Leveraging a new gift of $300,000 received in July from an anonymous United Methodist family foundation, the United Methodist Committee on Relief has gratefully expanded its continuing work with the Alabama-West Florida Conference as it continues to respond to Hurricane Michael.
Eleven months after Hurricane Michael made landfall on the Florida Panhandle, the Alabama-West Florida Conference continues coordination and implementation of recovery efforts to aid disaster-affected individuals, families, communities and congregations. UMCOR provides relief and long-term response through grants, supplies, training and consultation.
Hurricane Michael was among the most destructive, only the fifth Category 5 hurricane on record in the United States. Accounting for the severity of damage and loss imposed by the storm, the UMCOR board approved $4.6 million in April 2019 for long-term hurricane response through a partnership with the Alabama-West Florida Conference. The Florida and North Alabama conferences have also provided generous support.
The donor earmarked the gift to help active and retired clergy in the conference recover from the disaster as they shepherd their congregations in mission and ministry to their communities. Thirteen active and retired clergy were identified as having unmet needs associated with damaged homes and parsonages and loss of personal property. After assessments of the damage and losses, in which it was determined insurance and other available funds were insufficient, the donor announced the gift, a testimony to the power of United Methodist faith, love, generosity and connection.
Photo credit: Luke Lucas
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