WHY VOLUNTEER WITH UMVIM?

WHY VOLUNTEER THROUGH UMVIM?

1.UMVIM is an approved United Methodist ministry.

2. The mission projects are vetted and screened.

3. Volunteer teams can continue their relationship with the project site they served at via The Advance and missionaries.

4. All are welcome to serve.

5. Training, forms, insurance, etc. available

6. It's simple. Contact umvimwj@hotmail.com to get started!

Faith in Action

Faith in Action

Thursday, February 21, 2013

ROMA UMVIM MISSION EXPERIENCE; HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF-TEAMS WANTED IN MARYLAND; TEAMS NEEDING VOLUNTEERS



ROMA UMVIM MISSION EXPERIENCE



For the next two years, the UMW/GBGM geographic study emphasis for Mission u (formerly called School of Mission) is The Roma of Europe. Almost everyone I’ve told about our upcoming trip to Eastern Europe and the study of the Roma has a negative story to share about “gypsies” – either from their own experience or a friend’s. I’m pondering my own attitude – how do I react to a culture and value system that is so different from mine. How do I hold on to my belief that each person is a beloved child of God, no matter how different that person is from me?

Purpose

The purpose of this seminar trip is to gather information about the single largest minority group in Europe, the Roma, often called “gypsies”. People in other ethnic groups have seen the Roma as thieves, beggars, and fortune tellers. Their women have been involuntarily sterilized and their children forcibly removed from them “for the children’s own good.” Up to two and a half million of them were exterminated during Hitler’s reign of terror.

What Diane Miller is working on…

Travel of 14-16 days … April 18-May 8

10 people max

3 countries (could stretch to 4) – Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia

Simple accommodations – in church guest rooms if the space is available and inexpensive hotels.

We will connect with as many projects and people as possible to give us a sense of the Roma culture and situation in different countries and settings – through In Mission Together, Church World Service, those involved with women’s ministries.

§ A price of $3500 will cover airfare, train fair, in-country transportation, room and board, translators, insurance.



Expect to set dates week of Feb 18. Preliminary payment of $100 due March 1. Final payment of $3400 due April 1. If trip costs are less, money will be refunded at the end of the trip.

We will probably fly in to Vienna (Austria).

Questions or to sign-on – Contact Diane Miller ASAP.


Diane Miller
Mission/VIM Coordinator
Western Pennsylvania Conference
United Methodist Church
140 Boone's Way
Kennerdell, PA 16374


HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF - TEAMS WANTED IN MARYLAND


ERT teams still NEEDED in Crisfield MD for Hurricane Sandy relief

Some additional homes needing ERT cleanup have recently been identified in Crisfield, MD.


Our Pen-Del conference Disaster Response team is requesting ERT teams to assist in this newly identified need.. These are in addition to the rebuilding teams that are responding.


To volunteer your ERT certified team - please email: umcorteamcrisfield@comcast.net

Thank you for your continued response and willingness to serve!!

Blessings, Greg

Gregory A. Forrester
UMVIM NEJ coordinator
32 N. Church St
Cortland, NY 13045
607-756-7799 office
607-756-7957 fax



TEAMS WANTING VOLUNTEERS


 
KENYA-JULY 2-18, 2013 - Kenya Partners, a faith-based non-profit, has just a few more openings for their next intergenerational team serving in Nakuru, Kenya in July- medical, dental, construction, teaching (K-12), computer, counseling, women's knitting & sewing, pastoral teaching, and those persons with unspecified skills who just want to serve. Families welcome. Contact diane@kenya-partners.org 336-210-3765. [Extended stay/internships/alternate dates available]




VIM Trip to the Holy Land- September 21-October 4, 2013. Cost $3300 from JFK. Visit Holy Sites, Worship with a local Christian congregation, visit and serve Methodist projects and partner organizations. For more information please email Elias@grace-tours.com or Admin@methodist-jer.org.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS & TRAINING; APPLY TO BECOME A GLOBAL JUSTICE VOLUNTEER; UPCOMING TRAINING EVENTS

 
 

INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS & TRAINING

 
Would you like to serve as a volunteer for 2 months to 2 years either as an individual or a couple?  You can through the Individual Volunteer Program!  There are sites around the country and the world that need such volunteers to serve in a variety of posts!  If you are interested please contact Nancy Eubanks and/or Malcolm Frazier at Global Ministries.  Nancy's email is nteubanks@gmail.com and Malcom's is mfrazier@umcmission.org
 
 
To become an Individual Volunteer, you must attend an Individual Volunteer Training.  There are several sessions throughout the year around the country.  There will be one August 13-17, 2013 in Oregon at the Alton Collins Retreat Center (pictured above).  Please connect with Nancy and/or Malcolm for more details and we look forward to seeing you.  You can also visit http://www.umcmission.org/Get-Involved/Volunteer-Opportunities/Types-of-Volunteers/Individual-Volunteers/Individual-Volunteers for more information.
 
