Disaster Response

Assessing Damage Caused by Hurricane Michael

Many residents of Southwest Georgia are reeling, their homes and communities damaged and devastated by Hurricane Michael.

Hurricane Michael, which hit the area last Wednesday afternoon and evening after slamming into the Florida Panhandle, ravaged much of the area for hours.

The wind was intense, uprooting trees, destroying buildings, and decimating crops. Hundreds of thousands are without power, and several counties are in a utility crisis, without power or water.

The Conference Disaster Response Team is continuing to assess the extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Michael and how our conference can most effectively respond. 

For photos and videos of our churches in action, visit our Facebook page.

Early Response Teams
Early Response Teams are needed now in Southwest Georgia following Hurricane Matthew. If you have a team ready to serve, please contact Luis Morales at morhilll@gmail.com or 478-335-6678. 

Relief Kits
Our churches have been overwhelming in their generosity in collecting cleaning kits. We encourage you to continue to put these together. They will be needed in the weeks and months ahead. When it is safe to travel you can continue to drop relief kits off at the churches listed here.

Monetary Gifts
Monetary gifts will be extremely important as we respond to the affected areas. Special offerings to help with storm recovery needs may be sent to the South Georgia Conference Storm Recovery efforts. Click here to download a bulletin insert to use this Sunday.

Ways to give:

  1. Through your local church. Your local church will then send the money to the Administrative Services Office.

  2. Mail a check to the Administrative Services Office. Please use Conference Advance Special #6796 - South Georgia Storm Recovery (Disaster Response). Address: PO Box 13145; Macon, GA 31208

  3. Give online

Questions
For Disaster Response related questions, please do not hesitate to reach out:

Allison Lindsey
Associate Director, Office of Connectional Ministries
allison@sgaumc.com | 912-393-5524

Luis Morales
South Georgia Conference Disaster Coordinator
morhilll@gmail.com | 478-335-6678

Thank You
Thank you for helping respond to and support our response efforts here in South Georgia. We are already seeing incredible ways that our local churches are "Alive Together in Christ."

Hurricane Florence Response

Early Response Teams

North Carolina: If you are interested in helping in North Carolina and have a team ready to deploy, you can contact the North Carolina Conference directly at their Operations Center at 888-440-9167. You can also visit their Conference website at www.nccumc.org, which will link you to their Disaster Response site.

South Carolina: The South Carolina Annual Conference is now receiving ERT Teams in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. There is a need for teams in a variety of roles throughout the state. If interested, please contact the South Carolina Conference directly: sp_disasterresponse@umcsc.org or call the SC Conference Disaster Call Center at (864) 216-1876. 

**If you deploy, please notify Luis Morales, South Georgia Conference Disaster Coordinator, morhilll@gmail.com.

Ways to Give

There are several ways in which you can make a donation through UMCOR for disaster response relief.

  • Online – make a gift now to US Disaster Response #901670
  • By phone – Call 1-800-554-8583
  • Through your local church – Place your gift in the plate at your church. Please make the gift clearly identifiable as being for Hurricane Florence #6848 (Lane 6 credit for Three Star Church Challenge).

UMCOR Supplies Needed

UMCOR cleaning kits (buckets) will be needed in the weeks and months to come. Your church can collect and assemble cleaning kits, which is a great way to have all ages of your church involved in outreach. Instructions for the cleaning kit can be found at: www.umcor.org/UMCOR/Relief-Supplies.  **Please note: The contents and instructions for relief supplies have changed in 2018, the UMCOR website provides you with updated information.

We are grateful to the following churches for receiving assembled kits. 

Drop-off Location List for Cleaning Kits

Drop-off locations for cleaning kits through the end of October include:

  • Wesley UMC in Macon (4256 Hartley Bridge Rd, Macon, GA 31216). Please call the church office, (478) 781-0332, to make arrangements before dropping off your items.

  • Brunswick First UMC (1400 Norwich St, Brunswick, GA 31520). Please call the church office, (912) 265-4313, to make arrangements before dropping off your items.

  • Christ UMC in Albany (505 Byron Plantation Rd, Albany, GA 31721). Please call the church office, (229) 436-3373, to make arrangements before dropping off your items.

  • Calvary UMC, Swainsboro (421 S Main St, Swainsboro, GA 30401). Please contact Rev. Mark Miller, (706) 505-4196, to make arrangement before dropping off your items.

  • Grace UMC, Vidalia (1200 Aimwell Rd, Vidalia, GA 30474). Please contact the church office at  (912) 537-3973 to make arrangements before dropping off your items.
     

Questions

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. We will continue to keep you updated through our website and Facebook page as assessments are made and invitations are given for outside ERT teams to come into these areas if needed. Prayers for all those affected and displaced from this storm.  

Luis Morales
South Georgia Conference Disaster Coordinator
morhilll@gmail.com
 
Allison Lindsey
Associate Director, Office of Connectional Ministries
allison@sgaumc.com

Disaster Response