Last week Louisiana got 25-30 inches of rain in two days, it has caused catastrophic flooding. As we watch the news from Louisiana, the reports just keep getting worse. As of Tuesday, August 23, 2016 it is estimated that over 100,000 people have been displaced by the flooding.
UMCOR (The United Methodist Committee On Relief) is already at work and have given out hundreds of Cleaning Buckets. In fact the UMCOR-Sager Brown warehouses are out of Cleaning Buckets. We have already sent 1000 Cleaning Buckets from Iowa and are committed to send more.
Many of you have asked, "How we can help?"
At this time, the leadership in Louisiana is asking you to
NOT just get in your car and go to help. Louisiana is in the very early stages of recovery and setting up a system to be able to help people, please be patient, the recovery efforts will be going on for a long time and you will have many opportunities to help. Again let me be clear,
DO NOT GO to Louisiana if you have not been invited by a specific agency.
What you can do:
- Pray, pray for our Brothers and Sisters in Louisiana and those who are in leadership responding to this disaster. Pray every day.
- Donate funds to help in recovery either to the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church (www.la-umc.org) or to UMCOR (www.umcor.org)
- Make Cleaning Buckets, we will gather them in Iowa and work with UMCOR-Sager Brown on getting them where they need to go. Directions for making a Cleaning Bucket can be found on the UMCOR website, www.umcor.org. Watch for more information on where to deliver your complete Cleaning Buckets.
If you need more information or help finding the Cleaning Bucket directions feel free to contact us.
Blessings,
Catie and John Newman
Iowa Annual Conference, Disaster Response Coordinators
Disaster.response@iaumc.org
712-899-4067 – phone or text
