. Our hearts, our minds and our doors are always open to you." The United Methodist phone cards cost $4.95 for 120 minutes.

The endorsing agency gives the cards to United Methodist chaplains who then distribute them to any military person in need.

Getting through
Beaver Falls United Methodist Church has been sending packages to Gregory since he deployed Feb. 10. Nina says somehow one of the United Methodist calling cards got in a package to her husband.

"What a light, that the United Methodist cards would work and are the only cards the Afghanistan government doesn't block," Nina says. "It is an amazing program."

Gregory is part of the D-Co/1-32 from Fort Drum. His company is based in the mountains of Afghanistan. The camp is so remote that he is not able to send email and phone calls are hard to make. "Unfortunately there have been a lot of deaths in his company and when that happens they shut down communication," Nina explains.

Gregory is scheduled to be back home by the end of January.

"You can't know how grateful the families are when they get to hear them (loved ones)," Nina says. "You can know they are okay but to actually hear their voices is just so precious."

The phone card campaign is ongoing. Because of limited personnel, the agency does not have the ability to sell phone cards to congregations or individuals. For more information on how to participate, contact the United Methodist Endorsing Agency, Board of Higher Education and Ministry, P.O. Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007. The agency also can be reached at umea@gbhem.org or (615) 340-7411. The Web site for the agency is www.gbhem.org/chaplains.

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

The People of The United Methodist Church Join With NBA Cares, Sports Illustrated, UN Foundation to Fight Malaria

‘Nothing But Nets’ Campaign to be Launched November 14

NASHVILLE: On November 14, The People of the United Methodist Church will participate in the official launch of Nothing But Nets, a campaign to save lives by preventing malaria. Several agencies of the denomination are joining together with NBA Cares, Sports Illustrated, the United Nations Foundation and others in a partnership to raise funds to purchase mosquito nets for children in Africa, more than a million of whom die from malaria every year.

An insecticide-treated bed net can protect a person from mosquitoes that spread malaria, a disease that infects nearly 500 million people each year.

“We’re excited about our involvement in this campaign. The People of The United Methodist Church have been in mission across Africa for more than 160 years,” said Bishop Thomas Bickerton, President of the Commission on Communications. “Our work in the area of malaria prevention made Nothing But Nets a natural partner for us. There are many ways to stop the spread of malaria, but buying a bed net for a family in Africa is something that almost everyone can do. We hope that everyone will join us and our other partners in support of this effort.”

The campaign launch in New York will include a radio media tour with representatives of the partner organizations, a media roundtable with members of the UN press corps, and other interview opportunities.

The Nothing But Nets effort got started when Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly learned about the UN Foundation’s efforts to provide bed nets across Africa and decided to get involved. In a column entitled “Nothing But Nets,” he made an appeal for anyone who ever played or enjoyed any sport involving nets to donate $10—the approximate cost to purchase and distribute an insecticide-treated bed net. More than 17,000 people have donated a total of $1.2 million already—enough to deliver 120,000 nets to Nigeria.

The People of The United Methodist Church were invited by the UN Foundation to join in the partnership because of the church’s long history of working to fight disease and poverty, as well as its extensive presence in Africa.

The hope is to get the denomination’s 36,000 congregations—and youth groups in particular—involved in the fundraising efforts. United Methodist youth groups that raise money for Nothing But Nets will be eligible for prizes at the international Youth 2007 gathering which will take place in Greensboro, N.C. next July. Toolkits specifically designed for church youth groups will be made available on the Nothing But Nets website.

For more information, visit www.nothingbutnets.net or join the Nothing But Nets “Nets-work” to get regular campaign updates by sending a cell phone text message to the number 47647. Just type the word NETS in the body of the message and hit "send" to be added to the network.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Partnership between the People of the United Methodist Church & the Nothing But Nets Campaign

Q: Where did the Nothing But Nets idea come from?
A: Rick Reilly, a popular columnist for Sports Illustrated, heard about the U.N. Foundation’s efforts to provide bed nets across Africa to try to stem the spread of malaria, and he saw the potential to make a real difference. In a column titled “Nothing But Nets,” he made an appeal for anyone who plays or enjoys a sport involving nets to donate $10 to provide a bed net and save the life of a child. Malaria, transmitted by mosquito bite, kills one out of every five children in Africa under the age of 5. The response to Reilly’s column has so far generated $1.2 million, and “Nothing But Nets” has become the name identified with this effort to cover the continent of Africa with bed nets.

Q: How did we get involved in Nothing but Nets?
A: The United Methodist Church was already in dialogue with the United Nations Foundation about global health partnership opportunities when the idea of Nothing But Nets came into being. Because of our extensive presence in Africa, our long commitment to malaria prevention, and the potential for getting church youth involved in the effort, we were invited to join in this diverse partnership. We are committed to making a difference in the world, and this was an ideal opportunity for us to live out our church’s promise of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.”

