Hurricane Relief, Preparedness and Prayers
Many in our UMA and UMC ministry families have been heavily involved in hurricane relief and rescue efforts in Texas and Louisiana. One UMA member, Mission Central, prepares year- round to assist in disaster response and is now making a significant contribution to relief efforts by providing hygiene kits and cleaning buckets.
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey and in advance of Hurricane Irma, Rob Visscher, Executive Director of Mission Central, says this ministry and its staff is working hard and continues to be “focused on operating in readiness”.
Mission Central is the mission warehouse affiliate of the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church. They have a network of 38 HUBs in operation, where volunteers assemble hygiene kits and cleaning buckets throughout the year to be distributed by UMCOR in the greatest areas of need. To find out more or to make donations to their disaster response, mission outreach and education ministry, go to their website at: http://missioncentral.org
Trivia: There are 36 cleaning buckets to 1 pallet, and 52 pallets to a truck, for a total of 1872 buckets. Small things come together to make a big difference, in the name of Christ!
God of rain and rainbow, we pray for safety for those in peril, for courage and peace for those in fear, for discernment, that we would make good decisions, for inspiration and power, that we might know how to put our faith to work in love, for wisdom, that we would remember what really matters….
– home page, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Houston, TX
Please join us as we pray for UMA leaders and their communities as our Texas and Louisiana members cope with ongoing recovery from Hurricane Harvey while they and others eye the path a powerful Category 5 hurricane that threatens more destruction and suffering.
Support is still needed for Hurricane victims, especially in the smaller communities, reports UMA board member Tim Brown, CEO of Methodist Children’s Home which provides residential and foster care and has 13 Family Outreach offices located across Texas and New Mexico.
“It’s sad because people have been so generous, but the [resources] are not getting to the smaller areas,” Brown said.
Fortunately, all of UMC’s foster parents and children were unscathed as was the Corpus Christi outreach office. The Outreach office in Houston re-opened yesterday. This week, UMC took in 23 girls and 6 staff a residential care site in Beaumont, located east of Houston. The girls were transported by pick up and airboat, and though they were a bit traumatized from their experience, they were relieved and settling in at UMC in Waco.
Brown reports that UMCOR, St. Luke’s and other local churches are serving as great sources of support. Below are some organizations who are accepting donations for and working to provide relief: