Disaster Response work teams and ERT (Early Response Teams) teams are still needed in the areas of Clay and Center Point, AL. At this time we are calling for in-conference teams only, and outside conference teams can be scheduled on a case-by-case basis by contacting Rev. Matt Lacey, mlacey@northalabamaumc.org. If outside conference teams wish to serve all team members must have current and valid ERT UMCOR badges and disaster response experience, and must be self-contained.

At this time we are easing the requirements for in-conference teams. North Alabama teams must have a team leader with a valid UMCOR badge and disaster response experience. The members of the team must be disaster-response sensitive individuals, and though not required, UMCOR training is desired. All teams are subject to Safe Sanctuaries requirements. All individuals handing chainsaws must have chainsaw training or experience.

Here is the following information for how to serve in various areas. Please be flexible, and try your best to understand that individuals in affected areas, and volunteer orgs. are getting a lot of phone calls:

Clay, AL: Clay UMC is working with local authorities to continue to complete debris removal and chainsaw work. Please call 205-681-2727.

Center Point, AL: Please contact Christian Service Mission during the week at (205) 252-9906.

All areas: Hands on Birmingham is also coordinating relief. You can register through their website, after creating a login, or call (205) 251-5849. They will deploy teams on an as-needed basis.

If you have any questions concerning disaster relief work for the 2012 tornadoes, please contact Rev. Matt Lacey at mlacey@northalabamaumc.org
 

Thank you North Alabama!

In this video message, Bishop Will and Patsy Willimon say thank you to North Alabama United Methodists for your continuing disaster recovery work in response to the April 27, 2011 storms.

A Message from the Conference Disaster Response Team

We found out today that the City of Clay has stated they have stopped taking volunteers until Feb 11, 2012.

Please help us spread the word. We apologize that the unexpected word from the city has put a kink in many churches plans.

A Message from United Counseling

United Counseling, formerly United Methodist Pastoral Care and Counseling, Inc., has provided care for the United Methodist clergy, their families and congregations of North Alabama for more than 40 years. We are and always have been open to anyone who needs our services. We are committed to providing the highest quality of care with respect to diversity of religion and beliefs to adults, children, teenagers, couples, groups and families who are in need of therapy and/or psychiatric services.

Since the severe tornadoes in April, 2011, and the more recent storms, our office has made efforts to address the emotional and spiritual health needs of people affected by the storms. Thanks to the support of North Alabama Conference and United Methodist Committee on Relief, we are providing counseling at no charge to anyone directly affected by the tornadoes,

Because we serve North Alabama, we feel it is important that those who need our services do not have to travel so far to access them. Therefore, we have satellite offices throughout North Alabama. Our current satellite locations are Birmingham, McCalla/Bessemer, Gadsden, Huntsville and Tuscaloosa/Northport. United Counseling's Central Office is located at 1313 Alford Avenue in Birmingham. Our phone number is (205) 824-8320. You can also reach us by email at umpcc1313@gmail.com. Visit us on the web at www.unitedcounseling.org.
 

The following information is from the Birmingham Bar. THis information is important for tornado victims—particularly renters. Please note this is time sensitive information. Renters who can no longer live in their homes have 2 weeks from the date of the tornado to notify landlords if they want to terminate their leases.  That date is Feb. 6, 2012.  If the renters don’t cancel they may be obligated to pay rent even if they can’t live in the apartment or house.  This attachment includes all the relevant information and form which may be used.

North Alabama United Methodists are active in response to the storms that struck the Jefferson County area Monday morning, Jan. 23, 2012.

Clay United Methodist Church is serving as the relief center and hub for the Clay community's disaster response efforts. Volunteers in the United Methodist Disaster Warehouse in Decatur have been locating and shipping needed supplies to the affected areas. Beginning Tuesday morning, Early Response Team (ERT) volunteers from churches throughout the North Alabama Conference have been working in the Clay area. Click here to see pictures of some of the volunteers in action.  (If you have pictures of a team from your church working please send them to Danette Clifton at dclifton@northalabamaumc.org.)

