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.
"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 church’s Florida Annual (regional) 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.
|
A UMNS photo courtesy Caryl KelleyUMCOR workers are still helping Florida recover from Hurricane Charley, which struck Aug. 13. |
| BOWLING
GREEN, FL-The Lakeland District's Bowling Green community, like many in
the strike path of Hurricane Charley, is littered with debris from
decades-old oaks and other trees either blown down or splintered in the
storm. UMCOR and Florida Conference workers are still helping the state
recover from Hurricane Charley, which struck the southwest coast Aug.
13. It left 27 people dead and billions of dollars in damages. Photo by
Caryl Kelley. |
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.
UMCOR
and Florida Conference workers are still helping the state recover from
Hurricane Charley, which struck the southwest coast Aug. 13. It left 27
people dead and billions of dollars in damages.
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.
News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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