| The state of Georgia is in the center
of the Southeast Jurisdiction of the Methodist Church (SEJ) and
it takes a long day's travel to reach disasters within the
extremities of the Jurisdiction (Kentucky, Virginia, Florida,
and Mississippi). So response priority is within the
active Southeast Jurisdiction, however there may be teams that
are willing to travel to disaster destinations that have
requested assistance via UMVIM and are even farther away.
Before
You Go Check List
STATUS-RECOVERY STAGE WITHIN CONFERENCE
1. Reconstruction at Methodist Children's Home - 2009
GlenCastle Constructors have joined the team
and will lead the rebuilding effort as the prime contractor on the
replacement Leigh Cottage at the Methodist Children's Home. GlenCastle Constructors is a completely
different type of construction firm. Formed in 1987 at the behest
of some of Atlanta's biggest developers, GlenCastle is an
incorporated company made up of representatives of some of the
biggest construction firms in the Atlanta area and the Southeast.
The list of construction firms represented on
the company's board of directors reads as a who's-who of the
area's heavy-hitters: Brasfield & Gorrie, Hardin Construction
Co., H.J. Russell & Co., Batson-Cook Co., Holder Construction
Co., Humphries and Co., Malone Construction Co., Pinkerton &
Laws, Skanska USA Building and The Winter Construction Co. to name
a few.
What's different about GlenCastle is that its
mission is to build projects for the Atlanta-area not-for-profit
and charity community, and to do so either at or below market
cost. The group takes on roughly one project every year, a rate it
has maintained since its start when it renovated the old debtors'
prison, the Atlanta Stockade - also known as GlenCastle - into a
homeless shelter for FCS Urban Ministries.
Once
DeKalb County issues the necessary construction
permits estimated to be during March, the groundbreaking can
take place and work will then start in April..
The United Methodist Men (UMM) will be task with
supplying labor and one may complete a skills inventory at
the UMM website.
Afterward, you will be contacted.
The dates for construction will be posted as soon as
they are available at the website..
STATUS - EMERGENCY/RELIEF WITHIN THE SEJ
None
STATUS - RELIEF STAGE WITHIN THE SEJ
1. North, Central Florida Flooding from 2008 Hurricanes
1a. Sign-up
volunteer teams for clean up
STATUS - RECOVERY STAGE WITHIN THE SEJ (Listed latest to
oldest)
1.
Florida
Conference (2004, 2005, 2007)
There
are six Florida counties that need assistance. Some it relates
to Ground Hog Day 2007 tornados that crossed north Florida and
others relate to Hurricanes of 2004 and 2005. Go to http://flumc2.org/page.asp?PKValue=1084,
or DisasterRecovery@flumc.org
or 1-800-232-8011 ext 149 for more information.
2. Mississippi Conference (Hurricane Katrina, 8/28/ 05)
Call toll-free
866-435-7091 or www.mississippi-umc.org
and click on help to right to sign up or check information.
The six camps are spaced across Mississippi. Each camp has
male and female bunk rooms with showers, a kitchen, and a coin
washer and dryer. There is heating and air conditioning without
insects for a good nights sleep. Some teams bring their
own cook. There is several years of work left to do.
STATUS - PROJECTS OUTSIDE
THE SEJ (Listed latest to oldest)
1. Southern Louisiana. Terrebonne Parish Restoration
Project for Teens (June-August 2009)
On
September 1, 2008, Hurricane Gustav ripped through South Louisiana,
and Terrebonne Parish experienced the eye of the storm. As a strong
Category 2 hurricane, Gustav's winds raged at 115 miles per hour,
pushing a 12-foot storm surge into coastal Louisiana.
Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Ike, the third most
destructive hurricane in U.S. history, came ashore in Louisiana.
Ike's 9-foot storm surge inundated hundreds of miles of coastline
and thousands of homes in South Louisiana, re-flooding several homes
that had already been damaged by Katrina, Rita, and Gustav.
Together, these storms have devastated South Louisiana,
leaving thousands in need of help.
Terrebonne
Parish Restoration Project was created to provide an opportunity for
teens age fourteen and older to participate in the home repair and
restoration of those affected by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Youth
volunteers will work to repair roofs, floors, siding, and everything
in between. Through their efforts, multiple homes in the Terrebonne area
will be restored this summer.
TARP
invites you to the home of Cajun culture and the heart of America's
wetland, where homes and lives must now be rebuilt.
Youth volunteers who commit one week of their summer to serve
with TARP will have the opportunity to apply their faith in
life-changing ways by sharing Christ's love through their words and
actions. Volunteers
will be immersed in a cross-cultural setting and encouraged to build
new relationships across generations, among people from other racial
groups, and with those from other denominations. They will truly
experience the richness and diversity of God's kingdom.