 
Here is a listing of some of our Individual Volunteers out of the Cal-Nevada Conference:
 
Bill Borah of Sacramento – St. Mark’s UMC continues to serve in Haiti.
Warren McGuffin of Alamo - San Ramon Valley UMC continues to serve in Haiti.
Viri Batiratu of Centennial UMC continues to serve in partnership with Fiji.
Martha Milk of Yerington UMC serves in Elkton, Maryland
 
 
Here is a listing of other Individual Volunteer Trainings throughout this year:
 
February 20-24, 2013Seashore Assembly – Biloxi, MS
Nearest Airport – MS Regional Airport
seashoreassembly.org

April 10-14, 2013

Garrett- Evangelical Theological Seminary – Evanston, IL
Nearest Airport – Chicago, Il
www.garrett.edu

June 5-9, 2013
Church of the Resurrection – Leawood, KS
Nearest Airport – Kansas City, KS
www.cor.org

August 13-17, 2013
Alton L. Collins Conference and Retreat Center – Eagle Creek, OR
Nearest Airport – Portland, OR
www.collinsretreatcenter.org

October 16-20,2013
Asbury Retreat Center – Silver Lake, NY
Nearest Airport – Greater Rochester International Airport – Rochester, NY
www.asbury.org

Apply to be a Global Justice Volunteer

Young adults are encouraged to apply for this short term international mission program. The application deadline is March 1.
The Global Justice Volunteer program gives young adults 10 weeks of hands-on mission experience. Applications, now available online, are due March 1.
Applicants should be 18-30 years old and ready to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.” As the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries facilitates mission from everywhere to everywhere, candidates from around the world are encouraged to apply and participate.
Florence Lassayo of Sierra Leone served as a Global Justice Volunteer in Kenya in 2011. She worked with women living with AIDS.
Encouraging young people to consider mission service, she says, “We have the energy. We are strong. We can make change. We can be very influential. If young people are standing for the entire people, we will see that there is progress, because we are the backbone of development.”
The Global Justice Volunteers program differs from the Mission Intern and US-2 programs in two important ways:
  • It requires only a 10-week commitment.
  • Participants are asked to fundraise. The amount of fundraising required is flexible, and the program staff is committed to ensuring this is not a barrier to the entry to any applicant.
The 2013 class of Global Justice Volunteers will attend orientation from June 8-15 and serve from June 15 through Aug. 11.
 
 
UPCOMING TRAINING EVENTS IN CAL-NEVADA
PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR "TRAINING EVENTS" PAGE ON THIS WEBSITE FOR OTHER TRAINING NEWS
 
UMVIM Team Leader Training

Bridges District

Saturday – March 9, 2013 from 8:30-4:30
Centennial UMC
5401 Freeport Blvd. Sacramento, CA. 95822
Online Registration here
http://cnumc.org/registrations/register/181

Early Response Team Training

El Camino Real District
FULL (Basic) TRAINING -- Saturday – March 2, 2013 from 8:30-5:00
REFRESHER TRAINING -- Saturday – March 16, 2013 from 8:30-1:00
(Take if your full training has expired after 2 years)
Los Altos UMC
655 Magdalena Ave. Los Altos, CA 94024
Online Registration here
http://cnumc.org/registrations/register/191

Hosting Volunteers Training

Bridges District
Saturday – March 9, 2013 from 9:00-1:00
St. Mark’s UMC
2391 St. Mark's Way Sacramento, CA 95864
(Fireside Room in Ed. Building)
Online Registration here
http://cnumc.org/registrations/register/113

 
 
 


Thursday, February 7, 2013

CONTACT INFO FOR SUPER STORM SANDY VOLUNTEERS; FUTURE VOLUNTEERS AND TEAMS FROM CAL-NEVADA CONFERENCE; YOUNG ADULT SUMMER MISSION OPPORTUNITY

 
 

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS WANTING TO SERVE IN SUPER STORM SANDY RECOVERY

 
 
Below are the points of contact for Hurricane Sandy Relief. Both of these conferences are currently accepting long term recovery teams.

The majority of the work in the DE/Peninsula AC is in a small fishing village, Crisfield, MD, where 350-500 homes were flooded by the tidal surge. Three ERTs from the Western Jurisdiction deployed to this village in December and January. Crisfield is said to be the poorest town in the poorest county in Maryland. They were originally refused FEMA individual assistance but that decision was reversed on appeal. The Disaster Response Coordinator is having difficulty getting volunteers because all the media attention is on New Jersey and New York. The WJ ERTs were welcomed by the community and well taken care of by volunteers at Asbury UMC. I admit to having a strong bias toward supporting this community. The DRC told me yesterday they are doing both muck out and recovery.

I don't know much about the Greater New Jersey AC except what I hear from George Abrams, our Disaster Response Coordinator who is there as a FEMA Volunteer Agency Liaison, and from one of the Region 10 FEMA Volunteer Agency Liaisons. Both of them have high praise for the NJ VOAD and the efforts of Rev. Doherty. They are well organized and efficient. The GNJAC Bishop has made this a high priority and has stated they need 10,000 volunteers to help with the recovery.