Conference Director of Mission and Advocacy Rev. Matt Lacey reminds people, "that as the disaster progresses, we are learning and adapting. Volunteers should keep this in mind when working with ERT teams."

He also noted that on Thursday, January 26, the Clay area will NOT be taking teams because of potential bad weather. The work will resume on Friday, January 27!

We have spoken with the EMA in the Clay area, which was heavily affected by Monday morning's storms, and as of Tuesday, January 24 at 8 a.m., they will be ready to receive Early Response Teams (ERT) from within the North Alabama Conference that fit the following criteria:

• Team leader must have ERT badge current in the last three years.
   
• Team members must have had ERT training at some point.
   
• All individuals must be disaster response sensitive and flexible.

Churches are encouraged to go ahead and have teams assembled and ready to tarp roofs and complete debris removal.

Team members must by 19 years of age and older. The EMA in the area will supervise volunteers and dispatch them. As always, teams are encouraged to maintain flexibility as disaster situations can change quickly.

Teams are to meet Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, at 8 a.m. at Clay United Methodist Church at 6790 Old Springville Road, Pinson, AL 35216. Teams are encouraged to wear your green Disaster Response t-shirts or a shirt from your local United Methodist church.

At this time we are only calling for in-Conference ERT teams. After completion of work, team leaders please email Rev. Jonathan Todd, Central District Disaster Coordinator, at johnctodd@gmail.com with the number of hours worked and number of properties each team assisted.

If you have any questions concerning ERT work, please contact Rev. Matt Lacey at mlacey@northalabamaumc.org.

Our prayers go out to all those affected by last night's storms as lives were lost and homes and buildings were damaged. Our heart goes out especially to those who had to relive the trauma of April 27th, 2011 once again.

I would like to once again urge caution as we begin to assess the situation and let local law enforcement and rescue agencies do their jobs first, by helping those in immediate danger. The most important task right now is opening up lines of communication and getting reports of damage so that we can help when the time comes. We do not discourage neighbors helping neighbors as long as the situation is safe.

Right now as power is out in many areas, communication is a concern. If you have damage to church property or mass damage to a particular area of the conference that has not been reported by the media, please email me at mlacey@northalabamaumc.org, use your smartphone to post on our Facebook wall at www.facebook.com/missionsnal with reports.

We recognize that the people who were effected the most by the storms will not get this email, but we hope that as you get reports from your family and friends, you will relay this information to us. Myself and Rev. John Hassell, the Disaster Response Coordinator for the conference, are working to assess the damage and mobilze ERT teams when the time comes.

Again, please stay safe and do not mobilize any ERT team until the call is sent out and local officials have had time to do their jobs.

Blessings,
Matt

P.S. ERT (Early Response Team) volunteers can begin to prepare for response efforts by getting their team and supplies organized for when the Conference puts out the call for ERT volunteers. He reminds teams that the Conference Disaster Response Team must defer to local officials first and coordinate with them to safely deploy ERT volunteers.

Currently, the most immediate need at this time is for financial gifts to support the disaster response effort. Direct gifts to the North Alabama Conference Disaster Response can be sent to North Alabama Conference, January Storms Disaster Response, 898 Arkadelphia Road, Birmingham, AL 35204.

EARLY RESPONSE TEAMS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED IN COASTAL AREAS OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA:

The North Carolina Annual Conference has activated the Disaster Response Call Center in response to Hurricane Irene.  If you are part of an Early Response Team and are available to serve, please notify the Disaster Response Call Center via the Early Response Team Registration Form  to schedule your team. ERT Team Leaders are also asked to download and complete the forms found in the Early Response Team Information Packet and return them via email or fax to the Call Center prior to arrival in North Carolina.

The Disaster Response Call Center may be contacted at (888) 440-9167 or via email at disasterresponse@nccumc.org.

Further updates regarding Hurricane Irene Early Response efforts in the NC Annual Conference can be found on the UMVIM, NC  and the NC Conference Outreach Ministry web sites.

