Hurricane Relief

Thank you for your generosity!

We are no longer accepting physical donations,

however, monetary donations are welcome to purchase future items specifically requested by the South Toe community.

Click the button or scan the QR and select “donation - disaster relief” in the drop-down menu.

October 24, 2024

Thank you for assembling flood buckets this past Sunday. We are finishing the work by adding a few items that were unavailable when we put these together. We hope to have them on their way to help those in need soon. We are continuing to help as we can through the local fire department in the South Toe community. If you would like to learn more about them, please visit their Facebook page. This past week, the fire department identified seven individuals, each of whom was provided with $1000.00 to assist in immediate needs.  Here is the story of one of those people. The woman and her husband, mother, and sister in this video were given $1000.00 each. These funds came from Denver UMC. Your generosity is making a difference already. To date, we have provided $45,421 for relief efforts. 

The next phase of recovery will mean sending work teams to help individual families repair and rebuild their homes and lives. We will identify who we can partner with and plan for housing volunteer teams when they travel to the area. I recommend watching this video, which aired on Sixty Minutes recently and is focused on Yancey County. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/western-north-carolina-families-rebuild-after-helene-60-minutes-transcript/  

Pastor Steve

October 10, 2024

DUMC’s response to the needs of those suffering through the aftermath of Hurricane Helene is incredible. So far, we have delivered food, water, generators, clothing, and even a truckload of culvert piping. Donations continue to be received at the church, and we are grateful for everything that comes our way. We are not alone, as our area's outpouring of support and donations is a testament to how we love our neighbors. And… we need to pause to allow the goods in the pipeline to be distributed. Our District Superintendent has asked that we simply take a deep breath and wait for the current surplus to be exhausted. This should not take long as the needs are genuine, and volunteers do their best to distribute material to those in need.

The people of the South Toe River Valley have expressed their deep appreciation for all DUMC has been able to do so far, and we are continuing to coordinate with them on specific needs. Eventually, we will deploy work teams to help clean up and rebuild. I am not sure when this stage of recovery will begin, but it should not be long before we can give our time in addition to the money and supplies we are donating. 

One item we can prep now for future distribution is flood buckets. These are simply 5-gallon buckets filled with critical cleaning supplies, and they are much in demand once the clean-up stage is reached. Please join us on Sunday, October 20th, at 5 p.m. as we assemble flood buckets. These buckets will be sent where they can do the most good. Read Carol Brown’s information regarding this event further on in this newsletter. 

Our Church Council is meeting Monday evening to discuss how we can best serve going forward and ensure we have the proper accountability in distributing resources. This congregation has given over $120,000 so far for relief efforts. This is amazing! Thank you all. Of course, this means we can do a great deal of good and that we must be good stewards of the money God has entrusted us with. I hope knowing how much money we have will not dissuade anyone from continuing to give. The amount of cash on hand is phenomenal, but so are the needs, so please continue to support our recovery efforts financially.

For now, be patient. The time to jump in bodily is on the horizon, and we will ask for volunteers when needed. I also ask that you pray for the state of Florida as another Hurricane looms in the Gulf of Mexico. Many in our congregation have strong ties to the Western Coast of Florida, please be praying for safety for all in harm's way. 

~Pastor Steve

October 3, 2024

As a congregation, DUMC will concentrate on helping the South Toe River Valley people in Yancey County, NC. I grew up here and most of my family, including my parents, still live there. My brother Charlie is the Fire Chief for the local community and knows who and how to help best. I hope that DUMC can build relationships in this area and actively assist in the short and long term. Recovery from a disaster of this scale will not be quick or easy - thank you for your prayers and donations. They are making a difference.

My friend Jonathan, a fellow United Methodist Pastor, and I entered Avery, Yancey, and Mitchell counties this past Monday. Jonathan grew up in Newland and had many family members and close friends living in Avery County.  I grew up in Yancey County, and my parents, brothers, nieces, and nephews still live there. For Jonathan and myself, the devastation from Hurricane Helene strikes close to home, literally and figuratively. Like most of us, I had paid close attention to the pictures and videos coming out of the destruction. I thought I knew what we would see, but I was wrong. The scale and scope of the damage is unbelievable. Power lines and poles are down everywhere, twisted, snapped, or just simply fallen over. Creeks became massive rivers, and rivers became unimaginable torrents of destruction. 

As Jonathan and I traversed these mountainous counties, the enormity of the destruction became painfully clear. This is a crisis of Katrina-like proportions for our state and region, and the road to recovery will be measured in years. Jonathan and I were able to deliver food and water to my family and assess the needs that lie ahead. The situation is dire, and we urgently need your support. Please continue to bring food, water, hygiene products, cleaning products, baby formula, and diapers to DUMC. We will ensure these resources reach the South Toe community. Fortunately, we are only a two-hour drive from the area which makes regular supply runs feasible. Your ongoing support is crucial in this long-term recovery process. 

Our mission is to make a tangible difference in the South Toe community by partnering with local initiatives. We are not alone in this endeavor. My childhood friend Nate, now based in Washington, DC, is organizing fundraising efforts to provide crucial financial support to South Toe as they begin the rebuilding process. This is a testament to the power of community and the impact we can make when we come together. 



This is a time for us to embody the love of Christ and show the people of WNC that they are not alone and are not forgotten. As I think about all of this, a verse comes to mind. It is from Esther 4:14; “...who knows? Maybe you were brought to royal dignity for such a time as this” (NRSV). I am blessed to be the Sr. Pastor of a fantastic church with the Spirit and resources to make a difference for my home community. While I certainly do not claim any sort of “royal dignity,” I am grateful that my role here allows me to direct this church's sizable contribution to target the South Toe community. 

~Pastor Steve