Bishop Lowry calls for prayer and special offerings to support relief efforts in the U.S. and South Asia.

Sept. 17, 2018
While the U.S. media has its weather eyes locked on the Carolinas in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, the Philippines, Hong Kong and South China have been battered by the deadly Super Typhoon Mangkhut. Bishop Lowry is asking for prayer for all those affected by these killer storms and has called on the local churches of the Central Texas Conference to take up a special offering to support relief efforts for those affected by both Hurricane Florence and Super Typhoon Mangkhut.
 
“The local churches of our conference have gone above and beyond the call whenever disaster strikes here at home and around the globe,” said Bishop Lowry. “I fully expect that to be the case again. While our attention is rightfully focused on those suffering in the wake of Florence, the United Methodist Church has a strong and vital presence in the Philippines, so we need to be in prayer for and ready to support UMCOR’s relief efforts in that region as well.”
 
How Can You Help Immediately?
 
  • PRAY for those who have been directly affected by the storms, the families and friends of those affected, the first responders in the areas and all those who will be called on to help the immediate and long-term relief and recovery efforts.
  • GIVE towards the efforts of UMCOR and its partners by supporting the call for a special offering.
    • To support the Central Texas Conference offering/relief efforts, please give through your local church. Donations/offerings given through the local church should be sent to the Central Texas Conference Service Center, Disaster Response Offering, 3200 E. Rosedale, Fort Worth, TX 76105.Please indicate if this is for U.S. or International disaster response if you wish.
  • MAKE relief kits and send them to our relief-supply depots or an affiliate warehouse. Learn more about how to assemble and send a kit at umcor.org/UMCOR/Relief-Supplies.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has already mobilized in response to these natural disasters. Here is the latest from UMCOR on…

Hurricane Florence

UMCOR has already awarded $10,000 in emergency grants to both the North Carolina and South Carolina Conferences for immediate use in response to Florence. UMCOR also reports that both conferences are as prepared as possible to respond to the potential damage caused by Hurricane Florence and is asking that those wishing to assist to please not self-deploy. Even those who are trained and badged ERTs need to wait until a formal call is put out by the conference and/or your district ERT leaders.

Cleaning Kits, Tool Trailers and other supplies have been strategically placed throughout the region. Moreover, experienced Early Response Teams (ERTs) and Disaster Response Coordinators (DRCs) are prepared to bring supplies into affected areas and begin cleanup and assessment for long-term assistance when conditions are safe for entry in the following conferences: South Georgia, North Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Western North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Peninsula-Delaware, Baltimore-Washington, Eastern Pennsylvania, Western Pennsylvania and Susquehanna (Northeastern and Central portions of Pennsylvania).

Conferences in the region that are not severely impacted by the storm are prepared to send teams and resources to those most affected.

Typhoon Mangkhut

Since 2017, UMCOR has trained and funded Disaster Management teams to empower communities to proactively alleviate suffering caused by the effects of disasters. Their work allows for advance awareness and preparedness, aligning with the efforts of other conference teams and ecumenical councils from across the region.

At a national level, this initiative ensures that the maximum number of people are prepared for a storm’s impact. Moreover, the Manilla, Davao and Baguio Episcopal Area offices continue to distribute daily weather advisories to community leaders.

As of this posting, no requests or actions are available to share. UMCOR will share information and requests for response from its partners on the ground as they assess the impact of Typhoon Mangkhut, which will be posted here.
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