Tremendous efforts in response to the tragic fires that have been burning over the last few weeks continue to take place on the West Coast. The North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) and Pacific Union Conference (PUC) ACS leadership are supporting their local conferences who are working within the affected communities. In Oregon, our NPUC ACS DR Coordinator Larry Mays, is leading the efforts at both the Warehouses in Salem and Grants Pass which are still operational. Volunteers from Washington, South Central, Montana, and Rocky Mountain conferences are assisting at facilities that will continue to function in partnership with the State for some time. The Northern California, Central California, and Southern California conferences are providing relief to those who have been hit hard by the burning fires. Charlene Sargent, Pacific Union ACS Director, has coordinated the delivery of essential goods to each of the affected areas.
Read latest brief on the Northwest fires by Byron Dulan, NPUC ACS Director.
Northwest ACS is seeking for volunteers to assist with Warehouse Management operations. Click here, if interested.
While the West has been struggling with the aftermath of the fires, other regions around our Division have also been experiencing crisis. Louisiana has been struck or threatened by tropical storms or hurricanes each week over the last two months, which has led to a dearth in goods for some of our conferences assisting in the State. The Southwest Region Conference has partnered with several groups to support our Distribution Centers that are operating in these areas. Irene Williams, ACS Coordinator, has been hosting weekly food distribution for the community.
The Florida Conference ACS Team had set up a Warehouse in Pensacola in response to Hurricane Sally that made landfall in September near Gulf Shores, Alabama, and moved through the Florida Panhandle. However, since the need has not been as great as anticipated, they had over 1,500 ACS clean-up buckets, along with 200 large tarps that had not been used. Conrad Duncan, Florida ACS Director, was looking for a way to distribute them to those in need. Aware of the shortage of supplies in Louisiana, we reached out to our Arkansas-Louisiana Conference ACS Director Lavida Whitson, who readily accepted to receive the buckets and tarps which were delivered this Sunday. This was an answer to prayer as they thought that they would have to close their Distribution Sites. Now, many more individuals and families can be helped with these much needed goods.
Photos of the transfer of goods from Florida Conference to Arkansas-Louisiana Conference.