Disaster Response Updates # As we look towards the end of the year — and what a year it has been! — we're wrapping up and highlighting the good work you and your local churches have done this year. Thanks for your continued support of disaster response ministries and for continuing to be a light to your communities!
2025 Disaster Response Highlights

Spring Tornado Response
Missouri responders stepped up when a series of tornadoes hit communities across southern Missouri this spring. Early response teams spent more than 400 hours cleaning up after disasters. That's the equivalent of working for 2.25 weeks straight without sleeping!
In response to those storms:
Trinity UMC in Piedmont [link removed] distributed 200 rakes, 200 plastic tote containers, 200 flood buckets and 200 hygiene kits to its community.
First UMC in West Plains distributed 50 flood buckets.
First UMC in Washington assisted at a MARC in Pacific to distribute supplies.

In May, [link removed] a tornado hit in the St. Louis metro area. Churches in the region responded!
Manchester UMC assisted with clean-up at Union Memorial UMC and in the surrounding community.
Grace UMC in St. Louis served as a Red Cross shelter and hosted distribution of more than 100 flood buckets.
New Horizon UMC partnered with Matthew 25 Ministries to provide supply distribution and host laundry and shower trailers that offered up to two loads of laundry per person daily.
Following the tornado in St. Louis, Midwest Mission, a UMC-affiliated organization based in Illinois, delivered 150 cleaning buckets and 150 hygiene kits to the YMCA in O’Fallon. A delivery of 320 additional buckets came from our disaster response hub at Woods Chapel.


Disaster Response Trailers
In 2025 we began designing and building out disaster response trailers to place in strategic locations around Missouri. These trailers provide local churches with the tools needed to serve communities in crisis. From chainsaws to work gloves, every item stocked means faster, more effective relief when disaster strikes.
We took up an offering for this project at Annual Conference and raised $26,368.43! We deployed our first trailer to First UMC in Sedalia (North Central District) just after Annual Conference and are building out two more to be delivered to Manchester UMC in St. Louis (Northeast District) and a location in the Southeast District.
Donating to our trailer project is one easy way you can get involved with disaster response ministries even if your church doesn't have an early response team or isn't directly affected when disaster strikes.

2025 By-The-Numbers
This year your generosity in time and gifts resulted in:
Over 375 flood buckets (UMCOR cleaning kits) were built and delivered by local churches, Central Methodist University students and North Central District Hubs.
We trained 24 new Early Response Team members and recertified 17 responders.
In partnership with local churches, we distributed 1,396 cleaning kits and flood buckets in Missouri communities.
We sent 365 flood buckets to Midwest Mission to help replenish their stock after disasters in other parts of the U.S.
Together we distributed 350 hygiene kits.
Thanks for a great year! We'll see you in 2026.
[link removed] Subscribe to our newsletter
Missouri Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church
3601 Amron Court, Columbia, Missouri, 65202 | 573-441-1770

View in browser [link removed]
Unsubscribe or manage mailings go to [link removed]