Haiti relief efforts continue via UMVIM, UMCOR, the Red Cross, and other relief organizations. Please read update below on how you can volunteer. Photo courtesy, cnn.com.
WORK CAMP IN ILLINOIS - NATIVE AMERICAN FELLOWSHIP
Special Work Camp Opportunity at Day Spring UMC, Native American Fellowship, East Peoria, IL (June 19-25)
Construction / Landscaper Workers needed!
Day Spring UMC, Native American Fellowship, will host a week-long workcamp June 19 - June 25 to help move this church-build project along! Workcamp participants will work Monday through Thursday noon on various projects. Most projects will be landscaping and outdoor work. There will be an outing Thursday afternoon to Mounds State Museum (a very large archaeological museum) with a cultural evening presented by the Day Spring congregation.
Team Leaders needed!
Early Bird cost is $35 per day (early bird rate) or $165 for the week. Those registering after June 14 will pay $40 per day or $200 for the week. This covers food, a small project fund, and a place to lay your head (cots or camping options). You will be informed what to bring for tools and bedding, etc, once you register. Youth and adults are welcome. Bring a team from your church!
Educators needed!
Friday will offer a series of workshops on current Mission work of UMVIM teams, cultural understanding and information to help future UMVIM teams go forth to work in mutuality wherever their project is.
Your Vacation Bible School (VBS) ideas are needed!
We would like to compile a workbook of VBS ideas for use in a cross-cultural setting. If you have curriculum or VBS class ideas you have used, please send them to Lorna Jost before June 10.
Friday Workshops will include:
1. An introduction class on how short term mission teams can have long term positive effects. (Jane Dunn),
2. VBS in cross cultural setting (Singing Bird Ballard),
3. Current Native American issues (Danny Lybarger),
4. Liberia Covenant, Illinois Great Rivers (Bunny Wolfe),
5. Haiti UMVIM response update (Lorna Jost),
6. Chile UMVIM response update (Mario Mayer),
7. Afternoon session: practical applications and teaching techniques for adult learners in cross cultural settings. Topics include clean water, sustainable farming, women's issues, etc. (Jane Dunn).
This event is sponsored by the Day Spring UMC (Rev. Dan Lybarger, pastor), the teachUM steering committee and the IIlinois Great Rivers Conference!!
Register below to reserve your place for this workcamp.
Register Now!
Thank you for your interest in this event! I look forward to meeting you in Peoria in June!
UMVIM HAITI NEWS
The UMVIM Haiti Response website, umvimhaiti.org, has been set up through a coordinated effort between all five jurisdictional UMVIM offices, the General Board of Global Ministries, and UMCOR. On this site, you will find all applicable information about traveling to Haiti through UMVIM, including contact information for the UMVIM Haiti Scheduling Coordinator, Susan Meister.
Also detailed on that site is information relating to the Haiti Response Plan staff, both in Haiti and in the US.All news regarding UMVIM's efforts in Haiti will now be posted on this site, and all teams will be scheduled through it.
NEWS FROM TENNESSEE
Basic relief needs for most communities have stabilized and communities are beginning to focus on short term needs assessments and continuing cleanup. We are still scheduling ERT's to help us find and serve areas that are just becoming more accessible and folks who've been missed in the process.
Our needs and available placements will vary week to week, but knowing teams can be on standby for specific dates is INCREDIBLY helpful. For the 42 counties declared in the Memphis and TN Conferences, FEMA is currently working on inspections related to 22,000 households, which would include minor, major, or total destruction. After today, registration for ERT's will be handled differently than the link that was provided last week.
Initial inquiries should be sent to DisasterResponse@tnumc.com. Once we've received that contact, we will email instructions and an electronic registration form.
Please stay safe and look for future updates by email listserv and at http://tnumcrelief.blogspot.com/
Cleaning Bucket Requests--We've distributed 2,800 buckets so far and have now replenished our supply with at least 1,500 on hand here at the office and in Murfreesboro. Please call if you need to pick some up.
If you need a large number delivered to your church, please email us by the end of Thursday if possible, so we can work out delivery schedule for Friday and Saturday.DisasterResponse@tnumc.com or 615-695-2765Long Term Recovery--Even as many communities that flooded later are still in relief work, trying to stabilize coverage of basic needs, some are beginning to look at the long term recovery, which will likely be as long as 2 years in some areas.
For those churches and communities an important first task will be to gather local leaders from faith communities, civic organizations, and public officials to commit to working together for the long haul. Given notice, FEMA will provide someone to be there also. Same for me, as well as, before or after such a meeting. With that commitment, first tasks
1. Make every effort to have everyone register with FEMA and Red Cross.
2. Once FEMA registered, education on need to fill out SBA Loan application that is received in mail (additional grants or loans from FEMA only available after this form has been filled out)
3. Initial assessment of needs and followup on those needs (cleanup, temp housing, etc.)
4. Rapid pulling together of key community partners and getting the LTR Committee/Organization in place
I'll be traveling around as best I can to share more information on this with you all, but please contact me if you have questions. Early next week we'll have downloadable LTR manual and sample. Jason Brock, DisasterReponse@tnumc.com, 615-695-2765.Early Response Teams--We've have already been working with or are soon arriving, 8 Early Response Teams from our Conference and others. While much cleanup remains, it will be hard at any given time to know where, when, or how much as we have communities affected over several hundred miles. We don't have a lot of persons experienced at seeking out the homes that have been missed, so teams have to help communities in that process.
Some areas will be easy to connect with work, but as we move forward there will be more detective work involved. If you have a precise estimate of when you could arrive, please register Online
Please stay safe and look for future updates by email listserv and at http://tnumcrelief.blogspot.com/
