Sandy Relief: UMC's NY Relief Arm Gets $100K in Outside Donations, Needs More Volunteers

(Photo Credit: UMC New York Annual Conference)Members of Holmes United Methodist Church help with demolition work on Staten Island on November 10, 2012.

The UMC's New York Annual Conference said Thursday its relief arm has received gifts totaling more than $100,000 from sources outside the conference, but says volunteers are still urgently needed to cope with the aftermath of storms generated by Hurricane Sandy.

New York Disaster Relief received $70,000 from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and $25,000 from Goodwill Industries through the Mississippi Conference and a donation from the Indiana Conference.

The conference has worked with 525 volunteer at relief sites, which include teams from around the nation.

"Volunteers are still urgently needed," the conference said in a statement. "Remember we are still in the Relief Phase of work."

Tasks to be done include putting up tarps, cleaning and mucking out, cleaning and packing items that are to be saved, demo work, and mold remediation – which is the primary task for the next two weeks.

The New York Conference also provided links in a statement (link) on how to assemble flood buckets, which contain $55.00 worth of cleaning supplies, and how to deliver them.

"Remember that we are a presence among home owners not only for the task at hand – but most significantly for loving support at a time of extreme distress. Stories about volunteer experience rarely speak of the task, but of the relationships made," the conference said.

The conference also said additional donations are needed for the purchase of a new trailer that will become the equipment base of operations at the Freeport Disaster Recovery Site. Long Island East Churches have already donated some of the necessary funds.

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