UMCOR, North AL Conference of the United Methodist Church

FROM THE WEBSITE:

April 2011 Tornado Recovery:
http://www.northalabamaumc.org/pages/detail/1608

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Drop-off Locations and Distribution Centers:
http://www.northalabamaumc.org/pages/detail/1612

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Tornado Disaster Response Update from Rev. Matt Lacey
4/28/2011
Rev. Matt Lacey

I have been overwhelmed with the hundreds of phone calls and emails I have received asking how folks can help during the recovery process. God truly moves through and with us during these times. Today we have begun to distribute relief through the various districts, and we are making some great progress in evaluating everything. We are currently establishing a network of "home base" churches in affected areas to assist in storing supplies, staging volunteers, and housing those affected. If your church may be interested in this, please let me know by emailing me at mlacey @ northalabamaumc.org.

I encourage you to follow the conference website, or find North Alabama missions on Facebook at www.facebook.com/missionsnal

Please understand that I am, quite literally, fielding hundreds of phone calls, and the best way to reach me is through email at this point with that specific information.

We expect to begin organizing and dispatching UMCOR Emergency Response Trained [ERT} individuals at the beginning of next week. If you have been ERT trained, here are the criteria which we are asking you to follow:

Team leaders MUST have a valid UMCOR ERT badge in the last 3 years. Team members must have a valid conference or UMCOR ERT badge in the last 5 years. To volunteer, please visit this site to register. We are taking these criteria very seriously due to the nature of the damage of these massive storms.

If you are not UMCOR ERT trained and wish to be trained, there will be two trainings offered this Saturday.

- Saturday, April 30 at Alabaster First UMC from 8:30am to 5:30pm. There will be a small cost for background checks ($11 which you pay directly) and may be some small cost for materials. There is a limit of 60 people for this training. To register, contact Rev. Mike Edmondson at mtedmondson @ aol.com , ASAP.

-Saturday, April 30 at Cottondale UMC from 8am to 5pm. The cost is $35. To register please contact Rev. John Hassell at cumc@dbtech.net . There is a limit of 40 people for this training.

Please remember that we are a connectional system, and are going through the proper channels to insure everyone's safety and well-being. If you have questions to direct to myself, or anyone on the disaster response team, please be patient as we are trying our best to establish a system through which folks can work.

If your church wants to give an offering, please give through UMCOR's website by clicking here, or making a check out to the North Alabama Conference labeled with the Advance number 3021326.

At this time, we are getting a handle on what supplies are needed. I do know that various churches are collecting supplies. Right now, different supplies are needed in different areas. While we may not guarantee they will get to an United Methodist church, we can guarantee that they will be given out somewhere to someone in need. At this time I am hesitant to post a list of "needed supplies" because we have not yet developed a network to store and distribute those items. Local UMCs may continue to collect items, if they are able to store them, and we will make use of what we have.

This is a trying time for many, and we are called to, with God at our side, help to heal a hurting world. We will release any further information as we receive it. God Bless.

- Matt

Rev. Matt Lacey, Director of Mission and Advocacy, North Alabama Conference
mlacey @ northalabamaumc.org