FROM THE VIRGINIA CONFERENCE:

Hurricane Irene caused some significant wind damage in areas around James City County, Williamsburg, and Richmond. There are many trees down and there have been requests for chain saw work and debris removal.  There was significant flooding in the Willoughby Spit/ Pretty Lake area of Norfolk and we are awaiting assessments before proceeding with assistance. I have been in contact with the VABCH Emergency Manager this morning and there are not any calls for tarping or muck out in the city at this time.  I have only heard from four of the sixteen Districts about their current status and damages. Those Districts reporting are Arlington, Alexandria, York River and Elizabeth River.  The majority of reports of damaged churches came from Arlington / Alexandria and they were reporting damage from the earthquake and not the hurricane.  

Conference ERT teams are still on standby and equipment has been strategically pre-positioned in support of the ERTs, with possible UMVIM support later.  This morning the CDRT Communications Coordinator is calling all the District Superintendents/District Disaster Coordinators to get an update on damages to the Districts.  
 
I have offered to obtain Cleaning Buckets, School Kits and Health Kits from UMCOR Sager-Brown if needed. The Tennessee Conference is sending two truckloads of drinking water to support VDEM requests. We should start receiving assessment information on earthquake damage soon from VDEM and we will offer assistance and support to those affected localities as able.  Communication efforts have been slowed considerably due to power outages and loss of cell towers/ telephone lines.  The latest update reports that the majority of the power to the Commonwealth will be restored by Friday.  

NORTHEASTERN JURISDICTION OF UMVIM

For updates for the Northeastern United states, please check out their website: http://www.gbgm-umc.org/umvim-nej/

For more information on Early Response Teams or ERT Certification, contact Rev. Matt Lacey at mlacey@northalabamaumc.org.

Message from the Dakotas Conference: ERT Teams needed.

Greetings in the name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

As you know Minot and Bismarck/Mandan, North Dakota have both endured major flooding. The flooding on the Missiour River in Bismarck/Mandan and several other communities along its flow to the Mississippi have affected property and lives. In Minot the Souris (also known as the Mouse) River is in the process of going back into it's banks however not before displacing thousands of residents and destroying property. Right now in Minot alone there are 806 homes that are uninhabitable and will need to be destroyed. The last estimate I have heard is there may be an additional 2000 homes added to this number.

We are just now being able to to early response and cleaning in the Minot area. We are in desperate need of trained ERT's who are self contained, badged and ready to go. We need your help!

If you have a team that would be willing to make the trip to Minot please contact the Dakotas Conference Office at 605-996-6552 or contact me at this email or my cell phone. Your consideration is greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you.

Grace and Peace
Rev. Lee Gale
Northern Valley Parish
Dakotas Conference Agenda Coordinator
Dakotas Conference Disaster Response Coordinator for North Dakota
 

There are 300 copies of Rev. Dale Clem's book on the 1994 Tornado called Winds of Fury; Circles of Grace available. This is a great resource for those suffering due to the recent storms. The discounted price is $15.25. Contact your District Office if you are interested in purchasing a copy.

 How we shift into the long-term recovery phase of this disaster.

How we transition into the long recovery phase from the deadly April tornadoes.

How we reconcile the tragedy, and the promise of God 

Starting tomorrow (Wednesday, 4 May) at 7a.m., we are creating a Disaster Response Center at the North Alabama Conference Office.

You can reach the center at this number: 1-855-862-8657, starting Wednesday, May 4th, at 7 a.m.

The past 6 days have been a long journey for many of us. As I have traveled to heavily affected areas, I am reminded of what it really means to be the body of Christ. Churches, from the minute the dust settled, reached out to those in need. We began organizing as soon as the storms passed, last Wednesday night, to get relief on the ground.

I want to make this clear: the UMC was on the ground, being the body of Christ the moment the storms hit. I want to thank all of our churches, districts, leaders, staff and volunteers. I cannot express what a difference you have made. Lives were saved, restored, and comforted because of you.

As we open the call center on Wednesday, I encourage you to phone in and ask what supplies you can give, where you can take supplies, what you can do to volunteer (ERT trained, or not), and for updates about affected areas. I want to express my thanks to all those who have helped me delegate and process information on the ground around the conference, so we could help those in this disaster over the past week. We could not have done this without you.