After
each day's work is done, volunteers will experience a true
Louisiana-style celebration, followed by a time for reflection and
worship. Designed with
the hope of transforming hearts and minds, the TARP experience will
not only change the lives of hurricane victims, but also the lives
of those who serve.
TARP
volunteers will be hosted in the Terrebonne area and will work at
one of several work sites recommended by Louisiana Conference
Disaster Response, Inc. TARP
will run for seven weeks this summer, beginning June 14, 2009. The cost is $225 per participant and includes all meals and
drinks, lodging, shower access, and construction materials.
TARP
is now accepting applications from interested youth groups. For more information, please visit www.thebluetarp.com.
2. N. Ga. Methodist Response to Kentucky Ice Storm
The Kentucky Conference was devastated by the recent winter
storm. Certified Early Response Teams for Kentucky
are needed for debris/tree removal and CERTIFIED
ELECTRICIANS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED!
All Certified Early Response Teams must schedule with their
Conference Disaster Response Coordinator and Conference
United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Coordinator. A
list of Conference UMVIM Coordinators in the SEJ can be
found at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/us/mv/mission
-teams-umvim/jurisdl-umvimcoords/sej -umvimconfcoords/.
A list of Conference Disaster Response Coordinators in the
SEC can be found at www.umvim.org/0809disastercoordinators.xls.
Don't forget to acquire insurance!!
All connections in Kentucky are to go through:
Dr. Larry Busch 270-498-0887
3. Texas - Hurricane Ike 2008 (9/30)
This is information from Kathie Mann, the UMVIM conference coordinator
in Southern Texas
The Texas Conference is working in partnership with the
United Methodist Committee on Relief to rebuild the coast. The
existing Rita Recovery Station, which has been in place since
Hurricane Rita, will be renamed to be the Disaster Recovery
Station. Another station will be opened in greater Houston
someplace and they are interviewing for the director of that
office now.
They welcome all your teams, even those you are planning
way out into the future. You will need to
remain flexible in your worksite preferences, but if you have a
specific area that you wish to serve in you need to specify that
when you register (see below.) Otherwise teams planning to
come very soon will most likely be sent to Beaumont area.
To register Early Response Teams, future rebuilding
teams, and VIM teams of youth/adults: http://www.txcumc.org/ikevolunteer.
Early Response Teams will still need to register on the www.txcumc.org
website then we will place them to the area of need with the
least driving distance. Please come with food and
supplies, sleeping gear and bottled water to take to the
work sites if you are coming right away.
We are deploying to Baytown, Manvel, Freeport, Surfside,
Anahuac, Beaumont area etc. What they will need to bring
will depend on where they work. Please note that they
need to bring and wear gloves and masks. Some of the
work will be clean up from wind damage and some will be clean
up from flood waters.
Debris removal will take a very long time in the
Galveston/greater Houston area. Teams wishing to do
rebuilding there will probably have to wait until after the
new Year, mainly because of the time it takes to get processed
through FEMA applications.
Kathie Mann says " We are getting good response
out of SW TX Conference, North Texas and Central Texas.
They are sending supplies and people which is a great
blessing. We have churches all over our conference
making flood buckets and getting food supplies to us, but it
is not enough.
We are doing better here. Still many homes without
electricity. Many homes flooded and families haven't
even gone in to see the situation. Those who are without
insurance are the ones hit the hardest. But the agencies
and Interfaith community are working well together to get the
clean up going. This is such a big disaster for us that
we ave to cooperate in every way we can."
4. Louisiana - Hurricane Gustav, Ike 2008
The UMVIM, SEJ office has been in contact with conference
coordinators on the ground following the recent hurricanes.
At this time, the Louisiana area is ready to
receive any type of disaster team. Please contact Yvonne
Dayries, Volunteer Manager, Louisiana Disaster Response, at
225-346-5193.
