UMVIM Teams Welcome for Hurricane Isaac Clean-Up

The Louisiana Conference is ready to welcome UMVIM teams to the clean-up from Hurricane Isaac.

Hurricane Isaac arrived on August 29, 2012 on the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. And though Isaac did not bring about the amount of damage caused by Katrina, a reported 178,000 residences around the New Orleans area were hit. Hardest hit are many areas that were not usually in the flood prone areas.

As you know, volunteer teams provide both spiritual and physical support to those who are in need of friends. Volunteers bring the gift of God’s love as they swing hammers, gut homes, hang sheet rock while taking time to talk and laugh and hug those whose lives have been turned upside down. Your help can change lives and show the light of Christ in word and action.

We are currently organizing a team of case managers, a project manager, and a volunteer coordinator to oversee the work of response and repair. Several Early Response Teams have been hard at work following the storm. They will complete their initial response by September 30. The ongoing response phase will begin on October 1, 2012. We are now inviting our UMVIM friends to register to come to the Gulf Coast to help with this ongoing response. Every team must have a trained and certified UMVIM team leader.

Volunteer housing has been organized in five churches in close proximity to the worst hit areas. There will be cots, restrooms, kitchens, showers, and washers and dryers available for visiting groups. The case managers will be identifying those who need help the most, and the project manager will provide the guidance for the work to be done.

Please contact your UMVIM Conference Coordinator and volunteer today to serve on a disaster response team by visiting <http://www.la-umc.org/pages/detail/1761>

 

Photo: courtesy www.toledoblade.com - house flooded in New Orleans after Hurrance Isaac

 

 

HURRICANE ISAAC NEWS; UPCOMING TEAMS FROM CAL-NEV

HURRICANE ISAAC NEWS FROM LOUISIANA VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION

 

Friends, we are very thankful for your messages of support and offers to help through ERT's and long term mission teams in these days after Isaac. We are still in the stages of evaluation and will be better prepared to receive you and make assignments toward the end of the week. It appears that much of the work with be mucking out and helping victims of the disaster to recover from flooding. You will understand that in some places we are still waiting for the flood waters to recede so that more accurate evaluations can be made. We will definitely need your help so please keep us in mind and in prayer. Announcements will be made soon regarding registration of teams and areas of need.

Larry D. Norman

Director LAVIM

 

(photo: flooding in Louisiana courtesy enstarz.com)

UPCOMING TEAMS AND NEWS FROM CAL-NEVADA CONFERENCE

Individual Volunteers Bill Borah of Sacramento – St. Mark’s UMC continues to serve in Haiti.
Viri Batiratu of Centennial UMC serves in Fiji.
Pam Oliver-Lyons of San Jose - Wesley UMC awaits assignment.

North Gold Country Circuit United Methodist Churches Host Team (North San Juan UMC, Downieville UMC & Sierra City UMC)Susan Kopp leads and serves with Danny Kopp, Roberta Foster, Gary Foster and Nita Browning of North San Juan UMC. They welcome teams and individuals of all ages to visit, serve and be a part of the marvelous rebuilding and transformation that is happening through volunteers and the Grace of God. Contact Susan Kopp for more information on how to serve (530) 913-7589 thekopps@sbcglobal.net For general information visit http://www.cnumc.org/vim/detail/39

Los Altos UMC Team to North San Juan UMC – October 6
Hal Taylor of Los Altos UMC, Fred Skeen of Sierra Pines UMC and Danny Kopp of North San Juan UMC will serve and welcome volunteers to join them. Contact Hal Taylor @ 650-967-5531 hitaylor@sbcglobal.net

Hope UMC – South San Francisco Hosts Teams - July 10^th, 2012 & beyond!Dee Anne Paron and members of Hope UMC seek teams to visit their church and serve there for a construction / building rehabilitation project for all areas of congregational life for use in serving community members. Visit http://www.cnumc.org/vim/detail/83 for more details. Contact: Dee Anne Paron @ cell: 650-619-7296 home: 650-589-6555 HopeUMC@hopessf.org or daparon@comcast.net

Richmond – Good Shepherd Team UMC to Japan –August 28 – Sept 8Tak Yamamoto and Janette Yamamoto of Richmond - Good Shepherd UMC lead and serve with Nancy Ardell and Zachary Ardell-Smith of San Leandro First UMC, Patsy Obayashi and Patrick Chow of Palo Alto Aldersgate UMC.You can follow the Team Blog at www.umvimjapan2012.tumblr.com

Los Altos UMC Team to Minot, North Dakota –August 31 – Sept 15Bob Lee and Hal Taylor lead and serve with Carl Clemm and Brent Taylor of Los Altos UMC and Brian Hite.

CARE – A - VANers Team to Shasta Camp – Mt. Shasta, California – September 4 - 12 Rod and Gloria Castor of Sunnyvale - Trinity UMC lead and serve with other CARE – A – VANers.

Livermore – Asbury UMC Team to Tuscaloosa, Alabama – September 22 - 29 Steve Elliott leads and serves with Bob Hoffman, Bill Groth, Roger Everett, Jeff Clark and Dick Crawford of Livermore - Asbury UMC.

Alamo - San Ramon Valley UMC Team to Thomas, Haiti – September 28 – October 6 Warren McGuffin leads and serves with Terry Sherman of Alamo - San Ramon Valley UMC, Sara Glazebrook and Sean Ryan.

South Reno UMC Team to Sylvania, Alabama – September 29 – October 6 Torben Schroder leads and serves with Dawn Pidlypchak, Annie Hodge, Diane Schroder, William Weishuhn, Susan Boon, Mary Ortega, Christian Weishuhn, Marylyn Parmelee, Stan Marshall and Cheryl Eckert of South Reno UMC.

Sacramento – Japanese UMC Team to Japan –August 26 – Sept 7Paul Nakamura leads and serves with Sakiko Yuki, Keiko Kato and Wayne Shimizu of Sacramento - Japanese UMC.