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STORIES OF IMPACT WORLDWIDE

Children and youth from Terra Nova village in Quéssua, Angola, join in an effort to combat malaria by filling in low-lying areas that collect water where mosquitoes can breed. The campaign was led by Ben Jacob, a professor from the University of South Florida, who served with a Volunteers in Mission team from the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Photo: Mike DuBose, UM News

Explore how your gifts and our global partnerships connect local churches and communities in mission to alleviate human suffering around the world.

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The story of the Smith family demonstrates how the Florida Conference, an UMCOR partner, helps hurricane survivors across the state with a comprehensive program of case management, reconstruction, and Christian presence.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief has answered God’s call to be a neighbor for nearly 80 years.
The work of UMCOR is in focus for the month of March. Executive director Roland Fernandes writes of UMCOR’s reach in alleviating suffering around the world.
United Methodists are starting to respond to those affected by Cyclone Idai, which left devastation in parts of three African countries.

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Have questions? Send us an inquiry and we’ll get back to you promptly. Please direct all media inquiries to Susan Clark, chief communications officer for Global Ministries and UMCOR.

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Susan Clark, Chief Communications Officer
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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