5. Indiana Flooding 2008
5a. S. Indiana Jenni Walker jenniwalker@mac.com
5b. NW Indiana Alan Welch, DANI-Disaster Assistance for NW
Indiana 877-773-0249 or welchah@gmail.com
www.daniflood.org
6. Missouri Flooding 2008: Jeff Baker baker@umcom.com
or 573-474-7155
7. Iowa Flood 2008 Conference web site: www.laumc.org
Email iaumvim@gmail.com
or click on link below http://www.iaumc.org/page.asp?pkvalue=1390
7a. Marion: Pastor Melisa Bracht-Wagner (First UMC)
319-377-4856 (O) or 319-480-4469 (C) or www.fumcmarion.org or
melisa@fumcmarion.org
7b. Oakville: Associate Pastor Scott Smith
319-572-1914 or stsmith@louisacomm.net
7c. Waverly: Call Center 319-352-8701
7d. Waterloo: Pastor Sheryl Campbell 319-231-9161 www.StPaulsUMCWaterloo.com
7e.Coralville: Bryan Clark 319-621-0385 or bpc621@gmail.com
7.f. Bremer County United Way, Cory
319-352-2582
7g. Buchanan County: Bruce Berringer 319-334-7162
7h. Johnson County United Way, Patti Fields
319-338-7823
7i. Butler County: Ron Schipper 319-239-0943
8. West Kansas Conference (Greenberg Tornados and Spring
Flooding Spring and Summer 2007 )The Kansas West United
Methodist Recovery Center in Haviland is coordinating
all United Methodist volunteer efforts and providing case
management for storm victims in the Kansas West Conference.
The Kansas West United Methodist Recovery Center in
Haviland is coordinating all United Methodist volunteer efforts
and providing case management for storm victims in the Kansas
West Conference.
Volunteers and volunteer teams are needed for disaster relief
and rebuild work following the storms in early May that
destroyed Greensburg, damaged other Kansas communities and
produced flooding in many locations in the state. There
are many opportunities available.
Preference will be given to experienced adult teams, due to
housing shortage. Overnight teams will be housed at the
Haviland or Mullinville United Methodist churches. Some cots will be provided,
and you will need your own bedding. There are some
RV/trailer hookups available in Haviland. Minimum age for
overnight team members is 16.
For more information, go to http://www.kswestumc.org/page.asp?PKValue=911
or contact the Disaster Recovery Center at 620-862-5422 or umcrecovery@kswestumc.org.
Work teams should be scheduled at least one week in advance. For
disaster progress go to www.kswestumc.org/news_detail.asp?pkvalue=395
.
8. Louisiana Conference Disaster Relief and Recovery (Hurricane
Katrina, 8/28/05).
The Louisiana Family Recovery Corps has given a grant to
the following Disaster Recovery Stations in Louisiana:
Dulac, Abbeville, Eastbank, Lake Charles, and Slidell
This grant money has to be used on houses damaged by
Katrina/Rita. Materials must be purchased by December
31, 2007, and work on the selected houses must be completed by
February 15, 2008. Teams are needed primarily November -
February, 2008 After the project is finished there is
still lots to do. Register at http://www.laumcstormrelief.com/templates/System/default.asp?id=32649.
Go to
www.laumcstormrelief.com
for registration or information or call 225-346-5193.
There is several years of work left to do. To
date, 32,544 clients have been served by 28,166 volunteers
totaling 1,567,886 volunteer hours and giving to our state a
total in-kind donation of $29,598,848. WOW! Thank you for
volunteering with the La. Disaster Recovery Ministry.
STATUS - PROJECTS OUTSIDE
THE UNITED STATES (Listed latest to oldest)
1. UMVIM Team Construction Opportunity in Mexico for 2009
After great work of several years by UMVIM
teams and the local church family, “Solo Cristo Salve” Methodist
Church of la Unión, Mexico needs two teams to finish the work.
At this point, no teams are scheduled for this summer and local
resources are far short of being able to complete the work.
Teams are needed to finish the second floor interior and some
finishing on the roof.
The people of la Unión are most appreciative
of the efforts of the teams and welcome teams with genuine grace.
An interesting and appealing side benefit of working in this
location is teams are housed in a beautiful, comfortable and
historic hacienda built in 1585.
For more information about the work contact Joe
Hamilton, joe@newcovumc.com
770-630-4846. He has led multiple teams at this project..
2. St. Lucia Projects for 2010
The island
of St.
Lucia, in the Eastern Caribbean, is seeking assistance for
2010. The former Wesley Hall Infant School next to the
Castries Methodist Church moved out. Since then, the
building has been in a dilapidated condition. Plans
for 2010 are as follows:
1. Demolish the old wooden building of the former
Infant School.
2. Salvage materials that can be re-used.
3. Erect the ground floor for a new two or three-level
building that can be multiple-functional, i.e. commercial,
etc.
Demolition and construction teams are needed for
January/ February 2010. There will be a local
contractor. For more information, contact Rev. C.
Stilson Cato at juditha_c@hotmail.com.
UMVIM,
SEJ PROJECTS
United
Methodist Volunteers Mission, SEJ is an agency of the
Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church
in There are many opportunities through the United Methodist
Volunteers In Mission with many outside the United States.
Some of the opportunities include overseas
and US medical opportunities for teams and individuals, and even
teams needing more volunteers. Call or email sejinfo@umvim.org
for more information.
| 
North
Georgia Conference Disaster Response Ministry