Q: Why was The United Methodist Church chosen for this partnership?
A: The United Methodist Church is well known for its work in fighting disease and poverty around the world. In November 2005, both the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries and the U.N. Foundation participated in the Global Health Summit hosted by TIME magazine. While many organizations like the U.N. Foundation have the ability to raise funds to meet health needs, they do not have the infrastructure in place to get the money where it needs to go. For decades, The United Methodist Church has been working in African communities to prevent malaria, the leading cause of death among children. Creating a partnership using the strength of both organizations was a natural step.

Q: Who are the other partners?
A: Along with the U.N. Foundation, Sports Illustrated and The People of The United Methodist Church, NBA Cares has joined the effort, and has offered its players and organization to help raise visibility. Other partners include the Measles Initiative, which has worked closely with the U.N. in trying to eradicate that disease, and Millennium Promise, an organization fighting malaria and other diseases associated with severe poverty in many parts of the world.

Q: Is this a program only for youth?
A: No. Everyone in the church is invited to be part of Nothing But Nets, but we see this as a campaign that can be particularly exciting for young people. This is a way for them to make a tangible difference — to literally save the generation coming behind them in vulnerable parts of the world. Some of the resources for Nothing But Nets are being designed with a specific focus for youth, and text-messaging and other technology that is widely used by young people will be part of the campaign. We believe young people will lead the church in getting more deeply connected with Nothing But Nets. The church is also developing resources for its wider emphasis on issues of global health.

A cell phone text-messaging network will provide campaign updates to those who sign up for the service. They can send a text message to 47647, type “Nets” in the text field and hit send to be added to the network.

Q: How much does a net cost?
A: $10 covers the cost of purchasing and distributing an insecticide-treated net and providing education on how to use it. A net can save not only one child but multiple children in homes where family members share beds.

Q: How much of the donations actually go to the work of distributing bed nets?
A: Just like an Advance Special project in our church, 100 percent of the gifts go for the distribution of bed nets. Administrative and promotional expenses of the campaign have been borne by the U.N. Foundation and some of its partners.

Q: Where do we send money?
A: You can make an online donation at www.nothingbutnets.net or send a check to United Nations Foundation, Dept 93, Washington, DC 20055-0001.
Donations can be sent directly to the U.N. Foundation or sent through annual conference treasurers, who will then forward them to the U.N. Foundation.
One hundred percent of donations will go toward the purchase and distribution of bed nets.

Q: What countries will receive nets?
A: The funds that have already been received from Nothing But Nets have been used to purchase nets for distribution in Nigeria in early November. While malaria or poverty are not limited to Africa, the Nothing But Nets campaign will focus on distributing the nets in countries on that continent. Countries in need go through an application process with the Measles Initiative to get the nets.

Q: Will local churches get credit for the money raised for Nothing But Nets?
A: Different annual conferences may handle this in different ways, but churches that want to show their donation to Nothing But Nets as part of their benevolence giving should include the amount on their Statistical Reports, Table II, Line 51, “Other benevolences paid directly by the local church.”

Q: How will they be distributed?
A: To distribute the nets throughout communities in Africa, the campaign has partnered with the Measles Initiative—an integrated health campaign whose partners include the American Red Cross, U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, UNICEF and the United Nations Foundation. It is one of the most successful vaccination efforts ever undertaken. In just five years, the Measles Initiative has vaccinated nearly a quarter billion children.

The Measles Initiative works closely with African governments and local communities to ensure that its proven distribution system continues to be successful in delivering the bed nets. People receive the bed nets as part of a package provided by the Measles Initiative. The package also includes measles vaccinations, vitamin A, deworming medication and other critical health interventions.

Q: How are the central conferences involved?
A: The United Methodist central conference bishops, particularly those in Africa, are providing leadership and insights that are critical to the church as it battles malaria and other killer diseases. Bishop João Somane Machado of Mozambique gave a powerful, first-person account of malaria at the 2005 TIME Global Health Summit, and revealed that he had contracted the disease more than 80 times. Central conferences are also involved in hands-on ways through hospitals, clinics, education programs and other efforts across Africa.

Q: What else are United Methodists doing to fight malaria?
A: We continue to support work in treating and preventing malaria through mission initiatives sponsored by the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries. The Community-Based Malaria Control Program is a key effort, and many other local projects are supported by our members through the Advance for Christ and His Church giving program.

Katrina appeal for local churches needs support, bishop says

A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*

A first-anniversary fundraising appeal to help rebuild churches and congregations affected by Hurricane Katrina netted more than $2 million, with additional donations expected.

