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Johnson City District

News Update

May 5, 2011 - Special Tornado Relief Edition

Tornado Relief

 

 

Greetings!  

We wish to thank the many people who are helping our neighbors affected by the April 27 storms by donating supplies, funds, e-gift cards, and their time.

Here is an update on response to the storms, including information about Volunteer in Mission teams providing disaster relief. 
 
Coordination of Teams      

 

We have had many calls and emails to the District Office offering to send teams to help those in need. If you are interested in forming a relief team or joining a team, please read the important information below.  

 

We understand the desire to immediately rush to the aid of our neighbors in need. However, we must follow the proper protocol for the protection of everyone involved. This means that ALL teams must:

  • register and receive their assignments from the Holston Conference Disaster Response Team,
  • be insured, and  
  • receive a brief training.  

Beginning Monday, May 9, the Holston Conference Disaster Response Team will have a Call Center operational to match cleanup and repair needs with volunteer teams. The phone numbers for the Call Center are (865) 309-9530 and (865) 309-3563, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If the volunteers are on the phone when you call, please leave a message, and your call will be returned as soon as possible. The Call Center will be placing teams in each of the affected areas of our conference, and we anticipate the need will last for at least 3 years.

 

PLEASE CALL the Call Center beginning Monday if:

  • You or someone you know needs immediate assistance with cleanup, tree removal, repairs, etc.
  • You or someone you know will need long-term assistance with reconstruction/repairs.
  • You have a team willing and available to help.
  • You would like to be placed with a team to help.

Melissa Smith, Holston Conference Volunteer in Mission Coordinator, will assist with UMVIM registration and obtaining proper insurance for each team.  Again, it is very important that work teams that come to any area to work are registered with UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Misson) and have UMVIM insurance and UMVIM training.  We will be scheduling training in our district very soon.

 

 

Neighbors Helping Neighbors   

 

As I (Betty Barton) have traveled throughout the affected areas over the last week, I have heard many heart-warming stories of neighbors, families, friends, and complete strangers helping those hardest hit. Here are just a few of the wonderful things I've learned:

  

Pleasant HIll UMC Command Center  

Free Items for Storm Victims
The rooms of Pleasant HIll UMC are filled with items provided free of charge to victims of the Horse Creek storm. 

Although the Pleasant HIll congregation had damage to their building, and numerous trees on the church property were toppled, they have focused on helping their community in any way they can. Church members began collecting items needed by their neighbors - food, clothing, cleaning supplies, pharmacy items, toiletries, etc. - and have opened the doors of the church to supply these items. The fellowship hall and hallway of the church are overflowing with merchandise, and the donations continue to flow in. Church members are busy organizing these items to make the "shopping" easier and making certain that everyone finds the items they need. 

 

A local business donated tents, chairs, tables and grills for families who have resorted to camping out on their property in order to protect what is left and to continue sifting through the wreckage to see what they can salvage.  

 

In the meantime, another group of volunteers (who are not members of the church) have been working to remove the felled trees from the property.  

A

Mennonites Helping Methodists
A Mennonite Disaster Service team arrived Friday morning at Mt. Tabor UMC, fully equipped and ready to begin work. By yesterday afternoon, 3/4 of the roof had been replaced.

As I was taking photographs of the devastation at Mt. Tabor last Friday, a woman who lived in the area, and who had damage to her own property, pulled into the parking lot to offer the workers food.    

 

Youth Group Helps Liberty Hill UMC 
Several large trees were felled by the storm that passed over Liberty Hill UMC, and the roofs of the church building and community center were both badly damaged. On Saturday, as women worked to dry out the inside of the church, men gathered to cut up the trees that were blocking the church drive. A group of youth from Christ UMC in Greeneville arrived to help.

"They had a great time, carrying armloads of branches and piling them up," said Liberty Hill member Nelle Evans. "When it came time for lunch, we started to worry what we should do about feeding the kids. Someone went to the store and bought bologna, cheese and bread, and we shared the lunches we had brought for ourselves.There was plenty for everyone, just like the story of the loaves and fishes."

Cokesbury Cares 
Wet hymnal
One of the hymnals damaged by rain when the roof was torn open at Liberty Hill UMC  
On Wednesday, Jan Butler, manager of the Johnson City Cokesbury store, traveled with me throughout the disaster area in order to visit the churches that were affected and share with them information about Cokesbury Cares, a program that assists churches affected by fires, floods, and other disasters. This program offers to replace damaged or destroyed hymnals, pew Bibles, curriculum and denominational materials for free, and can help to arrange discounted purchase of items that need to be replaced such as sanctuary furniture and steeples. 

Delivering Donations  

Since publishing a list of items Tuesday needed by families affected by last week's storms, donations have been pouring in to the District Office and elsewhere. Rev. Adam Love, pastor of the Clear Springs and Albright churches reports that he has been making daily trips to the Camp Creek Command Center to deliver donated items that church and community members leave on the front porch at Albright UMC.

Congregations Helping Congregations

Several congregations have reached out to the churches near them that received damage, inviting them to use their facilities for worship or join them for Sunday morning services. About 20 members of Liberty Hill UMC traveled to nearby Clear Springs for worship last Sunday. They have also received an invitation from Milburnton UMC to join them this Sunday if the church is not ready for worship.  

 

The Greystone Circuit includes three churches: Mt. Tabor, which received extensive damage and suffered the loss of three members in the storm that tore through Camp Creek; Gethsemane UMC which had slight damage from the strong winds, and Bethesda UMC. Last Sunday, the Mt. Tabor congregation was invited to come to Bethesda for worship at 9:30. Then, during the 11:00 worship service at Gethsemane, members collected a love offering of $2500 to be given to the families of the Mt. Tabor members who were killed.

Remember Johnson County

 

As you are praying for, donating to, and volunteering to help our neighbors within the Johnson City District, don't forget that nearby Johnson County was also hit by an EF2 tornado that killed two women and damaged 150 homes. Johnson County is part of the Abingdon District, but has received little notice in light of the larger storm (based on deaths and damages) that swept through Glade Spring, VA. They were also slower to receive federal designation as a disaster area.  

 

Our neighbors in Johnson County need help as much as the communities within our district. To learn how you can help, visit the Community Help Board for Johnson County TN on Facebook.

 

Bulletin Insert

 

Pastors are asked to distribute an updated bulletin insert from Holston Conference this Sunday to download the insert, Click Here.

 

More Info

 

Follow these links for more information:

 

Johnson City District's Storm Update page 

Holston Conference Disaster Relief page

Tuesday's Storm Update

Last Sunday's Bulletin Insert 

NOAA Map Showing Storm Tracks  

 


Table of Contents
Churches That Were Damaged
Immediate Needs
Other Ways to Help
Volunteer Work Teams
Prayers