Untitled Document

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is calling on the church to help with hurricane relief efforts in Florida.

With winds estimated at 120 miles per hour, Hurricane Frances was expected to hit the state's east coast Sept. 4. Frances was dropped from a Category 4 to a Category 3 storm by Sept. 3, but weather forecasters said it could regain its strength and possibly become the worst hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade.

Florida prepared for the attack by ordering 2.5 million people to evacuate - the largest evacuation in state history, according to news reports.

Meanwhile, UMCOR and the church's Florida Annual (regional) Conference are still responding to Hurricane Charley, which struck Aug. 13 on the Gulf Coast, leaving 27 people dead and billions in damages.

The United Methodist relief agency reported that its workers have moved satellite telephones and generators from southwest to central Florida in preparation for Frances. "They distribute generators to people who need them, and the phones are used for purposes of communication among the volunteer workers," said Linda Beher, communications director for UMCOR in New York.

UMCOR has issued an urgent call for flood buckets containing supplies that volunteers use in post-hurricane cleanups. Details on assembling the 5-gallon buckets can be found at umcor.org online by clicking on the "Kits" link.

Financial gifts are critical during the initial response, the agency said. Donations pay for trained disaster workers from the agency's network and the Florida Conference to locate as many survivors as possible following the storm. The church workers talk with survivors about needs as well as possible benefits available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The initial response includes developing long-term recovery plans with each survivor and providing comfort to those who are afraid or having a hard time coping, the agency said. Relief workers also make a point of seeking out those who are vulnerable, such as farm workers, the elderly and people with disabilities.

People needing help, as well as volunteers who want to assist in the relief effort, can call the Florida Storm Recovery Center after the storm. The center, operated by UMCOR and the Florida Conference, can be reached at (800) 282-8011, Ext. 149.

In addition, people needing help can call any United Methodist church for assistance, Beher said. "The caller doesn't have to be a United Methodist for UMCOR to respond."

The storm recovery center is set up at the Florida Conference building in Lakeland, Fla. Both the conference offices and the recovery center are closed, but they will reopen after the storm passes, Beher said Sept. 3.

Donations may be made to UMCOR Advance #982410, "Hurricanes 2004," and dropped into church offering plates or mailed to UMCOR, 475 Riverside Dr., Room 330, New York, NY 10115. People donating by credit card can call (800) 554-8583.

Methodist Churches are being asked to donate Flood Buckets for the Disaster Response branch of our denomination. Supplies have been running low due to the recent hurricanes that hit our country. Items that are needed include:

- 5 - Gallon buket with resealable lid
- Bleach - Two 1 quart or one 82 oz. bottle (do not include bleach if you are shipping the bucket through the US Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx)
- 5 - Scouring pads
- 1 - Scrub Brush
- 18 Cleaning towels-reusable wipes
- Liquid laundry detergent-two 25 oz. or one 50 oz. bottle
- 1 Household Cleaner 12-16 oz. bottle
- Disinfectant dish soap 16-28 oz. bottle
- 50 clothes pins
- lothesline-two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.
- 5 packs dust maskes
- 2 pair latex gloves
- 1 pair work gloves
- 24 bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags, 33-45 gallon (remove roll from box before placing in bucket)
- Insect Repellant Spray 6-14 oz. can
- Air freshener 8 or 9 oz. can