US Disaster Response

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Mississippi Annual Conference & Louisiana Annual Conference

Mississippi Conference of The United Methodist Church www.mississippi-umc.org

The Mississippi Conference of The United Methodist Church, part of the Southeastern Jurisdiction, celebrates 1,096 churches with a membership of 181,795. Bishop Hope Morgan Ward serves as the resident bishop. The Conference is home to many United Methodist-related institutions, including colleges, community centers, and health and welfare organizations. As a conference we celebrate God's amazing grace, freely given. We celebrate compassionate mission, overflowing. We celebrate creative ministry, ever-expanding. Our strong hope and earnest prayer is this: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.

Bordering on the west by the Mississippi River and the south by the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi is susceptible to natural disaster. In the past decade alone, floods, tornadoes, spring storms, and hurricanes have caused much damage to homes and lives across our state. The Advance continues to bless Mississippi.

"As a receiving conference through Advance giving in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters, we sponsor this day as a witness of generosity and gratitude," said Bishop Hope Morgan Ward. "The participation of churches in Mississippi in Advance giving continues to grow and expand as our hearts overflow in thanksgiving to God. May 10,000 visits to the 10-Fold website on October 17 yield a stronger connection as well as great generosity."

 

Louisiana Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church www.la-umc.org

The Louisiana Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church strives every day, in every way, to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. More than 500 local churches throughout the state of Louisiana serve as a living witness to the Christian faith through worship, education, community outreach, and active support of local and international initiatives that serve those in need. Volunteers in Mission teams from the Louisiana Conference cover the globe from Alaska to Cambodia, and from South Africa to Russia. Strong children's, youth, and college ministries guide young people to active and committed lives as clergy and lay leaders that are making a difference in the lives of others. Program and retreat opportunities through the Academy for Spiritual Leadership Center and the Center for Pastoral Effectiveness support, nurture, guide, and support those leaders as they provide leadership to other Christians.

As a survivor of devastating natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Louisiana Annual Conference knows firsthand the vital need for support from the general church when rebuilding areas that have been literally wiped out. By partnering with UMCOR, the conference was able to provide long-term response to these disasters, providing case management and connecting with Volunteer-In-Mission teams to obtain recovery assistance. Through United Methodist Disaster Response, millions of dollars have been spent, volunteers from throughout the world have given a helping hand, and thousands of lives have been restored in Louisiana. Our conference actively sends teams when natural disasters strike in other parts of the country and our world. It is how we all care for one another as one body in Christ.

Project Information

US Disaster Response

Disaster Preparation

UMCOR provides training to annual conferences and local churches on disaster preparation and response, and also offers close guidance in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Subjects covered in either pre-disaster or post-disaster trainings include, but are not limited to: conference disaster organization, selection and hiring of staff, coordination with other response agencies, budget building, volunteer management, case management, and spiritual and emotional care for children, youth, adults, and older adults.

UMCOR helps annual conferences prepare for and coordinate volunteers in the disaster zone. UMCOR’s partner, United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM), provides an important source of volunteers.

Immediate Response

When disaster strikes, the local church usually provides the first response. This basic understanding—that disaster response is local—helps the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) form a foundation for national training and response.

Through its partnerships with annual conferences, UMCOR arrives immediately to provide advice, counseling, and mentoring. UMCOR always responds at the invitation of and through the local annual conference. We work with a highly trained network of staff and volunteers to assist annual conferences in developing an appropriate response to all phases of a disaster.

UMCOR helps annual conferences or local sites set up a “Call Center,” where those wishing to volunteer can find a place to serve.

By coordinating with UMVIM, UMCOR sends trained Early Response Teams (ERTs) to specific locations. They begin the immediate response—cleaning up and making homes safe, sanitary, and secure. UMCOR carefully coordinates with UMVIM about when it is appropriate to send teams and which skills are needed in a particular area.

Long-Term Response

UMCOR works with the annual conference and local community to set up a long-term response to disasters. UMCOR-trained case managers work with survivors to plan and implement their personal recovery plans.

Case managers work as advocates for survivors, walking with them through the complicated maze of insurance and FEMA applications, and connecting with Volunteer-In-Mission teams to obtain recovery assistance.

US Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670

Learn more at www.USemergencies.org

Quick Facts

• Four staff persons and seven consultants make up the core of UMCOR’s US Disaster Response team.

• UMCOR provided $400,000 in grants to 18 annual conferences that were affected by spring floods and tornadoes in the first six months of 2011. Additional grants in response to wildfires and long-term recovery programs totaled $2,182,169 to 22 annual conferences, Puerto Rico, and Colombia.

• Approximately 19,556 volunteers helped to respond to disasters in the first six months of 2011, providing an estimated $8,804,490 in volunteer labor.

• UMCOR continued to support long-term recovery in 2011 for 11 programs that are responding to disasters that occurred in previous years, including Gulf Coast recovery from hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike; and in response to the Gulf Coast oil spill.

• In 2010, UMCOR:
➣➣ Provided 31 grants to 23 annual conferences in response to tornadoes, fires, floods, oil spills,
and hurricanes, as well as ongoing disaster recovery
➣➣ Hosted 150 disaster-preparedness trainings that included early response, spiritual- and
emotional-care support, and case management
➣➣ Trained 2,037 volunteers as Early Response Team (ERT) members
➣➣ Credentialed 3,221 people as ERT volunteers
➣➣ Authorized 37 people as Early Response trainers
➣➣ Disbursed $790,000 in grants for US disasters.