I hope you pay attention to the criteria we released just yesterday which opens up the volunteer base significantly. If you missed it, click here for that information.

If you are available, I would like to invite you to volunteer at the conference office, operating this important phone line. If you are interested in this, please contact Mary Simpson at (205) 226-7974 or msimpson@northalabamaumc.org  to be added to the call center volunteer schedule.

Thank you again for all your hard work. In the times of deepest need, God makes God's presence known the most, and that is through all of us, the hands of feet of Christ.

-Matt

Rev. Matt Lacey, Director of Mission and Advocacy, North Alabama Conference

A group comprised of North Alabama Conference Director of Mission and Advocacy Matt Lacey, Tom Hazelwood of UMCOR, and clergy/cabinet members affected by the tornado disaster revisited the requirements for Emergency Response Team leaders. This group met following the pre-conference meeting of the Central and South Central Districts and reevaluated the makeup of teams working in heavily hit disaster response areas.

These new criteria will allow [only] in-conference volunteers to mobilize on the ground in these areas, and to gain valuable experience in disaster response:

• Teams may be comprised of disaster-response-sensitive individuals with a passion for this ministry, but no formal UMCOR ERT training.
• Team leaders of such teams will need to have had UMCOR training since 2004, and experience in the disaster response field.
• Team leaders will then register their team through the conference website, and await further contact for deployment (please be patient as we are getting a lot of requests).

Teams coming from outside of the conference to serve in North Alabama will have to follow these criteria:

• Team members must be UMCOR ERT certified in the past 5 years
• Team leaders much be UMCOR ERT certified in the past 3 years, with disaster experience.
• Team leaders and potential team members should contact your Annual Conference to find out about teams in your area.
• Team leaders will then register their team through the conference website, and await further contact for deployment (please be patient as we are getting a lot of requests).

To register your team click here.

We are now understanding the full scale of this disaster.  It has wrecked lives, homes, cars, and hearts.  But, the United Methodists of North Alabama are mobilized and making a big difference in the lives of many, many people.

Here is the good news: we have established a supply network through many of our churches, and as of today, have organized a volunteer network through the UMCOR and UMVIM partnership of Emergency Response Training [ERT].  ERT teams from within and outside of the conference are now out in full force making a difference.

But, it is not over. We will remain after the news cameras have gone, and after other organizations have left.  United Methodists are here to stay.  

Here is what you can do:

-Donate supplies.  Click here for a list of network churches which are now accepting supplies.  Please call ahead and be sensitive that these churches can quickly become overwhelmed and supply needs will rapidly change.

-Give through the UMCOR Advance. The Advance allows 100% of your donation to go to the affected area.  You can donate online by clicking here, or through writing a check to the conference office and adding the Advance number 3021326.

-Volunteer. I encourage United Methodists to volunteer with organizations like Red Cross and United Way.  For individuals who are ERT trained through UMCOR in the past 5 years (for team leaders 3 years), and wish to act as an early response team, click here to register.  Please be patient as volunteer requests come in rapidly.  We will have more ERT trainings soon.  Please check the conference website for details to come.

-Pray and listen. Be a witness with those folks who have been affected.  Listen to their story, and lift it up to God everyday.

Everyone has worked extremely hard.  I hope you know churches across the conference have been showing the love of Christ to those in need, and United Methodist have been, are, and will continue to be on the ground, being the body of Christ for the world.

- Matt
Rev. Matt Lacey, Director of Mission and Advocacy, North Alabama Conference

Pastoral Care and Counseling has been in conversaton with Rev. Matt Lacey, and whenever staging areas are set up we plan to have counselors available to talk with people. In the meantime, please call our office if we can be helpful in any way to provide pastoral care or consultation during this time. Our office number is 205-824-8320, or you can email at
sfergusonumpcc@gmail.com. 

What you can do to respond to the tornadoes on April 27th.  

How you can respond to the tornadoes on April 27, 2011