After the Headlines...
For survivors of the devastating hurricanes in 2005-Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Stan, Wilma-the past three years have been filled with every imaginable challenge for recovery. United Methodists have been there with them, dedicated and committed to the long-term response needed to rebuild homes, communities, and lives.
- The response has taken many forms: direct financial and material assistance, spiritual and emotional care, case management and coordination of services, in-kind donations of building and relief supplies, dormitory housing on United Methodist church sites to support more than 125,000 volunteers who have served the region during the recovery, and tens of thousands of meals served.
- Gifts received for Hurricanes 2005 (UMCOR Advance #982523) continue to sustain this response through recovery work in several Annual conferences.
- The UMCOR Katrina Aid Today national consortium completed its FEMA grant-funded program in March 2008, serving 68,872 survivor households representing 182,960 individuals.
- Sustaining survivors has been a story about relationships that grew out of an unprecedented disaster. The story involves people from all walks of life making tremendous efforts to reach out, to be courageous, to be helpful, to be hopeful.