Following a natural disaster like Hurricane Helene in late September, volunteers with the United Methodist Committee on Relief move into affected areas and stay for weeks or months. Having crews on the ground talking to those affected one-on-one helps build relationships.
Your gifts on UMCOR Sunday helps support the foundation for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to share God’s love with communities everywhere.
In Spruce Pine, North Carolina, The United Methodist Church was able to assist families who fell outside of the normal social-service safety net.
Families in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, are living in temporary travel trailers after their mobile homes were destroyed by storms after Hurricane Helene.
Insulation kits can cost hundreds of dollars per trailer. United Methodist Volunteers in Mission are using hay bales as an inexpensive but effective solution as teams help the families prepare for winter.
“These bales of straw cost about $7.50 apiece, so $75-$100 to insulate them with straw. We want to make sure that the water lines don’t freeze and that they got water. We’ve also got heated water hoses where they’re hooked up to their well,” said Kevin Cox, with the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
“When the storm hit, there were nine families right here on the creek. The water rose so fast, the trailers overturned. They rolled,” said Al Miller, Disaster Recovery Team Leader.
The families were evacuated by police and fire crews and taken to a shelter.
“There were a lot of government officials there, and there were a lot of people there that were asking for ID, asking names, such it. They got worried, and they got concerned. In addition to that, they had a truck stolen. So, one of the vehicles, one of the only few that still worked, was stolen,” Miller said.
Families returned to the trailer park.
“They actually stood their trailers back up, they pushed them and got them back up onto the wheels, and they cleaned them out and started living in them again, broken-out windows and mud, and the whole nine yards. Sleeping in the car at night, being in the trailer during the day,” Miller said.
Rosa Sistare, volunteer interpreter: “A niños vengan acá para decirle lo que está diciendo, venga.” (“Children come here to tell you what you are saying come.”)
The United Methodist Committee on Relief helps the people most vulnerable following a disaster.
“The county was at a standstill as to how to help, and that’s when they reached out to the church, and I’m glad that they did. I’m glad they heard that the church was here. It opened the door for a lot of things to happen. I’m just really proud to be a part of this, to see this come together and see these families back in a safe place to live in what's going to be a very long, very cold winter time,” Miller said.
To help those devastated by Hurricane Helene and other recent natural disasters, donations can be made to the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s U.S. Disaster Response. UMCOR also offers resources for disaster relief fundraising.
video story by Lilla Marigza, UMCom production staff
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