Current Disaster Alerts

Click here for local real time weather updates.

You can find updated disaster news at the UMVIM-NCJ website.

UMCOR Request for HELP- 1/24/17

Dear Supporters in Christ, Because of your past generosity, we at UMCOR Sager Brown, have been able to replenish our inventory of disaster relief supplies and place ourselves in a better position to respond to disasters. Although our inventory has increased, we are still in need of health and bedding kits. If you and your congregation are able to assist with this request, that would truly be a blessing. As you are aware, crisis can occur anywhere, at any time, just as with the recent tornadoes that hit Hattiesburg, Mississippi this past weekend. We want to be prepared as best we can to answer the call should our brothers and sisters need us. Should you have any questions about the construction of these kits, please go to our website at www.umcor.org/reliefsupplies. Thanking you in advance.

West Virginia - as of 7.29/16

Greetings everyone,

I am Sandy Binotto the Volunteer in Mission Coordinator for the UMC WV Conference.

We appreciate your willingness and eagerness to come to help and volunteer after the 2016 WV flooding. Our Conference is working diligently with those in leadership to open up opportunities for you to come. You know that after a disaster it takes many people to work together to sort out all of the items that need to be done to help those who were affected. We are trying to keep some order and a process in which we welcome volunteers. For now I have been asked to process all the individuals and teams that want to come and help.

You will find an attached form that each team/individual is asked to fill out and send back to me. After received I will share it with my Disaster Coordinators, Dan and Sue Lowther and we will do our best to get you placed and here to help.

Right now we are trying to get Volunteer Housing established for incoming teams.

The Long Term Recovery Committees are being formed in different areas and organizations are working together to make this all happen. Please be patient with us as we try to get all the items put in place and we would Covent your prayers.

In Christ,

Sandy Binotto

6.29.16

Online Volunteer Registration Launched For 2016 WV Flood CHARLESTON W.V.a – Volunteers wishing to help with flood response and recovery can register online at www.volunteerwv.org. At this time, volunteers are asked not to self deploy and to stay at home for their own safety. Volunteer West Virginia, the State’s Commission for National and Community Service has partnered with West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster to (VOAD) to match volunteers with organizations statewide to assist with response and recovery. When road hazards are clear and needs are identified, a volunteer coordinator will contact registered volunteers to schedule a volunteer shift or overnight deployment. Financial donations are the best way to support the effort at this time. West Virginia has a statewide disaster relief fund managed in cooperation with West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and the United Methodist Church. Donations will be used to support the disaster related needs of families through a network of voluntary agencies. West Virginia Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster is a network of agencies which ensures services coordinated, communications are clear, and families with unmet disaster caused needs are served. Please visit https://wvvoad.communityos.org for updates on the West Virginia floods and to make a financial donation. ###

How You Can Serve Right Now! (added 6/29/16)

Texas

Nora Holsclaw and Ted Butel are putting together a team to go to Texas. If anyone in West Ohio and beyond want to come along please contact Nora or Ted.

From Ted ... I am making plans to lead a team from East Ohio. So far I’ve got about five interested people. I touched base with Laraine Waughtal from Central TX conference about the site in Granbury. They are looking for teams to muck-out. They will still need teams in August so I’m tentatively looking at Aug. 14th to Aug. 20th with a two day trip down, three days on site and two days return trip. I’m looking for vehicles to pull a trailer down and back.

I asked Laraine about the temperatures and she said to expect near 100F. She said teams get up as early as possible and do not work in late afternoon. There is a lake and beach nearby. I estimate costs for food and transportation at around $265 per person. There is seed money and scholarships available. If you are interested please respond with your name, your email and phone (cell preferred) and home church. I want to start compiling a list of ERTs interested in going as soon as possible. Please let me know your concerns. Nothing is written in stone at this point, so please share your thoughts.
In Christ,
Rev. Ted C. Buehl
Pastor, First United Methodist Church of Barnesville
TedBuehl [at] gmail.com
Pastor [at] barnesvillefirst.com
Church phone: 740-425-3245
Cell: 440-454-9642
Disaster Response Coordinator for Southern Hills Dist.

Nora Horsclaw 440-552-7175

South Carolina

The people of South Carolina will need your help. They remain in Rescue phase in many of their areas as rain is forecast and the floodwaters are making their way into the southern portion of the state. There will be years of work ahead of us as they move to relief and then recovery. Please keep them in your prayers as they set structures into place to make deployment of ERT possible from outside the state. They have now put up a hotline number for you to register your teams for future deployment – 800-390-4911 or screcovery [at] umcsc.org .

Click here to read Letter from Bishop Holston South Carolina Annual Conference

10/15/15 - According to the South Carolina UMC Disaster Response website:

Two areas that can accept workers for muck out and cleaning:

Manning/Summerton – Contact Rev. Ken Phelps – 1-803-840-2005
Greenwood – Contact Danny Thompson 1-814-934-1832

For South Carolina UMC Disaster Response – Billy Robinson – 1-803-539-8429 – brpraisejesus [at] aol.com

Detroit

There are still over 3,000 Detroit families living in flood-damaged homes after last year's flood! Imagine these families living in homes that were once filled with 2-4 feet of flood water and have gone without treatment for 14 months!

ONE HOME AT A TIME! #AllHandsOnDetroit

West Ohio Response and Call to Action in any Disaster

Embrace the bishop’s call to prayer and compassion.
Give generously to the Advance. 100% of each gift will go directly towards helping people affected by disaster. Click here to donate to US Disaster Response.
Practice the gift of patience and allow the leaders in South Carolina the time needed to assess and build needed capacity to host teams.
Consider if you are called to lead a Volunteers in Mission (VIM) recovery team. Please contact mblackstone [at] wocumc.org (Mary Blackstone) if you would like to receive information about opportunities. You will receive information once the South Carolina Conference issues an invitation for volunteers.

Questions? Please contact jwalker [at] alink.com (Jeff Walker), West Ohio Disaster Response Coordinator.

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