Haiti Earthquake Relief
- UMCOR video available on YouTube
- Updated Haiti Volunteers in Mission information
- Bishop Ann B. Sherer-Simpson asks for full participation in Haiti earthquake relief effort
- UMCOR Haiti Emergency Relief—Where to give
- Nebraska Conference begins UMCOR Health Kit Drive for Haiti relief effort
- United Methodist Communications Resources for Haiti Emergency
- Resources for local churches to promote Haiti emergency relief
- Things you can do
- Opportunities for hands-on relief work
- A little UMCOR history
- United Methodist TV message encourages prayer and action to help Haiti
UMCOR video available on YouTube
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has produced this powerful video. Posted on YouTube, you may want to use it for your own local relief effort. |  |
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Updated Haiti Volunteers in Mission information
Volunteers in Mission (VIM) is asking individuals who are interested in helping in Haiti to register in the national United Methodist database, at www.gbgm-umc.org/HaitiVolunteer. This will readily identify the experience and skills needed when forming future VIM medical, clean-up and repair/construction teams to go to Haiti.At this time the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) has advised that it is not safe or possible for volunteers to go to Haiti. The city of Port-au-Prince and the entire country are in a crisis, with severe lack of food, water and fuel, and there are significant transportation and security challenges. Bishop Joel Martinez, GBGM's interim general secretary, has alerted United Methodist bishops of the inadvisability of sending volunteers at this point. As with all natural disaster situations, no teams will be dispatched until government and military personnel have assessed that areas are deemed safe and secure. Global Ministries will advise the jurisdictional and conference coordinators when our volunteers have permission to go.
An estimated 150 to 200,000 lives have been lost in Haiti. One million people, including orphans, are now homeless. The already fragile infrastructure within the country has been severely damaged. Clearly, the recovery in Haiti will take the helping hands of many, many people. Many VIM teams will be needed to help rebuild, and the effort is expected to continue for years.
VIM's expectation is that those who will be needed first are those with specialty medical skills, etc. Therefore, please be patient if you are not contacted until a later date. Every effort to assist the country of Haiti is greatly appreciated by VIM.
For more information on Haiti or other VIM mission experiences, or to register your VIM team, contact Lisa Maupin, Nebraska VIM coordinator, at 402-898-9862 or lmaupin@bigmuddyumc.org. You can also find the Nebraska VIM group on Facebook.
Bishop Ann B. Sherer-Simpson asks for full participation in Haiti earthquake relief effort
Whether it's making an online donation to the UMCOR Haiti Relief effort, writing a check for Nebraska Advance 614 in support of Haiti Relief, creating UMCOR health kits or posting information on how to contribute to UMCOR at your place of work, Nebraska Bishop Ann B. Sherer-Simpson invites every Nebraskan to become involved in risk-taking mission and justice work in support of Haiti in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.Bishop Sherer-Simpson went on to share her personal sadness at the loss of two UMCOR executives who were also her friends. The Rev. Sam Dixon and the Rev. Clint Rabb both died at the hands of the earthquake that hit the Montana Hotel on Jan. 12.
Bishop Sherer-Simpson went on to say that funds have been set up at UMCOR to honor Dixon and Rabb. "What better way to honor these men than to give to the cause to which they dedicated their lives," she commented.
Marilyn Zehring, a director of General Board of Global Ministries and Mission Volunteers Committee convener from Columbus, Neb., said, "As convener of the program area of Mission Volunteers I worked closely with Clint Rabb. His passion was missions and he had made missions his life's work. He embodied the servant attitude we all seek and was unafraid of risk-taking mission. He will be missed not only at the General Board of Global Ministries but by countless volunteers and those places and people who have received volunteers around the world."
Bishop Sherer-Simpson also pointed out that United Methodist Church Mission Share contributions and donations to One Great Hour of Sharing cover the administrative overhead of UMCOR, enabling 100 percent of every dollar raised for Haiti Relief to go directly to Haiti.
She had asked that an offering be taken on Jan. 17 to support Haiti Relief. If congregations were not able to respond this past Sunday, Bishop Sherer-Simpson encourages them to take offerings next Sunday, Jan. 24.
A variety of resources are available on the UMCOR Web site including a PowerPoint slide for use during worship, liturgical resources, online giving, news and information and more.
UMCOR Haiti Emergency Relief—Where to give
Support for relief efforts can be made in a number of ways. To make online donations, click on the link to the UMCOR Web site located below. By mail, checks should be made payable to GCFA ADVANCE, with the name of the ministry and advance number—Haiti Emergency, Advance 418325—on the memo line. Mail them to: Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO, New York, NY 10087-9068. If you are donating through your local church, please put Nebraska Conference Advance 614 on your check.If you want to send it directly to the Conference Center, be sure to include your church name on the memo line along with the number 614, and send it to Nebraska United Methodist Conference Center, 3333 Landmark Circle, Lincoln, NE 68504.
