Sending Disaster Relief after Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milto

11 October, 2024 Newsletter

This past Monday, October 7, Midwest Mission was set to send our first shipment of relief to Florida for those who were affected by Hurricane Helene. The shipment was supposed to go to the Florida Catholic Conference’s warehouse, in Ocala, FL, where supplies would be put on trucks and driven to areas in need. 

Unfortunately, Hurricane Milton changed our plans. While masses of people were evacuating, people on the coast and miles and miles inland were preparing their houses for flooding, and those who had just been devastated by Helene were preparing to feel the brunt of Milton, it just wasn’t smart to send a truckload there. There wouldn’t be people there to accept the items, and we couldn’t ensure that the items would make it through the storm. So, we had to make the difficult decision to wait.

We are patiently waiting to hear from our partner, Food For The Poor, who is working with the Florida Catholic Conference, as to when they will be ready to receive a semi load of supplies. 

In the meantime, we received another request from Food For The Poor, but the end destination is still to be determined. They are asking for 1,440 Cleaning Kits, tarps, 2,520 Hygiene Kits, contractor trash bags, and 210 Menstrual Hygiene Kits.

Because of the amount of Cleaning Kits that have been requested, after we send these two shipments we will have NO Cleaning Kits left in the building! We usually have a couple thousand Cleaning Kits on hand, to be prepared to send at all times. After this, the shelves will be empty. You can help us start replenishing those supplies, as we expect this will only be the beginning of our response to these hurricanes. 

You can:

• Donate funds to help us quickly purchase bulk supplies, and adapt quickly to changing needs — donate here.

• Donate Cleaning Kit and Hygiene Kit supplies by purchasing in-store and getting them to Midwest Mission, or shopping from our Amazon Wish List.

• Visit midwestmission.org/helene to see other ways to help, and to stay up-to-date on Midwest Mission’s activities.

If you’ve been around Midwest Mission for a while, you might have heard us say a time or two that we never send items without being asked. And, this is imperative during a disaster. The folks and organizations on the ground know the needs best, know what they can handle, and know the right timing.

It’s our human nature to want to help, and to help as soon as we can. But, if we want to help in the right way and ensure the supplies and funds are stewarded well, we have to wait for the organizations we work with to tell us when, where, and specifically what they need. It will be done in God’s perfect timing!

The Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church, located in Alcoa, TN, shared a great article that explains the best ways and the worst ways to help in times of disaster. Things that are needed but aren’t donated to the right place, or in too big of quantities, can still do damage! This is why we have to respond according to what our partners request. 

They Mention 6 “Don’ts” for Disaster Relief:

1. Don’t donate anything that wasn’t requested.

“Not only will volunteers have to use valuable time to deal with unwanted donations, receiving too much of any one item is problematic, too. ‘Having too many donations with no place to store them and nowhere for them to go can quickly become its own disaster,’ said the Rev. Beth Tipton, disaster-response coordinator in Holston’s Appalachian District. ‘Do good, but do no harm.’”

2. Don’t accept every donation that comes in.

This one is more for the receivers on the ground, but helps us understand as donors why they might say no!

“A lot of people see this as an opportunity to clean out their old clothes or expired food,” says Henderson. “Most churches are too nice to turn away donations. We’re trying to get them to understand, they don’t have to accept that stuff.”

3. Don’t buy the cheapest supplies.

“...try not to select the cheapest items that won’t hold up in the hard work of cleaning up after a flood. ‘Think about what you would want to use to clean up your house if it had gotten flooded or damaged,’ Lowe said.”

4. Don’t self-deploy - this is a big one!

“Showing up without a plan can only add to the chaos during the immediate aftermath,” Lowe says. Make sure you are partnering with an agency that has a local presence and can help identify the needs.”

5. Don’t spread rumors.

“The nation is besieged by false information spread largely through social media. Rumors and baseless claims can impede the work of agencies (such as Federal Emergency Management Agency) and mission workers who are trying to help others.”

6. Don’t give up.

“‘I know wanting to help and having to wait is hard,’ said the Rev. Mike Sluder, Holston connectional ministries director. He urged people to be patient and to keep the flood buckets, water and other requested items coming.”

Whether you plan to partner with Midwest Mission or another organization for this disaster, we recommend you read this article before jumping in and helping. It’s always good to assess and reassess that we are on the right track!

As soon as we have information about when and where we will be sending items, we will let you know. Keep these “don’ts” in mind as you and your churches generously give and look for ways to help those in need. Please be praying for those affected by the hurricanes, that the resources they need will come their way, and they will have peace and comfort despite their circumstances!