A letter from our District Superintendent

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I know we are all concerned about the effect of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast.  You have received a letter from our Bishop and an appeal from UMCOR for help in providing relief supplies and funding.  I echo the Bishop's request that we all be in prayer.  In addition, UMCOR needs money and supplies to help (Give to UMCOR Advance #982523: Online at www.methodistrelief.org,  by phone: 1-800-554-8583, by check at your local church, or by mail to: UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068).

Many of you have called requesting information on health kits and flood buckets.  We will be collecting health kits and flood buckets in the District until September 28, 2005.  After that date you may continue to prepare kits and buckets, but you will need to send them to UMCOR on your own.  Please take your kits and buckets to the Seaville United Methodist Church, 3100 Shore Road, Ocean View, NJ.  The church is open from 9:00 am to noon, Monday thru Friday.  If these times are not convenient, please call the church (609-624-9019) to make other arrangements.

Information on how to assemble these kits is available below.  For both health and safety reasons, it is very important that UMCOR guidelines are strictly followed for both health kits and flood buckets.

The Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, Rev. June Stitzinger-Clark, is currently gathering information about volunteer-in-mission opportunities.  We will send it to you as soon as we receive it.

For the Kingdom,

Rev. Dr. Ramon A. Evangelista

FLOOD BUCKET

5-gallon bucket with resealable lid
Bleach--two 1-quart or one 82 oz. bottle
5 scouring pads
7 pack sponges
1 scrub brush
18 cleaning towels (reusable wipes)
Liquid laundry detergent (two 25 oz. or one 50 oz. bottle)
1 household cleaner, 12-16 oz. bottle
Disinfectant dish soap, 16-28 oz. bottle
50 clothes pins
Clothes line  (two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.)
5 dust masks
2 pair latex gloves
1 pair work gloves
24-bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags, 33-45 gallon (remove roll from box before placing in bucket)
1 Insect repellent spray, 6-14 oz. can
1 Air freshener, 8 or 9 oz. can
*Special requirements:  Put all items in the plastic bucket and seal lid.  Please ensure that all cleaning agents are liquids (not powder) and in plastic bottles.
Value: $45 per bucket.

HEALTH KITS

Please follow the directions exactly.  Include all items; do not add items that are not on the lists.  Extra gifts, though given with the best on intentions, render a kit unusable and must be removed.  Note:  All items sent must be new!

1 hand towel (15" x 25" up to 17" by 27")
1 washcloth
1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, no child-size brushes)
1 large tube of toothpaste (4.5 oz. or larger, expiration date must be 6 months or longer in advance of the date of shipment to UMCOR Sager Brown)
6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
*Place these items inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag.
Value:  $12 per kit.

Important:  Please do not include any religious, political or patriotic notes or emblems in any kit.