Midwest Flooding Update

Link to the latest update from UMCOR on Midwest flooding and the response -- http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor. When the situation stabilizes over the coming weeks and local relief has been organized, we should receive information on volunteer needs and the best way we can help. We have agreements among all UMC conferences only to send teams and supplies when the affected annual conferences request them. The first groups allowed in will be those with appropriate training and those able to be self-sustaining (bring their own housing, food, water, tools, etc.)

At this time, financial donations(through UMCOR) to the many conferences affected would be the most helpful so they can purchase exactly what is needed, where it is needed. You can give to Domestic Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670, either through your local church offering or directly online at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/umcor/donate.cfm?code=901670&id=3018992.

Unless relief agencies make specific requests, it is best not to send donated items at this point in the response. A “flood” of donated items, ESPECIALLY CLOTHES, often overwhelms local relief efforts, distracting them from what needs to be done and often leaving them with many items that cannot at the time, or sometimes ever, be used.

However, if you want to assemble Flood Buckets to replenish those sent by UMCOR and from a Midwest UMC warehouse. We have a small load headed to Sager Brown by the end of next week and will ship others as we collect enough to send a load. Completed buckets can be dropped off at the TN Conference office in Nashville, Riverside UMC in Columbia, or Friendship UMV in Cookeville. Kit Delivery link http://tnumc.org/index.cfm?PAGE_ID=2094, Flood Bucket Contents link http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/getconnected/supplies