Hellums: Plan now to help with rebuilding

By Claudia M. Williams
Staff Writer
Southwest Texas United Methodists who want to help repair or rebuild homes damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will have a chance—but not yet.
Nevertheless, now is the time to prepare, said Susan Hellums, Southwest Texas Conference Volunteers in Mission coordinator.
That’s exactly what First UMC, McAllen, is doing, she said. Two volunteer work teams, comprising members of the McAllen congregation and the Methodist Church of Mexico, are slated to travel to Louisiana in January.
The key to making the commitment, Hellums said, was that she contacted the Louisiana Conference Storm Recovery Center to find out what help the affected area needed and when the area would be ready for recovery teams.
The McAllen teams are heeding the request from the United Methodist Committee on Relief to wait until the time comes when they can do the most good.
Volunteers who go into an area before they’re asked can add to the burdens of the community already in trauma, said Kristin L. Sachen, head of the relief committee’s Emergency Services Office.
National disaster response groups have a specific plan for employing work teams, Sachen said. Volunteer teams now in the areas stricken by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are specially trained early responders. These teams provide short-term, immediate relief during the first of the three-stage United Methodist disaster response process.
This stage is the time when rescue efforts and infrastructure repair are carried out by official agencies.
In the second or relief phase, assistance is provided to homeowners who need to assess damage, receive emotional and spiritual care, and begin their long road to recovery. During this time local churches are very involved, acting as shelters and support areas for the community.
The third phase, long-term recovery, involves a holistic approach to people who have suffered losses. Activities include everything from seeking out survivors in their neighborhood to providing information and advocacy about their federal and state assistance rights.
In coordination with other religious bodies and community service agencies, the United Methodist relief committee participates in repairing and rebuilding homes and helping with living expenses.
It is during this third phase that Southwest Texas Conference United Methodists can do the most good, Hellums said.
Recovery teams wanting to know when and where they can be of use should call the storm recovery centers for each affected conference, Hellums said.
“If there’s a work team from your church going, please let me know,” she said. Hellums is tracking all Southwest Texas Conference disaster response. Contact her at (956) 661-9771 or shellums@mcfirst.com.

Other disaster sites still need volunteers to help with recovery After disaster news fades from the headlines, recovery needs continue—often for several years. United Methodists shouldn’t forget ongoing recovery work in areas hit by earlier storms, said Susan Hellums, Southwest Texas Conference Volunteers in Mission coordinator. For example, northern Mexico immediately needs recovery teams—from building crews to sewing instructors. Rains from Hurricane Emily and Tropical Storm Gert washed out homes in the fishing village of Carbonera in July. Besides northern Mexico, Florida is still recovering from four hurricanes and one tropical storm last year. Alabama, which was hit by Hurricane Katrina last month, was still rebuilding from Hurricanes Dennis in July and Ivan last year.