Partnering for abundant health across Nigeria

In Nigeria, United Methodist health facilities in rural areas have been working to improve their outreach into the communities they serve, building a strong, integrated health system that families and individuals can trust.

No longer a generation of anguish but a generation of hope

The United Methodist Health Board in Zambia joined local partners in Kitwe to organize and commemorate World AIDS Day 2019, “Communities making a difference, pressing toward ending AIDS.” The public celebration encouraged the public to get tested, know their status, and fight the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS.

Healthy Youth USA

Charles Sharper and Kayla Toliver share about the Healthy Youth USA Foundation, promoting youth development through after school programming, sports, recreation and other activities. Through the provision of a $99,616.00 grant, the Global Health Unit was able to provide scholarships for 38-50 children and cover administrative costs for additional staff.

Emily Burns: Gardening for food equality

Serving at Sunnyside United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Emily Burns works to combat issues of food insecurity in her community as a Global Mission Fellow and EarthKeeper by supporting and developing a community garden and food pantry.

Climate change and God’s abundance

The Rev. Jenny Phillips, senior technical advisor for environmental sustainability, explores how the impact of climate change on natural disasters, global migration, health and agriculture intersects with God’s creation and our understanding of abundance and scarcity.

UMCOR Campaigns

Six Years, No Solution: A 500-Gallon Tank Carries Hope to West Virginia’s Forgotten

McDowell County is one of the poorest in the U.S., and the communities of Anawalt, Leckie and Gary are some of the hardest hit by the current six-year water crisis. All have Methodist churches that are part of the Welch Charge.

To ease the burden of residents who have to purchase many gallons of drinking water weekly, the Welch Charge contacted the West Virginia Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, Jim McCune, for help. McCune’s United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) connection put him in touch with Global Ministries’ Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program. 

A WASH grant allowed them to obtain a 500-gallon “water buffalo.” The conference disaster response team arranged to fill the portable water buffalo from the Welch water system, the county seat of McDowell, and transport it to Gary, where residents have been supplied with refillable containers. Residents of all three towns can come to get water, and volunteers will also continue deliveries for those who need it. Meanwhile, residents, including church members, continue to advocate state and local officials for a permanent solution to their aging, compromised water infrastructure. Full Story