wfn.org | UMCOR sends 30,000 pounds of supplies to New Jersey

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

Sept. 28, 1999  News media contact: Linda Bloom**(212) 870-3803**New York
10-21-71B{495}

NEW YORK (UMNS) -- Flood victims in the Bound Brook, N.J., area are
benefiting from 30,000 pounds of cleaning supplies donated by the United
Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).

The supplies, which arrived Sept. 25, included a thousand mops, brooms and
flood buckets full of cleaning items, along with paper towels, cleaning
solutions and bleach. The items were shipped by truck from the UMCOR Depot
in Baldwin, La.

The downtown section of Bound Brook was nearly submerged when rains from
Hurricane Floyd caused the Raritan River to overflow on Sept. 16. Efforts to
rescue residents trapped in their homes involved hundreds of National Guard
troops, police officers, firefighters, six helicopters and numerous boats.

United Methodists have joined with other churches and synagogues in the area
to bring both spiritual comfort and physical healing to those affected by
the disaster, according to United Methodist Bishop Alfred Johnson, New
Jersey Area.

The Rev. Aida Fernandez, serving as interim disaster response coordinator
for both the Northern and Southern New Jersey United Methodist Conferences,
told United Methodist News Service she has been impressed by the ecumenical
effort.

The United Methodist Church in Bound Brook, for example, has set up a food
pantry and is accepting nonperishable food donations. Congregation Knesseth
Israel is overseeing a temporary housing program, while the Congregational
and Presbyterian churches are serving as Red Cross shelters. St. Joseph's
Catholic Church is a distribution center for cleaning supplies, St. Paul's
Episcopal Church is distributing clothing and the Reformed Church is
coordinating work teams. Others standing by to assist are First Baptist, Our
Lady of Mercy, Saint John's Lutheran and Saint Mary's Catholic churches.

Fernandez said they also are learning of other communities where assistance
is needed. In Westwood, for instance, two church families lost their homes
when a lake overflowed its banks.

The bishop has called a meeting of United Methodists - two representatives
from each district in both conferences - for Sept. 29 at the Bound Brook
church. Assisted by representatives from UMCOR and the Federal Emergency
Management Association (FEMA), the group will consider "the long-term
process of helping to rebuild the areas," Fernandez added.

Individuals or work teams interested in assisting with the recovery process
in Bound Brook, Manville and Lodi in New Jersey or Spring Valley in New York
should call UMCOR's Volunteer Hotline at (800) 918-3100. Volunteers must
provide for their own lodging.

Donations can be made to UMCOR for Hurricanes '99, Advance No. 982460-1 and
placed in church collection plates or mailed directly to 475 Riverside Dr.,
Room 330, New York, NY 10115. Credit card donations can be made by calling
(800) 554-8583. 
 
* Kimball G. Pease, a member of UMCOR's national disaster response team,
provided information for this story.

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United Methodist News Service
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(615)742-5472