wfn.org | Church's tornado relief fund gets $35,000 donation from media

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Feb. 18, 1999   Contact: Tim Tanton*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{092}

By Cathy Farmer*

JACKSON, Tenn. (UMNS) -- The phone call from a Memphis television station,
offering a check for $35,000, rocked the Rev. Jerry Hassell back in his
chair. 

Hassell is acting coordinator of the tornado relief effort for The United
Methodist Church in West Tennessee.

"When they told me we were going to receive part of the money WMC-TV and its
sister radio stations had raised from their audience for tornado relief, I
was appreciative," Hassell said. "Of course, I thought they were talking
about a check for $500. When they said we were going to get $35,000, I
literally couldn't believe it."

Steve Crain, assignments manager for WMC-TV Channel 5, said the station
chose the United Methodist Church fund after interviewing Hassell.

"We wanted a charity that's 'on the ground' there in Jackson, something
locally based and planning to be present for the long haul," Crain said.
"And we wanted to be sure that every single penny of the money is used to
help tornado victims -- not for administration."

The station also is giving $20,000 to the Red Cross for tornado relief work.

Crain became aware of the United Methodist effort through press releases and
wire stories.

The check, payable to the United Methodist Committee on Relief, was
presented to Hassell on the parking lot of the tornado-ravaged Southgate
Shopping Center at 6 a.m. Feb. 17. WMC-TV reporter Kim Clark, bundled in a
heavy coat against the pre-dawn cold, handed over the larger-than-life
check.
 
"We want everyone to remember that this money comes from our audience,"
Crain hastened to comment. "Not from the station. And we expect to follow up
and see how it's used."

WMC-TV's money will be added to a fund that already exceeds $84,000 - money
donated by people and churches in West Tennessee and Western Kentucky. The
Memphis Conference has about 90,000 members and 500 churches in the area.

"We've even received a check for $1,280 from a group of Cumberland
Presbyterian
Keenagers in Dyersburg, Tenn.," Hassell said. The Keenagers are a group of
older adults.
 
The money will be used to help tornado victims rebuild; to give a hand to
those people who 'fall through the cracks,' who either don't have insurance
or don't have enough insurance to cover losses. 

"I expect our work to be labor-intensive," Hassell said. "We'll be talking
to tornado victims to decide what we can do. Then I expect we'll schedule
work teams to help with the rebuilding."

Survivors who need help can contact the United Methodist Church by calling a
hotline staffed by volunteers. The number is (901) 664-2251. 

Donations to the fund can be made by check, payable to the Memphis
Conference for Tornado Relief, and sent to: Conference Treasurer James
Finger, P. O. Box 1257, Jackson, TN 38302.

# # # 

*Farmer is communications director of the United Methodist Church's Memphis
Annual Conference. This story first appeared in the conference edition of
the United Methodist Reporter.

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