Nebraska Conference begins UMCOR Health Kit Drive for Haiti relief effort
The Nebraska United Methodist Conference is calling on everyone in Nebraska looking for a tangible way to contribute to the Haiti earthquake relief efforts to consider putting together health kits.The health kits will then be sent to United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) distribution centers and disbursed to Haiti. The Nebraska Conference Haiti Relief Health Kit Drive will run through Monday, Feb. 8. Soucie Trucking of Cambridge, Neb., has volunteered to pick up the health kits from Nebraska's six United Methodist districts. The pick-up locations are:
Ogallala: Ogallala First UMC, 421 N. Spruce, 308-284-8455
Scottsbluff: Scottsbluff First UMC, 2002 4th St., 308-635-2069
Cambridge: Cambridge UMC, 620 Penn St., 308-697-4352
North Platte: North Platte First UMC, 1600 W. E, 308-532-1478
Kearney: Kearney Faith UMC, 1623 Central Ave, 308-237-2550
Columbus: Columbus First UMC, 2710 14th St., 402-564-8463
York: York First UMC, 309 E 7th, 402-362-4571
Hastings: Hastings First UMC, 614 N. Hastings Ave., 402-563-6733
Grand Island: Grand Island Faith UMC, 724 W. 12th, 308-382-3219
Norfolk: Norfolk First UMC, 406 Philip Ave, 402-371-2785
Lincoln: Lincoln First UMC, 2723 North 50th, Lincoln, NE 68504 402-466-1906
Beatrice: Beatrice Centenary UMC, 608 Elk St., 402-223-3424
Omaha: Omaha First UMC, 7020 Cass, 402-556-6262
Auburn: Auburn First UMC, 1205 L St, 402-274-3329
Soucie Trucking driver James Taylor said to the Rev. Lyle Schoen, director of the health kit drive, "I've been wondering how long it would be before you'd call." Taylor, on behalf of Soucie Trucking, has helped out on two previous emergency occasions to deliver flood buckets and other kits to distribution points for hurricane relief.
UMCOR Sager Brown, which coordinates the kits ministry, is asking United Methodists to provide health kits that can be sent to earthquake-devastated Haiti.
"For people who are feeling powerless in being able to help those in Haiti, providing health kits is a tangible way they can make an immediate difference," said Kathy Kraiza, director of UMCOR Sager Brown. She estimates that hundreds of thousands of kits will be needed in the days and months ahead.
The kits, valued at about $12 per kit, contain everything from towels and washcloths to sterile bandages and bar soap. They will be distributed to those who have been forced to leave their homes as a result of the recent disaster. For individuals or groups that want to contribute basic necessities, UMCOR requests that the following NEW items be placed in a sealed one-gallon plastic bag. (NOTE: The list of health kit contents that went out in last week's UMconnect was incorrect. Toothpaste should not have been on the list of items to include.)
-1 hand towel (15" x 25" up to 17" x 27". No kitchen towels
-1 washcloth
-1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
-1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
-1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
-1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, no child-size brushes)
-6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
-$1.00 to purchase toothpaste
(NOTE: Toothpaste is purchased in bulk to be added to health kits to ensure that the product does not expire before they are sent.)
Because the emergency kits are intentionally designed to make them usable in the greatest number of situations and strict rules govern product entry into international countries, UMCOR requires that the kits contain only the requested items—nothing more.
Each packed box cannot exceed 66 pounds.
Questions regarding the Nebraska United Methodist Conference Health Kit Drive should be directed to the Rev. Lyle Schoen, conference secretary for Global Ministries, 308-784-2887, lschoen@umcneb.org.
United Methodist Communications Resources for Haiti Emergency
United Methodist Communications has produced a number of communication aids for the Haiti emergency including a video, television ad, bulletin inserts, PDFs that can be used for PowerPoint graphics, worship and prayer resources and more.Resources for local churches to promote Haiti emergency relief
United Methodist Communications has created a "Resources for Haiti Emergency" link to access downloadable print files. As resources are created, they will be posted to the Web site and made available for everyone to use. Attached below is a Nebraska Conference-specific bulletin insert.The United Methodist News Service will continue to provide ongoing coverage about United Methodist mission teams, and what other local churches are doing to provide aid. Stay tuned to www.umc.org/haiti for more information. Also, starting Saturday, Jan. 16, United Methodist Communications will run a 15-second Haiti Response spot to air on CNN throughout the weekend.
Worship Resources from the General Board of Discipleship are available on their Web site, www.gbod.org.
Following the Asian tsunami, United Methodist Communications produced a video and study guide titled "God, Why?" to help people cope with the spiritual and emotional impact of disasters. The resource, available from EcuFilm, explores why such tragedies happen and God's role in them. The study guide provides a basis for group study and discussion. Purchase the DVD/CD from www.umcom.org.
Things you can do
There are many things congregations can do to contribute to the Haiti Relief effort. Following are a few ideas.—Take a special Sunday offering or take an offering to benefit Haiti during a special church event. Church Mission Share dollars pay for the UMCOR instrastructure and administration so every dollar given to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund goes directly to Haiti. This is a way to capitalize on the fabulous work to which you have already contributed through the United Methodist connection.
