In 2016, United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries extended expert recovery assistance in 21 countries, including the United States, to people whose lives were turned upside down by wind and water, wildfires and lead, earthquakes and radiation, drought and hunger.
UCC Disaster Ministries responded in the following countries in 2016: Central America (Drought); China (Flooding); Costa Rica (Hurricane Otto); Cuba (Hurricane Matthew); Democratic Republic of Congo (Floods); Dominican Republic (Hurricane Matthew); Ecuador (Earthquake); Ethiopia (Drought, Hunger); Fiji (Cyclone Winston); Haiti (Hurricane Matthew); India (Flooding).
Also, Italy (Earthquake); Japan (Earthquake); Malawi (Drought); Nepal (2015 Earthquake); Philippines (Typhoons Haiyan (2013), Karen, Lawin and Nina (Nock-ten)); Taiwan (Earthquake); Tanzania (Earthquake); United States (Hurricane Matthew, Floods, Wildfires, Lead-Tainted Water); Uruguay (Tornado), and Zimbabwe (Drought).
And here are the 10 U.S. states where UCC Disaster Ministries responded in 2016: Florida (Hurricane Matthew); Iowa (Flooding); Louisiana (Flooding); Michigan (Detroit Flooding (2015), Flint Water Crisis); Missouri (Ferguson; Flooding); New Jersey (Hurricane Sandy 2012); North Carolina (Hurricane Matthew); South Carolina (Flooding (2015), Hurricane Matthew); Texas (Flooding and Wildfires (2015)), and West Virginia (2015 and 2016 Flooding)."
For more information about how UCC Disaster Ministries can serve your congregation in the Southwest Conference or if you someone who would like to help by becoming a long-term volunteer working in a relief area for 2 or more months please contact our SWC Disaster Coordinator, Phil Shea through the conference office or at 602-663-5065 or philipshea@justicestar.org.
Phil Shea
SWC Disaster Coordinator