Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Well, Summer is definitely here and June promises to be a very busy month. Beginning tomorrow I will be travelling to various spots around the country to bring word of our progress in the Katrina recovery, as well as a big "Thank You" to all those who have given so much to us. Here are a few numbers that are truly amazing.
- Since September of 2005, more than 40,000 United Methodists Volunteers on more than 3000 teams have been hosted in Ms local churches and Conference camps.
- Those volunteers have given over 1 million volunteer labor hours, totalling nearly $20,000,000.00 in savings for families and clients that could not otherwise recover.
- In addition to this, the Ms United Methodist Katrina Recovery spends approximately $300,000.00 per month on building materials, furniture, rental assistance, construction expertise, and case management. This is all money donated by United Methodists around the country through UMCOR.
All of that to say... the United Methodist Connectional system is strong, and I am looking forward to the next few weeks of travelling and passing on our gratitude!
Of course, with tens of thousands of Mississippians still living in FEMA trailers, hoping to return home one day, much remains to be done. For more info, check out the upcoming CBS special on the Faith Based response to Katrina, Sunday June 17th. You will need to check local listings for times.