—To honor UMCOR executives Sam Dixon and Clint Rabb, Marilyn Zehring of Columbus, Neb., offers this idea: consider volunteering 55 hours of mission and service work. The two died after being trapped for 55 hours in the rubble of the Montana Hotel following the Jan. 12 earthquake.
—Honor Dixon and Rabb by contributing online to UMCOR Haiti emergency relief efforts.
—Put together UMCOR Health Kits. This is a project where children, youth, college students and young adults can all become engaged. Health Kit preparation can easily be a multi-generational project for a congregation. Host and invite people to a "Health Kit Party." Each invitee brings health kit supplies and $2 (one for toothpaste and one for shipping).
—Consider organizing a Volunteer In Mission group to work at one of the UMCOR depots. It will be some time before VIM groups will be invited into Haiti. Volunteering at the depots can help contribute to the mid-term relief efforts in Haiti.
—Place posters promoting the Conference and General Church Advance numbers at your place of work, reminding individuals that 100 percent of contributions go directly to the Haiti emergency relief effort.
—Create awareness in your local church by using photos and videos from United Methodist Communications and Nebraska Conference resources. Create a dialogue in your congregation about what can be done at the local level in Nebraska to contribute to improving the situation in Haiti.
—The Rev. Charlotte Abram, pastor of TRI-Community UMC in Omaha, suggests making something and selling it. With Valentine's Day coming up she shared that she will be making chocolate heart suckers and decorating them with stickers that say..."Have a Heart for Haiti." She plans to sell them for $1 each. She suggested the person who buys it could then resell it, and make another dollar to donate to Haiti. The molds, sticks and chocolate disks are available at craft stores.
Opportunities for hands-on relief work
Put your hands and feet to work and help not only those in Haiti but around the world by sending a VIM team to work at one of the UMCOR Relief Supply Depots.With the need for relief kits such as the UMCOR Health Kit increased due to the recent events in Haiti, there are numerous opportunities for hands-on mission work at the UMCOR Relief Supply Depots in Louisiana and Utah.
For more information about UMCOR Sager Brown, Louisiana, visit the link below.
If you are interested in organizing a team please read "Know Before You Go" (attached below) for more information about sending a team to UMCOR Sager Brown.
For more information about UMCOR West Salt Lake City, UT visit the link below.
If you are interested in organizing a team please read "Know Before You Go" (attached below) for more information about sending a team to UMCOR West Salt Lake City.
As a reminder, all Nebraska VIM teams that are planning to travel to one of the depots or to another VIM location should register your team with the Nebraska VIM conference coordinator, Lisa Maupin. To register your VIM team, please submit the following information: VIM location, trip dates, team leader and the anticipated number of team members. Lisa can be reached at 402-898-9862 or lmaupin@bigmuddyumc.org.
To keep up-to-date with information regarding Nebraska VIM and VIM opportunities, Facebook users can join the Nebraska UMC Volunteers in Mission page or subscribe to the VIM monthly e-newsletter. To subscribe to the e-newsletter, contact Maupin using the contact information above.
Please know that there are numerous opportunities to serve through VIM across the United States and around the world. A complete listing of VIM sites can be found at the VIM Web site, www.gbgm-umc.org/vim.
A little UMCOR history
On April 26, 1940, as a response to the horrific violence of World War II, The Methodist Church formed an agency to respond to the vast needs of human suffering worldwide, and to act as a "voice of conscience among Methodists." The result was Methodist Committee on Overseas (MCOR). This relief agency focused on studying the most urgent needs and administering the necessary funds to "the least of these" through partner agencies and ecumenical networks.MCOR later became United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). UMCOR continued to focus on disaster relief and refuge resettlements, emphasis was also placed on eradicating the roots of hunger and poverty. UMCOR responds to natural or civil disasters that are interruptions of such magnitude that they overwhelm a community's ability to recover on its own.
UMCOR always works to enable those affected by disaster to take responsibility for relief and recovery work. Whenever possible, UMCOR forms partnerships with other religious and secular organizations to pool resources and avoid duplicating efforts.
UMCOR provides long-term recovery as well as immediate relief. UMCOR recognizes disasters cause disruptions that can last for years and often create permanent changes in people's lives. UMCOR works within a community to address the long-term effects and to assist people in rebuilding and adjusting to change.
UMCOR's guiding values are:
—Alleviate human suffering.
—Honor cultural differences.
—All people have God-given dignity and worth.
—Always work with partners―usually in local settings.
—Good steward of gifts―100 percent of all gifts received are used for the work of UMCOR. This is made possible by the 8.5 million members of the United Methodist Church through undesignated giving that underwrites the general administrative expenses.
—Avoid tying the promise of relief to any religious or political viewpoint.
—Welcome the good efforts of countless individuals and churches through gifts, prayers and service.
—UMCOR's mission is to alleviate human suffering―whether caused by war, conflict or natural disaster-with open minds and hearts to all people, UMCOR is there with hope.