But that is just a beginning for the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal, sponsored by the United Methodist Council of Bishops.

Bishop William Oden of Dallas, who leads the council's task force on the Katrina appeal, pointed out that while Katrina was "the worst natural and man-made tragedy in the history of the United States," the hurricane also had the most disastrous impact ever on church property, facilities and programs.

"Because there are over 40 churches totally destroyed or severely damaged, it's going to take up to a decade and maybe as much as $10 million to have mission and ministry along the Gulf Coast," Oden told United Methodist News Service.

Established a year ago, the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal will help restore hurricane-damaged United Methodist facilities; pay salaries for clergy while their congregations cannot do so; establish new congregations or consolidate existing ones; renew church-based community ministries such as day-care centers; and provide such worship necessities as Bibles and hymnals to churches in need.

The need includes churches affected by Hurricane Rita as well as Katrina, all along the Gulf Coast, from East Texas to Alabama.

The denomination's first response after Katrina was for humanitarian aid through the United Methodist Committee on Relief. "We raised over $60 million right after Katrina for survivor relief," Oden said. "None of that can be spent on United Methodist property or salaries."

Because of the magnitude of the damage, funding to restore these properties and pay salaries to clergy is essential. But the affected church properties along the gulf have had a very low payout from insurance policies, especially in New Orleans, according to Oden. Flood insurance policies were not in effect because insurance companies declared wind to be the primary cause leading to damage, he explained.

Partnerships for recovery
The first-anniversary collections from local churches and conferences have raised some $2 million for the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal, and similar anniversary-related fundraising is planned for 2007 and 2008. A small amount of the money has been used for a video and other promotional materials, the bishop said, but not for administrative costs.

Another source of assistance through the appeal may come from partnerships between Gulf Coast churches and the denomination's large-member congregations around the country. Oden reported that 35 large-church pastors met recently in New Orleans with Bishops William Hutchinson of Louisiana, Hope Morgan Ward of Mississippi and Larry Goodpaster of Alabama.

"They all unanimously agreed to be a part of such partnerships," he said. He added that the pastors would extend the involvement to other churches not represented at the meeting. "We feel in the long run this will be one of the major ways the Gulf Coast churches can recover."

The funds will be allocated on an ongoing basis. The three bishops and the bishops' task force on the appeal are "now beginning the process of distribution from requests of the Gulf Coast conferences," Oden said.

During the recent Council of Bishops' meeting in Mozambique, Hutchinson reported that the Louisiana Conference already faces a $1.2 million shortfall for salaries and is in the middle of determining "what we do and how we do it" in relation to church repairs and reconstruction.

Donations to the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal, No. 818-001, can be made online at www.umc.org/churchrecovery or placed in offering plates in local churches.

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

New Orleans church reopens 'blessed, beautiful' after storm

By Betty Backstrom*

NEW ORLEANS (UMNS) - Almost a year and two months after Hurricane Katrina struck, Bethany United Methodist Church rededicated its newly renovated worship center.

During the 2005 storm, the church's sanctuary and buildings sustained almost 11 feet of standing flood water. "Bethany is back. We're blessed, bigger and beautiful," said the Rev. Hadley Edwards, who led the Oct. 22 service, which also marked the church's 49th anniversary.
An overflow crowd of more than 520 at the service included people from California, Maryland, Arizona, Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi and Georgia who had served on work teams to rebuild the church.

"God has raised up among us a new extended family inclusive of our brothers and sisters from every city and town across this nation, who provided support during our fight for survival," Edwards said.

The worshippers gathered at 10:45 a.m. under a large tent on the church grounds, then processed into the sanctuary led by the jazz band from Sophie Wright Middle Charter School.

"There was so much joy. We were singing, dancing and clapping to the sounds of the instruments. Of course, the jazz band played, 'When the Saints Go Marching In,'" said Edwards, who led the procession with church leaders and staff.

The color red played a prominent role in the celebration. "There were red balloons, flowers, shirts, suits, dresses, ties and hats. The vibrancy and strength of the color symbolized a revived church, a revived people and a restored place of worship," he added.

Anita Crump, longtime member of Bethany and chairperson of the building committee, is proud of the church's efforts.

"I returned to New Orleans on Nov. 2, after the evacuation. As I stood on the church grounds and looked at the devastation, I was tearful. But I knew that if anything could be done, Rev. Edwards, our visionary spiritual leader, could make it happen," she said.

Bethany did not have worship services for seven months after Hurricane Katrina.

"We did, however, have Bible studies and other aspects of ministry until we had our first service on March 19 of this year," Crump said. "On that day, we met in the sanctuary, which had been gutted out. It was very hot due to the lack of electricity, and we used 'portalets' because there were no water services. But it was a joyful reunion; a number of people living away came in just for the day."

