UMCOR Updates

US: NEIGHBOR HELPING NEIGHBOR

The Rev. Tom Hazelwood, head of the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s (UMCOR) US Disaster Response, was in Joplin, Missouri, the day after the tornado struck the town. He wrote about his experience in UMCOR Notebook, the organization’s blog.

Hazelwood returned to Joplin two days later and saw a town that was working hard to recover. “At UMCOR, we always say that the first response after a disaster comes from one neighbor helping another,” he said. And this is exactly what he witnessed.

Some of that help came because people who live in Joplin had received disaster response training from UMCOR in the past and knew what to do. “Seeing that, I realized in a fresh and immediate way that what we do every day is important.”

Your gift to US Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670 helps UMCOR continue to respond to the record-setting spring storms of 2011 and anticipate needs of the new hurricane season that is already upon us.

LIBYA: CONTRIBUTING TO DEMINING EFFORTS

UMCOR is supporting the ACT Alliance, an UMCOR partner, in an effort to demine areas of Misrata, Libya, where recent fighting has been fierce.

The ACT Alliance is training teams of local people to identify and safely remove unexploded ordnance so that displaced families can return home, children can go to school, and life can carry on in this war-torn town.

The Rev. Cynthia Fierro Harvey, UMCOR’s top executive, said the grant was made “in solidarity with our partners to respond to the needs of the people” of Libya.

Support this and other efforts to alleviate suffering worldwide by giving to International Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #982450.

DR CONGO: BLANKET DISTRIBUTION

Thousands of displaced people in North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), have been suffering because of cold temperatures at night. UMCOR, in partnership with Mercy Corps, has provided warmth in the form of a blanket to nearly 3,000 people in five internally displaced persons (IDP) camps there.

Although UMCOR works extensively in DRC, it does not have a presence in North Kivu province. Working with Mercy Corps, which already had staff on the ground in the northeastern province, allowed UMCOR to stretch its funding and provide supplies to a larger population.

It was the second large-scale distribution carried out by UMCOR and Mercy Corps together in DRC. Their partnership allowed them to reach approximately one-third of all IDPs then living in camps in North Kivu, with essential resources.

You can support UMCOR’s ongoing work to bring relief to thousands in DRC by giving to Congo (DRC) Emergency, UMCOR Advance #198400.

GLOBAL: MINISTRY with* THE POOR

A new website, video, and resources launched this month promoting one of The United Methodist Church’s four focus areas: Ministry with the Poor. The website and video at ministrywith.org were produced by the General Board of Global Ministries and United Methodist Women.

The new site includes facts and information about poverty in the United States and around the world and about how The United Methodist Church is responding. It also includes ways churches and individuals can be involved in the effort. Many of the programs that are part of the Ministry with the Poor focus area are UMCOR programs.

Learn more about Ministry with* the Poor by visiting ministrywith.org.

UMCOR provides emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about UMCOR’s ministries, please visit umcor.org. You can donate to any project by placing a contribution in the offering plate at a local United Methodist church; by sending a check to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068; or by calling 1-800-554-8583, where credit card donations are accepted. You can also give online by clicking on any of the “Give Now” links.