Humanitarian Relief & Recovery News & Stories

As a federal moratorium that protected an estimated 12 million people from eviction expires, two United Methodist agencies, Restore Hope Ministries in Oklahoma and Good Neighbor Settlement House in Texas, have used UMCOR COVID-19 grants to keep people from being evicted and assist them when they have nowhere else to go but the streets.

Leaders of the agency and its board of directors recall the influence Bishop Yambasu had on the church as a whole and specifically within the work of mission.

Thomas Kemper reflects on the meaningful personal and professional relationship he had with Bishop Yambasu, who died on August 16 in Sierra Leone.

In March of 2020, UMCOR partnered with Highland Park UMC in Dallas, Texas to hold a three-day intensive, providing in-depth understanding of the foundations, principles and processes of disaster case management

This spring, UMCOR and its partners concluded their work in response to the 2017 hurricane’s destruction in Texas and built community in more ways than one.

Global Ministries’ Laos Mission Initiative celebrates 20 years of service with increased membership, new clergy members and local pastors, and more engagement with local community members.

Decades of support and funding from Global Ministries’ Community Developers Program has helped Buena Vista UMC increase outreach within its community.

UMCOR supports Western conferences responding to 2020 wildfires.

For communities devastated by May flooding, the road to resilience is paved with support coming from federal, state and local sources – and from United Methodists.

Asylum seekers in New York, Miami and Houston find a new avenue of hope through an UMCOR, Justice For Our Neighbors and Church World Service partnership. The UMCOR Asylum Project seeks to provide legal representation and case management for those with compelling reasons not to return to their home countries.

UMCOR disaster response consultants Angela Overstreet and Christy Smith provide an update on the ongoing disaster response and recovery efforts in Tennessee.

For five years, the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta has been working to win the release of Black men and women serving decades-long prison sentences for minor offences. This year, an UMCOR grant provided the means for SCHR to establish a reentry program to help released clients navigate the barriers they need to cross in order to thrive.