The New York Annual Conference is only accepting teams led by an ERT trained team leader at this time. You may want to check back later if you are interested in going to New York. The PNW Annual Conference has over 100 ERT trained volunteers. If you are thinking about taking a team to NY, we may be able to find an ERT willing to lead the team.

Delaware/Peninsula Annual Conference
Pastor Rich Walton, Sr - Disaster Response Coordinator
410-252-5593 (cell)

Greater New Jersey Annual Conference
Rev Derrick Doherty
work phone 732-671-0707
mobile 732-996-4947

New York Annual Conference
Rev. Joseph Ewoodzie
914-615-2233


If I can be of any more assistance, please let me know.









Jim Truitt
UMVIM Disaster Response Coordinator
PNW Conference United Methodist Church
23441 147th Ave SE
Kent, WA 98042
253-630-1268 (H)
253-797-1680 (C)
 

FUTURE TEAMS AND VOLUNTEERS FROM CAL-NEVADA CONFERENCE

 
Continue to pray for the on-going food program mission (The Thomas Project) serving children in Haiti.
(Visit)
http://www.srvumc.org/global-mission

Hurricane Sandy Teams
Please pray for the survivors and the volunteers who are responding to help them.

Individual Volunteers
Bill Borah of Sacramento – St. Mark’s UMC continues to serve in Haiti.
Warren McGuffin of Alamo - San Ramon Valley UMC continues to serve in Haiti.
Viri Batiratu of Centennial UMC continues to serve in partnership with Fiji.
Martha Milk of Yerington UMC serves in Elkton, Maryland.
Montague UMC hosts volunteersJoe & Sheila Morgan, the other members of this church community and those who come to serve.

North Gold Country Circuit United Methodist Churches host volunteersSusan Kopp leads and serves with Danny Kopp, Roberta Foster, Gary Foster and Nita Browning of North San Juan UMC and volunteers as they come to serve.

Hope UMC – South San Francisco hosts volunteersDee Anne Paron, members of Hope UMC and volunteers as they come to serve.

Davis UMC Team to Delhi & Mumbai, India –November 11 – February 8
Mary Philip leads and serves with Philip Kurien, Alex Achimore, Karen Fess, Wil Uecker and Catherine Buscaglia of Davis UMC.

Sierra Pines UMC Team to Israel/Palestine –December 28 – March 13Yvonne Turner and Rosann Mackey lead and serve with Fred Skeen, Frederick Washington, Alison Berry, Donald King and Elaine King of Sierra Pines UMC, Barbara Dean of Nevada City UMC, Mary Arakalian of Loomis - FUMC Loomis.

San Jose – Almaden Hills UMC Team to Bani, Pangasinan, Philippines – February 2-16
Lilian Guansing of San Jose – Almaden Hills UMC leads and serves with Shirley F. Notario, Joseph Notario, Portia Cuesta, Sofia Natata, Leila Carlino, Mariolou Credo, Racelle Credo, Naomi Baluyut and Sabastian Delos Santos.



Amador County UM Churches Team to Panajachel, Guatemala – February 16-24



Tim Gravatt leads and serves with Gina Gravatt, Kiley Gravatt, Jace Gravatt and Tiffany Thompson of Amador County UM Churches, Darrell Perkins, Linda Perkins, Doug Klosters and Marsha Klosters of Sutter Creek UMC, Glenn Gillum and Darlene Gillum of Ione Community UMC.
 


Global Justice Volunteers

A Summer Volunteer Opportunity for young adults ages 18-30

The Global Justice Volunteers program of the General Board of Global Ministries is a short-term service opportunity for young adults. Participants are from all over the world, serve all over the world and range in age from 18 to 30. Small teams of volunteers spend 10 weeks, in the months of June-August, learning and working alongside local communities exploring the role and responsibility of the church to engage in mission, ministry, and service that seek to transform our world into a more just place.

Cost and Finances
The majority of the program costs are covered by Global Ministries, including: airfare to and from orientation, airfare to and from your placement site, food and ground transportation during orientation and while in service, as well as housing during orientation and while in service.

Global Justice Volunteers are asked to contribute to a general stewardship fund for the program. Each participant will be asked to fundraise $200-$2,000 which will go toward scholarships for Global Justice Volunteers coming from communities with fewer resources. Please note that this amount is flexible. Some of you will raise twice the amount, while others will raise less than $200. Do not let fundraising deter you from participating in the program. The New York-based staff person will work with you to augment this responsibility so it is manageable and works for everyone in every context.

For more information please check out the Participant Handbook or be in contact with the GJV Office.
 
Global Justice Volunteer Program
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 314
New York, NY 10115, USA
(212) 870-3659
Email: mfrazier@umcmission.org
gavitia@umcmission.org

2013 Program Calendar

Candidate Application Deadline: March 1
Placement Site Application Deadline: February 8
Participant Notification: March 8
Program Dates: June 8 - August 11
Orientation: June 8 - June 15
Service Internship: June 15 - August 11
http://vimeo.com/36439983  Watch video of a Global Justice Volunteer describe her experience in mission from this link!