The NC Conference United Methodist Church thanks every one of you who has brought volunteer teams to help clean up, tear out and rebuild homes destroyed by the many disasters that have impacted North Carolina over the past decade. Last August, Hurricane Irene’s wind and rain spent almost 36 hours over eastern North Carolina leaving thousands of homes damaged or destroyed and resulting in 35,000 FEMA registrations. The NCCUMC Disaster Recovery Team set up and staffed four disaster centers where faithful volunteers have come to first clean up debris and mud-out homes and are now repairing/rebuilding homes and building new homes. The volunteer centers have an especially great need for teams in late summer, fall and winter.
Volunteers are needed to repair & replace roofs and repair flooded homes (tearing out and replacing floors, walls, insulation, with some electrical, plumbing and finish carpentry needed.) In some cases, homes that have been elevated to prevent future flooding are repaired and new steps, porches and decks must be built. We have also begun our New Home program with three underway and more in the planning stages. Much work remains to return hundreds of families to their homes.There is no cost for either team housing or building materials but donations are very welcome and needed. Teams are asked to purchase food and prepare their own meals.
Please consider bringing a work team to Eastern North Carolina and watch God bless you and those you help. To volunteer, please contact Ann Huffman at disasterresponse@nccumc.org or call 888-440-9167or 919-610-8018.
Below are the descriptions of our 4 disaster centers:
-
Vandemere in Pamlico County: A building belonging to Mt Zion Original Free Will Baptist Church is devoted to volunteer housing for the duration of the recovery. The sleeping quarters can sleep 40 in bunk beds arranged in existing classrooms with 3 to 4 bunks in each room. A kitchen for food preparation and dining and a shower trailer are provided. RV sites are available nearby. The Center has a Case Manager and a Construction Coordinator to oversee work.
- Aurora in Beaufort County: Holy Cross Episcopal Church has bunks that can sleep a total of 22 and are set up in the fellowship hall.These bunks are arranged in cubicles with 2 sets of bunks parallel to each other with plywood walls on the exterior sides of the bunks and shower curtains run along rods at the ends of the bunks for privacy. A kitchen for food preparations and dining and a shower trailer are provided. RV sites are available nearby. This Center has a Case Manager and a Construction Coordinator to oversee work.
- Swan Quarter in Hyde County: O. A. Peay School (now a county office building) houses the disaster
office and bunks for 70 are arranged in cubicles in the gymnasium. A cafeteria kitchen for food preparation and dining and gym showers & a shower trailer are provided. RV site is available. The Center has a Case Manager and Construction Coordinators to oversee work. - Manteo in Dare County: Two housing sites are open: Bethany UMC in Wanchese where teams of up to 20 volunteers bring their own beds (sleeping bags, air mattresses, cots) & Stumpy Point Community Building in Stumpy Point. A kitchen for food preparations and dining and a shower trailer are provided. Local volunteers oversee Case Management and Hurricane Katrina veteran volunteers direct construction.
NCCUMC Disaster Recovery: Helping the people of eastern North Carolina find their way back home.