Greetings!
This is a special edition of JCUd@tes that will focus on the effects of the April 27 storms on the Johnson City District. Please keep the churches and communities below in your prayers, and consider ways you can help.
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Churches That Were Damaged
Mt. Tabor UMC
Gethsemane UMC
Pleasant Hill UMC
Liberty Hill UMC
Mt. Carmel UMC
Jearoldstown UMC
Elizabeth Chapel UMC
Learn More
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Immediate Needs
For the Horse Creek Community:
The Horse Creek Community was hit by an EF3 tornado last Wednesday night. 34 mobile homes and 6 homes were totally destroyed, and countless other families had moderate to serious damage to their homes.
A command center has been set up at Pleasant Hill UMC to serve this community. A Greeneville company has donated tents, grills, tables and folding chairs for distribution at this site. However, there are additional immediate needs that those coming to the command center are asking for. Hundreds of people received numerous cuts, scrapes and bruises that they are trying to treat themselves with no medical supplies. They urgently need the following items within the next couple of days:
- Peroxide, rubbing alcohol, iodine and antibiotic cream
- Cotton balls and cotton swabs
- Band-aids of all sizes
- Baby wipes
- Toilet paper
- Bottled water
- Non-perishable food
Items brought to the District Office today by 5:00 pm will be delivered to the command center tomorrow, or you may deliver them directly to the command center at:
Pleasant Hill UMC
1477 Fox Rd
Chuckey, TN 37641
Take Highway 107 to Pleasant Hill Rd, and turn south. Travel approximately one mile. Church is at the intersection of Pleasant Hill Rd and Fox Rd.
For the Camp Creek Community:
The Camp Creek Community experienced an EF2 tornado, which completely destroyed countless homes and killed six people. Three of those people were members of Mt. Tabor UMC. The church itself was badly damaged, but is already being repaired by Mennonite volunteers from Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The Camp Creek Community needs the following items:
- Personal hygiene items
- Baby items (diapers, etc.)
- Paper products (toilet paper, plates, paper towels, etc.)
- Cleaning supplies
- Bottled water
- Non-perishable food items
Items brought to the District Office today by 5:00 pm will be delivered to the command center tomorrow, or you may deliver them directly to the command center at:
Greene County Christian School
9802 107 Cut-off
Greeneville, TN 37743
The school is located behind Flag Branch Church of God
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Other Ways you Can Help
Donate Clothing and Toiletries
The Wesley Foundation at ETSU is currently collecting clothing and toiletries to be delivered to families in the storm area. Drop off items at the Wesley Foundation (1100 Seminole Dr, Johnson City, TN 37604) by Wednesday, May 4 at 6:00 pm.
Donate Cleaning Supplies
Greene County Emergency management Director Bill Brown asks that area residents consider donating cleaning supplies that will be given to families who are trying to clean up after the storms, and household goods to replace what was lost. Emergency officials have set up a distribution site at the Freewill Baptist Family Ministry Home for Children next to Camp Creek Elementary.
Donate Water
Another immediate need is bottled water for drinking, and in some cases for cleaning, washing clothes and even bathing. Donations of water can be delivered to the distribution point at the Crossroads in Greene County - the intersection of highways 350 and 351.
Deliver Meals
The Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) is onsite at Creekside Market in Greene County (790 Greystone Road, Greeneville, TN 37743-5890) cooking hot meals. They need volunteers to deliver these meals to survivors and responders working in the area. For more information, please contact Kimberly George, Divisional Public Information Officer. She can be reached at 423-503-1801 or by email.
Donate Money 100% of all donations to UMCOR are used for disaster relief. Nothing is spent on administrative costs. To make a donation, make your check payable to your local church and indicate one of the following Advance Special numbers on the memo line: - To assist within the Holston Conference, use Advance Special #143
- To assist across the Southeast United States, use Advance Special #901670
Church treasurers: Please write a check for monies donated to Holston Conference and mail to Alcoa. Indicate the appropriate Advance Special numbers on the memo line. TO DONATE ONLINE: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/ Donate e-Gift Cards Help the families affected by April's storms with recovery efforts by donating gift cards for building materials. Cards will be handed out throughout the communities surrounding our churches who have had damage to their homes. Get instructions for buying an e-Gift Card
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Volunteer Work Teams
Holston Conference will begin scheduling work teams as quickly as possible (most likely by the end of this week). All teams must receive brief training from their District VIM Trainer and must have insurance before they will be allowed onsite. At this time, only trained Emergency Responders are being allowed into many areas and, in most areas, volunteers without credentials are being turned away.
If you have a team that is interested in helping, contact the District Office.
In addition, Pulaski, VA (Wytheville District) was hit by two tornadoes on April 8. Hundreds of homes were damaged, and teams are needed immediately to begin rebuilding there.
Please contact Ty Harrison (276) 728-2434 or email or Hugh Kilgore (540) 980-3331 or email to schedule a work team in Pulaski.
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Prayers
Above all, please remember the churches and communities all across the Southeast that were affected by these storms. Other areas of Holston Conference that were affected include:
- Ringgold, GA (Chattanooga District)
- Appison, TN (Cleveland District)
- Glade Spring, VA (Abingdon District)
- Pulaski, VA (Wytheville District - April 8)
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