The District Disaster Coordinators have been meeting monthly to plan and implement the Conference Disaster Plan. This plan includes an outline of updated conference plans that were presented at Annual Conference and are posted on the conference website. District Disaster coordinators are contacting the local churches in each district to ask them to identify a local church disaster coordinator. Training for local churches is available through the conference and the district disaster coordinator. Power point training presentations are currently posted on the conference website.
The Storm Recovery Center has a new volunteer coordinator, Lin Arnold arrived just in time to begin recruiting and placing volunteer teams for Hurricane Dennis and Katrina affected areas.
Peggy Garcia, Storm Center manager, is working with UMCOR consultant, Mary Gaudreau to develop a new storm recovery ministry area. Peggy and Mary are working to train “care teams” who will provide spiritual and emotional care to those in disaster affected areas. Pasco county is scheduled to be the test site for the initial care team training.
Recovery efforts in storm affected areas are continuing with funding provided by Storm Recovery to Long Term Recovery Committees. Storm Recovery is currently working in 26 counties to provide services as needed and requested. These services include grants to LTRO’s to fund case management, work supervisors, direct aid, software and computer support. There are still many individuals and families waiting for assistance for their unmet needs.
Recent Storm Recovery activities include assistance to those in the Eastern Panhandle affected by Hurricane Dennis. Disaster coordinators worked with local churches to provide flood buckets, water and health kits to areas in need. We are currently working with local churches in Dennis areas to set up a recovery operation. We also are assisting with relief efforts in the areas of Florida affected by Katrina. The Florida Conference has sent emergency funds to the Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama-West Florida Conference to assist with their response and relief efforts for those damaged by Hurricane Katrina. These conferences have asked us to work through their conference offices with aid and support. UMCOR has established an advance number #982523, Hurricane 2005 Global. Their “materials” number is 401440. Checks can be written to UMCOR, and sent to P. O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087
