The UMCOR Hotline

In Today's Hotline:

PHILIPPINES: UMCOR’s Opening Day

RESOURCES: US Disaster Response—Church Bulletin

SRI LANKA: UMCOR Homes Change Lives

EVENT: “Made in LA”

PHILIPPINES: UMCOR’S OPENING DAY

Nearly 200 people including bishops, Global Ministries’ directors, disasters response coordinators and district superintendents gathered at the Salakot Chapel in the Philippines to celebrate the grand opening of UMCOR Philippines on July 24. The new UMCOR office, located about 50 miles south of Manila, establishes a field presence in Asia as well as an on-site storage facility for material resources.

During the celebration, members of the community presented their gifts, including blankets representing hospitality and the traditional salakot hat as a reminder that God’s workers in the field are protected.

Prior to opening day, UMCOR executives Melissa Crutchfield and Lisa Jackson led a three-day disaster response workshop to implement appropriate responses to different phases of recovery. Support UMCOR Philippines by giving to Philippines Emergency, UMCOR Advance #240235.

RESOURCES: READY TO RESPOND—BULLETIN INSERT

Last June, severe storms and flooding affected 10 states and approximately 11 million people throughout the Midwest. This storm system was followed by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which pounded Gulf Coast communities.

UMCOR responded to 57 US disasters in 2008. These relief efforts placed a financial strain on available disaster resources and UMCOR’s ability to respond to future storms. The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1. UMCOR is relying on United Methodist support to help meet emergency relief needs in the US.

Download Ready to Respond UMCOR's new church bulletin to learn more, or use UMCOR's Ready to Respond Power Point slide. Share these resources with your local congregation and collect a special offering for the Domestic Disaster Response fund. Your gifts will help UMCOR be there in times of disaster. Give to Domestic Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670.

SRI LANKA: UMCOR HOMES CHANGE LIVES

Shabbdhin, a local shopkeeper in Sri Lanka, lost his family’s home to war. Before the conflict took his house, his family lived in a thatched home where the cost of upkeep was much more than the cost to maintain the UMCOR-built house he currently resides in. His thatch home kept his family in poverty because it prevented his family from being able to save enough to build a permanent home.

“We are very happy to be here,” Shabbdhin says. “My children have stability and a study place.”

Since living in the UMCOR-built home, the family used their savings to purchase household goods, send their children to school and even purchase a TV to link them to the outside world.

UMCOR has been working in Sri Lanka since 2005 helping tsunami and conflict survivors rebuild, recover and move into new and affordable UMCOR homes. Give hope to people like Shabbdhin by giving to Sri Lanka Relief and Development, UMCOR Advance #3020630.

EVENT: “MADE IN LA”

Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) and UMCOR is hosting a screening of the documentary, “Made in LA” on Tuesday, August 4 at 5:30 pm at UMCOR’s New York headquarters, 475 Riverside Drive, Room 350.

"Made in LA" is an Emmy award-winning feature documentary that follows the remarkable story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles garment sweatshops. The women embark on a three-year journey to win basic labor protections from a trendy clothing retailer.

The film is a powerful tool to help raise awareness about local and national issues of low wage work, immigration rights, consumer awareness, and women’s empowerment issues.

For more information about the film, go to www.madeinla.com. You can also support this ministry by giving to JFON, UMCOR Advance #901285.

UMCOR provides emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about UMCOR's ministries, please visit umcor.org. You can donate to any project by placing a contribution in the offering plate at a local United Methodist church; by sending a check to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068; or by calling 1-800-554-8583, where credit card donations are accepted. You can also give online by clicking on any of the "Give Now" links. UMCOR is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and qualifies for the maximum charitable contribution deduction by donors.

And, please pray for those who are hungry, displaced, sick or in poverty because of these and other natural and human-made disasters, and for the workers who minister to them.

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