# It's been a busy spring for Missouri Conference Disaster Response! Read on to see the ways Missouri United Methodists are serving their neighbors.
Missouri Receives UMCOR Solidarity Grant for Sikeston Area Following Spring Tornados

Pictured Above: On June 11 at Dexter Parks and Rec Gymnasium, Scott Burdin, Cameron Knapp, Bev Rhodes, and Erika, Zettie, and Opal Simmons distributed 100 totes that held hygiene kits and cleaning supplies along with a food box to individuals who participated in the program. Art and photos courtesy of Southeast District.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has awarded the Missouri Annual Conference a $10,000 solidarity grant for relief efforts related to spring 2024 storm damage in Sikeston and the surrounding area.
Conference Disaster Response Coordinator Scott Burdin applied for the grant after surveying damage, which is now considered to be from an EF3 tornado. The grant money will be used to build food and hygiene kits and plastic totes for [link removed] distribution through First UMC and Wesley UMC in Sikeston. Since Sunday, June 9, over 500 kits have been distributed in the Sikeston area. Kits will also be distributed in other storm damaged areas, including Dexter and Joplin, while supplies last.
Missouri Disaster Response team continues to meet and work together with local leaders to respond to the needs of effected communities related to the spring 2024 storm damage. As expected, United Methodists are serving and responding in wonderful ways alongside others in their communities. Please continue to respond in the following ways:
PRAY. Pray for those affected, those grieving and those responding to community needs.

DONATE. The best way for you and your church to immediately serve is by giving financially. We invite you to give to the Missouri Conference Advance Special (7465) Disaster Response via the [link removed] Special Advance Form or our [link removed] online portal.

MAKE KITS. Clean up buckets and hygiene kits are necessary during before, during and after a disaster. For instructions, go to [link removed] umcmission.org/umcor-cleaning-kit or view our short course on [link removed] Disaster Kit Verification and information on how to make clean-up buckets and other kits.

GET TRAINED. You can receive training and organize a team so that when the time is right, you can go and help. Early Response Training (ERT) will help to prepare you for volunteering. Please do not self-deploy unless asked. If you have questions, please contact CDRC Scott Burdin at mailto:[email protected] [email protected].

Disaster Response at MOAC24
[link removed]
During the Missouri Conference's Pre-Conference Briefing, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator Scott Burdin gave a brief update about disaster response work. [link removed] Watch it here →

CMU Embraces Disaster Response

It’s never too early to prepare for a disaster. In partnership with Central Methodist University, Missouri Conference Disaster Response Coordinator Scott Burdin taught a for-credit seminar to teach college students about all phases and levels of disaster-response work. [link removed] Read more →

Readiness Opportunities
Part of the difficulty with disaster response is that no one wants to think about it until something bad happens. Yet, readiness during the calm is the best way to prepare for the storm. Here are some ways you can prepare to respond:
Local Church Disaster Response Resources Form
One way you can help your church and our Conference with readiness is to start working on the Local Church Disaster Response Resources Form.
We're working to get a better idea of where United Methodist-related resources lie in Missouri. This form will help us identify churches who are willing to host teams, have showers, have professionally trained church members (doctors, nurses, counselors, etc.) who are willing to help, have equipment staging areas and more.
Work with your local church to fill out the form linked below. You can start the form, submit it and re-access it later to make updates. If your church does not have any of the assets listed, or is not interested in helping, please note that on the form. All information is helpful!
[link removed] Fill Out the Form → Take Implicit Bias Training
When we respond to disasters, we encounter people from all different backgrounds in the field. One way we can be the best responders possible is to be aware of our implicit biases. There's a short, online training you can take at your own pace. [link removed] Read more about it here →

Become Safe Gatherings Certified
A Safe Gatherings certification is required to deploy. We recommend all local church members who have contact with children or elderly individuals be Safe Gatherings certified. [link removed] Learn more →
Building a Team
If you are working to build a response team at your local church, invite your potential ERT-team members to add their names to the [link removed] training wait list and contact Scott Burdin at mailto:[email protected] [email protected] for further discussion.
Stay connected with Missouri Conference Disaster Response efforts. Information about opportunities to serve and train will be posted in these places:
[link removed] Follow us on Facebook
[link removed] Subscribe to this newsletter, if you don't already
Attend trainings to stay prepared for when disaster strikes
Questions? Contact Conference Disaster Response Coordinator Scott Burdin at mailto:[email protected] [email protected]
[link removed] Subscribe to our newsletter
Missouri Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church
3601 Amron Court, Columbia, Missouri, 65202 | 573-441-1770


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