Harvey

Irma

Maria Hurricane Help 

Thank you so much for your willingness to pitch in and help with St. Michael's Hurricane Help efforts for this summer's disasters. At our recent steering committee meeting we came up with several concrete plans to involve our congregation in relief efforts.

Financially we are still about $400 short of our goal of raising $5000 (with a $5000 match). Please donate generously so that Kim can send our second check to ERD and hand.org.

We seek a long term plan, based on trying to help in some regard for each hurricane situation. There is a desire to connect directly with those involved, much as we did with the Katrina situation. There was also a realistic assessment of our abilities and resources. St. Michael's no longer has a cadre of members who can gut houses. Our age and stage demographic will lend itself to efforts that are further down the road (painting, helping people move in, collecting household items, driving trucks to deliver). There was a lot of energy around some sort of "shower" event to collect household items for a specific family or area, also energy around helping a school. And we havea great desire to incorporate our young. people and families whenever we can into whatever we do.

HARVEY

Carol Schmidt and Ann Ryba will meet with the Barrington Regional Hurricane Relief to try to plan a St. Michael's work trip to Houston for February 15th to 21st, 2018. We also wish to partner with the Habitat for Humanity ReStores and see if we can donate items for use in Houston. One suggestion was to collect those supplies and drive a truck down.

IRMA

We have one contact in Key West who was severely affected by the storm and we may collect household items to replace what the family has lost.

MARIA

There is an urgent and strong desire to help the residents of Puerto Rico in whatever way we can. Rica Cuff, former St. Michael's member,  is contacting a pastor to see what the most effective way for us to help from afar might be. 

Rica now lives in Puerto Rico and shares

"Wow Ann! 

It is so exciting to read your words and experience the ambition in this "old ECW" (!) group.

Thank you for your prayers. Every day, things are looking up more and more. However, my vantage point is my neighborhood and a limited radius around it. And, just yesterday, a pastor told me the need is so great in so many areas. I can tell you that as recently as Oct 18th, a report indicated a woman had been found living in a roof-less house in a remote mountain area. Everything was wet. Both due to Hurricane Maria. 

Tomorrow, I will seek information from the pastor whose church has an English-speaking ministry and ask what folks are most in need of. I can think of things like solar lamps, batteries, bug spray, etc. But, he will have more hands on knowledge. I'll then circle back with you.

Please know there is still no electricity, hence difficult internet access, in most areas. I am about 30 minutes from home where I'm picking up your email reply. Thanks for your reply and interest!"