The United Way of Chesterfield County has given a $29,847 grant that will allow UMCSC Disaster Recovery to assist families whose homes were damaged in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
The gift will help pay for a coordinated effort – among the United Way, the Marlboro County Coordinating Council, the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church – to work with up to 12 families in Marlboro County.
Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina in September 2018 before plowing into northeastern South Carolina, causing the deaths of more than 50 people, extensive flooding and billions of dollars in damage.
“There was such devastating flooding in Marlboro County,” said Margaret Plettinger Mitchell, storm recovery volunteer for the United Way of Chesterfield County, which also operates in Marlboro County. “United Way Worldwide and the United Way Association of South Carolina assisted in the collection of these donations to aid Marlboro County families.
“We appreciate how UMCOR partners with families in ways that empower them to direct their own recovery. UMCOR systems also ensure that all recovery resources are maximized without duplication of effort.”
UMCOR is the global humanitarian aid and development agency of the United Methodist Church. It provides financial and strategic resources to support the disaster recovery work of United Methodists in South Carolina and around the world.
Tim Whitten, the UMCSC’s disaster recovery director, expressed gratitude for the donation on behalf of the conference and the families who will be helped.
“Living out Jesus’ commandment to take care of our neighbors takes the tremendous efforts of volunteers and the generous gifts of people from all faiths and all walks of life,” Whitten said. “We are thankful that God has inspired so many to support the United Way, and in turn, inspired this benevolent agency to back our efforts.”
Pat Henegan, chairperson of the Marlboro County Coordinating Council, said she and representatives of the United Way and the South Carolina Conference toured neighborhoods to see what has yet to be repaired and “how long people have been suffering.”
“I am thrilled to share the names of families from throughout Marlboro County who so badly need this assistance,” said Henegan, who also represents most of Marlboro County and parts of Chesterfield and Darlington counties in the S.C. House of Representatives. “With this assistance, families will have a functional home, be able to get their lives back together, and quit worrying about whether rain will come in again.”
Here’s how the coordinated effort among the groups will work:
- The United Way of Chesterfield County will provide $29,847, and handle much of the administrative tasks associated with the grant.
- The Marlboro County Coordinating Council will identify families in need of recovery/rebuild and help recruit volunteers.
- UMCSC Disaster Recovery and UMCOR will work directly with families, coordinate the needed repairs and recruit volunteers to do the work.
Want to help?
UMCSC Disaster Recovery accompanies South Carolina communities in need over the long haul of their recovery until a “new normal” is established after a crisis. We work with homeowners to fill in the gap between their resources and their unmet needs.
Volunteer
We are able to keep costs down and maintain good stewardship of generously donated resources thanks to the thousands of volunteer hours worked on damaged homes, avoiding the need to pay contractors to do the work.
Donate
While UMCSC Disaster Recovery receives generous grants from UMCOR, the United Way and other agencies, we also rely on donations from individuals.
