Disaster Response
Disaster Response Ministry
Rev. Marji Bishir, Disaster Response Coordinator 972-526-5000 or
toll free 800-969-8201 bishir@ntcumc.org
Current Information On The Haiti Disaster
We have set up a special page for the Haiti Disaster. Please follow this link: http://www.ntcumc.org/page.asp?PKValue=1697_
Basic Information About Disaster Response
When Your Church Building Is Affected
NTC churches suffering from natural or man-made disasters should contact the Disaster Response coordinator to request help. This office can assist with:
- In-kind Donation Management
- Volunteer Management
- Early Response Teams to assist with clean-up & security of the church and neighborhood if needed
If your local church would like to prepare a disaster response plan, a template for one in Microsoft Word is available from our office. Thanks to Lovers Lane UMC for allowing us to use their plan as a guide for others. Click here to See The Template
COME TO OUR TRAINING ON MAY 21, 2009!
Master Emergency Operations Training: Developing A Master Plan for Your Church
May 21, 2009 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Cost $5.00
Location: North Texas Conference, United Methodist Church. 500 Maplelawn Dr. Plano, TX 75075
Registrar: Pat Birdwell, birdwell@ntcumc.org 972-526-5000
Registration is required for this event so that we have the correct amount of training materials. Call our office for a brochure or for more information.
When Your Neighborhood Is Affected
Churches are often the first place the community turns to for help in times of disaster. If your church is unaffected and would like to assist the community, contact the Disaster Response coordinator. Efforts to assist must be carefully coordinated with existing partner organizations. Duplication of efforts must be avoided.The North Texas Conference has a close relationship with the Red Cross and other Voluntary Organizations Active In Disaster (VOAD) at the county and state levels. This will assure your volunteers and facility are used in the best way possible.
When Your World Is Affected
Whether the disaster is in our region, in the U.S., or in neighboring countries, often people will turn to the church asking how they can help. Here are some suggestions.
Donate to UMCOR - the United Methodist Committee On Relief. For a major disaster, UMCOR will assist in multiple ways. One hundred percent of your donations will go to assist in the disaster zone. http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor
- Material Resources - Another Way To Give. Flood buckets and health kits are items that are truly useful after a disaster. Your church can assemble them according to UMCOR's guidelines and the Conference has a way to get them to the Depot at Sager-Brown. Deliveries are made quarterly. For more information call the conference office.
- Send A Team of Volunteers. See the pages on this website relating to teams.
- Early Response Team Training To Be Offered On Feb. 13, 2010
Christ United Methodist Church of Plano will be offering UMCOR Early Response Team training. This church has one of the oldest and most experienced disaster response teams in the North Texas Conference. The team provides immediate assistance to people whose homes have been devastated by a natural disaster. Their prime responsibility is to make things safe, sanitary and secure for homeowners who may not have the support system to help them.
An Early Response Team provides a Christian presence, debris removal and temporary repairs by making dwellings safe, sanitary and secure. They have worked in areas all over Texas and many surrounding states.
For more information, please contact the Christ United Methodist Church Disaster Response Team at drt@cumc.com.
When: Saturday, February 13th, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
Where: Christ United Methodist Church of Plano, 3101 Coit Rd., Plano. Main building room 211
Why: Required by the United Methodist Committee on Relief*
Who: Anyone interested in being part of the Christ UMC DRT team or another local church team
*Note: team members are required to be retrained every three years.
You will need to have a current background check from your local church in order to attend the training. This is required by UMCOR before they will generate a badge. For questions about background checks please contact Rev. Marji Bishir at the conference office, 800-969-8201 or email her at bishir@ntcumc.org
To register, go to the church’s website, at www.cumc.com then click on “Serving Others” then go to the Disaster Response page. You may register for the training there as well. After the training, you will receive an UMCOR badge. If you have any questions, please contact the church at drt@cumc.com.