Help Hurricane Victims
Please see the message below from Hollie Tapley, Conference Disaster Response & UMVIM Coordinator.
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If you have ever wondered what it is like to be a part of the ministry of our disaster response team here is your opportunity. Our Early Response volunteers have been invited by the South Carolina Annual Conference to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Due to the impact of this storm, non- Early Response Team (ERT) volunteers are invited to join forces in this time of service. Volunteers must be 18 years and older, be Safe Gatherings certified, and willing to pay your own expenses for travel down and back. We do encourage carpooling to help with gas cost and I attempt to find local churches along the way that we can spend the night in. Meals during travel are your own cost. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) requires that we have 2 ERTS per every 1 non-ERT. The dates of the trip: Saturday & Sunday, October 12 & 13 will be travel days. Work days will be Monday – Thursday, October 14 – 17, with travel days being Friday and Saturday, October 18 and 19th.
In times of disasters there are rapid changes to daily operations, so at this point there are some unknowns to our deployment. What we do know is that we will be somewhere in South Carolina along the devastating path of the hurricane. We will be doing site clean-up, tarping of roofs and windows, debris removal, and chainsaw work. Large equipment is needed like skid steers, track loader, and tractors with a grapple. What we do not know because of the rapid changing environment of clean-up is where in South Carolina we will be. We will know that the week that we leave. That week we will also know where we will be staying and if meals are provided or not.
We would love to have you join us for a great week of “being” the church and serving with our brothers and sisters in South Carolina. If you are interested in being a part of this experience, the deadline to let me know is Friday, October 11th. To find out more or to sign up to participate, contact Rev. Hollie Tapley, htapley@greatplainsumc.org
Hurricane Helene Update
The sights and sounds that daily news brings us from the devastation of Hurricane Helene tears at our hearts as we want to make a difference in the lives of survivors. We hold in our prayers The Florida, South Georgia, North Georgia, Western North Carolina, North Carolina, and South Carolina Annual Conferences in our prayers. The best way to assist in their time of need is a financial donation to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). In the days, weeks, months, and years ahead, UMCOR will continue to provide grants and trainings to help each annual conference recover from this storm. To submit your donation to UMCOR you can send a check payable to the Great Plains Conference, write on the memo line “UMCOR #901670” and mail to the conference office at PO Box 4187 Topeka, KS 66604. You can also make an online donation to UMCOR at https://umcmission.org/advance-project/901670/ . Please do not send material donations of any kind, they have not been requested, nor or they needed currently. Cleaning Kits are not needed as so much of the devastation will require more than cleaning out a residence.
Responding Together,
Hollie
Rev. Hollie Tapley
Conference Disaster Response & UMVIM Coordinator
Great Plains United Methodist Conference