Members step forward
When the process of rebuilding began, the issue of finances was a key consideration. Insurance coverage was limited, and the buildings were essentially destroyed by standing flood waters.

"Our members, even those living out of town, really stepped forward. They started giving. Gifts poured in from members who were scattered over 23 states. On one special Sunday alone, the collection totaled $11,000," Crump said. The church has been rebuilt and is debt free, she added.

"Bethany United Methodist Church has even been able to pay above its apportionments, and was able to keep paying the pastor's salary and benefits throughout this entire ordeal. God truly was the power behind the work," Crump said.

Both Crump and Edwards are quick to acknowledge that Bethany could not have done this alone.

"The United Methodist connection really works," Edwards said. "Churches throughout the United States partnered with us to get the work done. They have sent work teams, money, supplies, Bibles, crosses and much more.

"Our connectionalism provides strength unique to United Methodism, and will serve a critical role in the restoration of storm affected areas," said Edwards, who is serving his 10th year at Bethany.

In the months ahead, renovations to the fellowship hall will be completed. "This space is critically needed for providing outreach ministries to the community as our members and neighbors return to the Pontchartrain Park, Gentilly and New Orleans East communities," he added.

"Katrina brought us to our knees as it relates to the possessions we have accumulated over the years," said Edwards. "The devastation of Hurricane Katrina brought us to uncomfortable places. But in those places, we became more God-centered, power-filled and more aware of our Savior's love and trust. God gave more than Katrina could have ever taken away."

*Backstrom is editor of Louisiana Now!, the newspaper of the United Methodist Church's Louisiana Annual Conference.

Alternative Christmas card program feeds spiritual and physical hungers

Exclusive Christmas card offers God’s peace to the recipient
while the gift donation feeds the hungry in their honor.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives." With these words, recorded in John 14:27 (NRSV), Jesus promises to give us His peace. In a world where little peace can be found among the nations, Jesus desires to give peace to the hearts and minds of people who seek Him.

The peace of God is the theme for this year’s Christmas card gift donation program from the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA). Their exclusively designed Christmas card conveys the spiritually satisfying message of God’s peace, while the gift donation helps provide fresh food for the physical hunger of millions of Americans who don’t get enough to eat.

The Society of St. Andrew’s national hunger relief ministry (Advance Special #801600) uses more than 93 cents of every donated dollar to save excess fresh produce that will go to waste and give it to agencies that feed the hungry. SoSA reports that last year’s gift donation program provided nearly six million servings of nutritious vegetables and fruits to hungry families throughout the nation. “This popular alternative Christmas gift program continues to grow each year by leaps and bounds,” said Mike Waldmann, SoSA’s director of operations. “We anticipate being able to feed even more hungry people using the donations from this year’s effort.”

When you make a Christmas gift donation to the Society of St. Andrew to feed the hungry in the name of special people in your life, SoSA will send your honorees this year’s custom-designed Christmas card announcing your "gift." It’s a simple, common-sense way to feed the hungry, finish your Christmas shopping, and get your Christmas cards out all at the same time. And each $10 gift donation will help feed about 750 hungry people.

The one-of-a-kind Christmas card - twelfth in a series - was designed for the Society of St. Andrew through the generous donation of Annis McCabe, a prominent Virginia liturgical artist. The full color, 5" x 7" card features original art and scripture about God’s peace. The card also announces the name of the person who made the honorary donation.

This is an ideal gift for the person who has everything, a wonderful way to say "thank you," a terrific stocking stuffer, host/hostess or last-minute gift. No other gift can do so much, for so many, with so little. Those who participate in the Christmas Card Gift Donation program also receive the card confirming the number of people they honored along with the thanks of the Society of St. Andrew on behalf of the thousands of needy people fed.

Orders can be placed by phone (800-333-4597), fax (434-299-5949), or online via email (card@endhunger.org), or secure web site (www.endhunger.org/card). Or mail orders with donation to the Society of St. Andrew, 3383 Sweet Hollow Road, Big Island, Virginia 24526. Orders should be received by December 1 to ensure delivery by Christmas. The Society of St. Andrew will make every effort to expedite late orders.

Minimum gift donation for each card is $10. Be sure to provide: Names and addresses of your recipients and how you want each card signed; your name, address, daytime phone number and email; if charging to your VISA, MasterCard or American Express, provide your account number and expiration date. Checks should be made payable to the Society of St. Andrew.

More information about the Society of St. Andrew's national hunger relief work through its Gleaning Network, Potato Project, Harvest of Hope, and Hunger Relief Advocate Initiative is available at www.endhunger.org.