Disaster Ministries

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida late on Thursday, September 26, as a category four storm empowered by high water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, bringing a devastating 20-foot storm surge and 140 mph winds. After landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, the storm proceeded northeast into Georgia, western South Carolina, western North Carolina, and eastern Tennessee as a category 1 storm. As of this update, more than 100 people have been confirmed dead, with this number expected to rise as flood waters recede. 

In the time since the storm made landfall the Global HOPE team has been in regular communication with conference staff of the Southeast, Southern, and Florida Conferences, ecumenical partners in disaster recovery, and response coordination calls with the national network of voluntary organizations active in disasters (VOAD). As the full impact of the storm continues to become realized, the Global HOPE team is helping to connect victims of the storm’s devastation with immediate resources as well as preparing to support long-term recovery efforts.

As we continue to pray for and support those who have experienced unimaginable loss this past week, we invite you to support the UCC’s recovery efforts in the following ways: 

Hurricane Helene Recovery Appeal: The National Ministries of the United Church of Christ has a long history of supporting communities as they recover from disaster and their plight fades from the headlines. Your support of this appeal will ensure that communities are supported and accompanied for years as they rebuild. Please note that due to a technical issue, the donation page is not currently displaying correctly on mobile devices.

Crisis Cleanup phone banking: One of the greatest needs in the aftermath of a catastrophic disaster is situational awareness and information gathering. Crisis Cleanup is looking for volunteers to help input cases into their dashboard. This dashboard is used by response organizations to efficiently coordinate and deploy immediate resources. If you are interested in this remote volunteer opportunity, please sign up here.

Hygiene and Cleanup Bucket assembly: One of the biggest requests is the need for cleanup buckets. UCC congregations interested in assembling cleanup buckets are eligible for a matching grant through the Global HOPE office.

Thank you for your assistance in helping families and communities who are in great need in the aftermath of Helene. Your heartfelt support will make a difference.