UCC's multi-tiered effort provides relief in wake of tornados, floods

From Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>
Date Tue, 31 May 2011 10:18:20 -0700

UCC's multi-tiered effort provides relief in wake of tornados, floods


Written by Jeff Woodard
May 25, 2011
From flood-ravaged farmlands to tornado-decimated cities and villages throughout the nation's Midwest and South, the UCC continues to formulate and execute a diverse array of disaster-relief procedures.
"For the long term, the UCC is looking for a local partner to work with in several locations and will be asking for volunteer work groups to assist with repairing homes," says Florence Coppola, UCC executive for National Disaster Ministries.
"There will likely be more than one location to choose from, but it will be two to three months before people are ready to receive work groups to rebuild," says Coppola, noting that the list of people with needs continues to grow.
At least 15 people died in Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma May 24 in the latest round of severe weather to strike the U.S. heartland. Meanwhile, the death toll from the May 22 tornado in Joplin, Mo., stood at 125 as stunned survivors braced for more strong storms.
Twisters brewed May 24 in Dallas, and about 10,000 people were stranded in the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport overnight, said an airport spokesperson. At the Ballpark in Arlington (Texas), fans at the baseball game between the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox were evacuated from the stands into the tunnels beneath the stadium.
The U.S. death toll in tornadoes this season stands at about 500, says the National Weather Service, making it the deadliest year since 1953, when 519 people were killed in twisters.
Though not a "first responder," UCC local churches in impacted areas provide community relief, says Coppola. "Our churches have been fortunate and sustained no damages to their facilities. One Great Hour of Sharing has sent $10,000 to our churches to assist with this local effort."
Not as fortunate were congregants of the South Joplin (Mo.) Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The tornado tore off the church building's roof, smashed windows and drove torrents of rainwater indoors.
Coppola says homeowners can request safety equipment such as Tyvek suits, goggles, gloves and respirators to be worn when cleaning damaged homes.
"The UCC is committed to providing this equipment as requested to protect people against health hazards they might encounter when going back into houses where there are unknown 'mixes' of crushed materials or mold," says Coppola, adding that nearly $9,000 worth of kits has been sent to recent flood victims in Chattanooga, Tenn.
An important partner in the UCC's disaster response is Church World Service (CWS), which has sent thousands of clean-up buckets and hygiene kits to impacted areas, says Coppola. "All these materials are donated, but shipping is not free, so the UCC is sending $5,000 from its One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) fund to support these efforts."
Coppola says an urgent need, and a great way for churches to help, is assembly and distribution of clean-up buckets and/or hygiene kits, and shipping them to CWS.
"The UCC will work ecumenically and with not-for-profit local partners to pool dollars for materials and tools to repair homes," says Coppola. "Support will also be needed for construction coordinators and volunteer coordinators."
When communities are ready for volunteer work groups, information will be posted on the Disaster Ministries page of the UCC web site, <ucc.org/disaster/>.
In addition to recent disaster response, the UCC continues long-term recovery work in places that have drifted off the relief radar of many other organizations, says Coppola. "We still have hands-on rebuilding taking place in New Orleans and in many other locations that the majority of people are no longer concerned about, because they have moved on to the most immediate disaster.
"That's a challenge for the UCC, but it's also something we need to celebrate and interpret as something we offer that's sustained and unique," says Coppola. "Haiti is already completely off most radar screens, but not the UCC's."