What We Do
The mission of United Methodist Disaster Response in the Mississippi Conference is to provide a caring Christian presence in the aftermath of a disaster that begins with response and ends with long term recovery.
What Kinds of Disasters Do We Respond to?
The disaster response effort of the Mississippi Conference is primarily focused on natural disasters such as floods, fires, tornadoes and hurricanes. Other disasters, often called “man- made” may result from terrorism and domestic disturbances or from accidents such as chemical spills. Resources of the conference could be used to assist individuals and families impacted by these disasters as well.
How does the Mississippi Conference Respond to Disasters?
The Disaster Response Committee of the Mississippi Conference stands ready to assist any time disasters are so large that the resources of the local community or the district are not sufficient to meet the needs. This response can take many forms. Expert advice can be provided to help the local community as they meet immediate needs, or as they plan for recovery from a disaster, UMCOR kits such as clean-up kits and health kits are distributed; and, volunteers can also be recruited by the conference. early response teams (ERTs) are deployed to assist with clean-up and other tasks needed by the community in the period right after the disaster (once the area has been declared safe by first responders). In the long term, UMVIM recovery teams help with home repairs or, in some cases, rebuilding homes that have been completely destroyed during the disaster. In addition, spiritual and emotional care teams can provide support to individuals and congregations as they cope with the loss caused by a disaster.
The United Methodist Disaster Response in the Mississippi Conference rarely acts alone. We work with partners in order to provide the best possible relief to survivors of the disaster. The most important partners are the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD).
Mission offerings can be sent to:
Mississippi Annual Conference
P.O. Box 1603
Jackson, MS 39215
Victoria White
vwhite@mississippi-umc.org
601.354.0515
Director of Connectional Ministries and Communications
Congregational Preparedness (pdf)
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