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UPDATE FOR 11/1/07:
Keeping Safe During
Fire Cleanup
Please click on the links in the box to the right for safety information for fire cleanup operations in English and Spanish.
We seek some volunteers to form a UCC Long-Term Recovery Task Force in the Southern Association. This group will be trained to work with groups like Church World Service to coordinate our efforts. If you would like to be a UCC Task Force member in San Diego County, please contact Jane Heckles at heckles@scncucc.org.
We recommend the booklet “Prepare to Care: Guide to Disaster Ministry in Your Congregation.” If you don’t have a copy of this booklet, please be in touch with Virginia at our office for a copy.
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UPDATE FOR 10/25/07:
Obviously the fires burning in southern California have affected a number of our church families. The Southern and Eastern Associations have been most affected so far. Jane has now talked with all of the churches that were/are in harm’s way from the fire.
The summary is that none of our church structures have been damaged thus far. As of Wed. afternoon two pastors are still evacuated and still do not know if their homes are still standing in Fallbrook and Running Springs.
We know that at least a dozen UCC families have lost their homes and expect that number to climb in the days ahead. The churches in Ramona, Temecula, and Poway were most effected in this way.
Please contact us if your church is in need of assistance for emergency relief for your church families or for community based relief work. One Great Hour of Sharing gifts are available as needed. These funds can underwrite your church’s ministry in the community.
We will also begin longer term recovery work with other volunteer and ecumenical resources to form coordinated responses. We seek some volunteers to form a UCC Long-Term Recovery Task Force in the Southern Association. This group will be trained to work with groups like Church World Service to coordinate our efforts. If you would like to be a UCC Task Force member in San Diego County, please contact Jane Heckles at heckles@scncucc.org.
We recommend the booklet “Prepare to Care: Guide to Disaster Ministry in Your Congregation.” If you don’t have a copy of this booklet, please be in touch with Virginia at our office for a copy. For those who are located in the affected areas, other churches stand ready to assist in a number of ways.
We know that you will be busy securing the safety and wellbeing of your churches’ members, and we encourage you to consider being a place of healing and hope for people in your community. You might consider ideas such as:
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a mid-week Prayer Meeting in your community for those affected - hang a banner and invite everyone
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a short-term free after-school program to help children heal and give parents a place to leave kids while they deal with complicated recovery tasks
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Drop in time hours for elderly who need someone to talk to about their fears and losses
- Identify the unmet needs in your community – those who are overlooked by the typical relief programs – let’s talk about whether a UCC or a faith-based group might help.
The UCC National Disaster Ministries works through the UCC's 39 regional Conferences. Each Conference, drawing on the gifts of its local congregations, determines how best to serve as ecumenical partners when disasters occur in their area by preparing before crises occur, organizing volunteers for clean-up and reconstruction, and coordinating their relief efforts with community-based and church-based emergency response organizations.
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