Cleaning (flood) bucket kits donated by United Methodist churches across South Carolina are ready to be shipped to areas affected by Hurricane Matthew.
By Susan Kim
There’s no set-in-stone guide to appropriate giving, since every disaster is different and needs change every day. But in the spirit of educating donors, the United Methodist Committee on Relief presents “Donate This, Not That!” These guidelines are based on recommendations of seasoned responders from many areas of the country.
Need help? Call the disaster response hotline of the S.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church at 800-390-4911 or email screcovery@umcsc.org. Spanish-language hotline: 844-344-2270.
DONATE UMCOR RELIEF-SUPPLY KITS, not supplies such as bottled water.
But don’t people need water? Sometimes they do. UMCOR depots, in close contact with responders, time the shipping and distribution of kits to meet survivors’ needs without overwhelming even the smallest of communities.
“When people learn about a disaster, their impulse is to reach out to disaster survivors physically,” said Jack Amick, UMCOR’s senior director of disaster response. “We all have a need for connection and, when we see suffering, we want to help. I think that there is almost a sense of sacramentality driving that impulse: People want something tangible to express something intangible. They want to touch something and send that something to someone that they can’t touch, can’t see, or don’t even know, as a physical sign of God’s love.”
Relief-supply kits answer a need for disaster survivors while, at the same time, offering an important connection for the giver, Amick explained.
A health/hygiene kit assembled by a volunteer at a South Carolina United Methodist church.
Right now, the South Carolina Conference UMC is asking for donations of cleaning (flood) bucket kits and health/hygiene kits to distribute to those affected by Hurricane Matthew.
UMCOR provides easy, step-by-step instructions for how to assemble health kits, cleaning (flood) bucket kits and other needed items at umcor.org. If you are assembling health kits for S.C. hurricane relief, please include toothpaste. The kits can be delivered to the S.C. Conference Center at 4908 Colonial Drive in Columbia.
The S.C. Conference is also soliciting donations (or loans) of GPS devices that ERT teams can use to help get to their destinations safely. Please call or email disaster response coordinator Matt Brodie at 803-786-9486 or mbrodie@umcsc.org if you can help.
DONATE STUFFED (WITH CASH) ENVELOPES, not stuffed animals.
Thinking of children in the wake of a disaster is a great gesture of compassion, but stuffed animals too often pile up in churches so quickly they take over closets, pews and even entire warehouses.
“With adequate financial resources, UMCOR can partner quickly to provide needed relief supplies that can be purchased locally, or at least in the country or region where the disaster occurred, thus fostering employment and a boost to the local economy,” said Amick. “In some instances, UMCOR works with partners to offer vouchers or gift cards to stores that are still in operation, thus giving the survivors the dignity of selecting what they need themselves.”
Donate financially to the S.C. Conference’s disaster relief efforts at umcsc.org/data/disasterresponsedonation.php, and to UMCOR’s Advance U.S. Disaster Response, which allows UMCOR to respond quickly and appropriately to emergencies in the United States.
DONATE CLEANUP, not clothing.
Used clothing is the most oft-given inappropriate donation. Responders call used clothing “the second disaster.” A much better donation? Enroll in UMCOR Early Response Team training, and be ready to help clean up when you’re officially called to do so.
The next South Carolina ERT training is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 22 at Virginia Wingard Memorial United Methodist Church, 1500 Broad River Road, Columbia. To register, call Gail Corn at 803-786-9486. For more information about ERT training, go to umcsc.org/home/emergency-response-team-training.
DONATE PRAYERS, not parts of toasters, cars or furniture.
Those managing post-disaster warehouses often find themselves left with broken appliances, random parts that don’t appear to belong anywhere, and even rusting vehicles.
Pray for the safety of those affected by the storm, emergency responders and Early Response Teams providing relief efforts.
Susan Kim is a journalist and a regular contributor to umcor.org.
