Hurricane Milton and Helene (2024) Relief 

Hurricanes Helene and Milton left a trail of devastation across much of the southeastern U.S. this fall. Some people’s homes are still uninhabitable, and relief workers continue to need supplies. 

People can help by donating funds, putting together relief kits, or by joining Northern Illinois Conference’s Disaster Response Team for a clean-up trip to the South Georgia Conference.  

(DON'T travel to affected areas to try help. You will be in the way. At this stage, only trained, invited groups may enter.) 

Mission Trip information 

• UMCOR has assigned conferences around the country a specific conference that they can help with disaster cleanup.  The NIC is assigned to help the Southern Georgia Conference
• The trip takes place Nov. 12-21.
  • Travel to Valdosta, Ga.: Nov. 12-13.
  • Work days: Nov. 14-19.
  • Return trip: Nov 20-21. 
• The work will probably involve cleanup of damaged homes and assisting chainsaw crews with tree removal and cleanup. 
• Trained early-response team volunteers and non-trained helpers can take part. There will be no more than two non-trained helpers for every trained ERT member. NIC’s disaster response ministry hopes to have a team of 10 to 15 people. 
• The team will stay at a United Methodist camp north of Valdosta (approximately 950 miles from Chicago). Housing consists of cabins with bunk beds, showers, and kitchen facilities.   
• Because of the distance, the team will take two days to travel each way. Team members will need to stay in a hotel one night each on the trip to Valdosta and on the return home.  
• There will be some financial assistance for volunteers.
• If you would like to learn more about joining this trip, contact Colin Monk, chair of NIC’s Disaster Response Committee at (815) 603-9253  

Monetary donations 

You may donate money through your church. We recommend one of these funds:  

• Northern Illinois Disaster Relief Fund. This fund is used to support the work of Northern Illinois Conference’s trained disaster early response team.  
• United Methodist Committee on Relief’s (UMCOR) U.S. Disaster Response Fund. One hundred percent of your donation directly supports recovery work for U.S. disasters, including hurricanes Milton and Helene. UMCOR is highly respected by other disaster response organizations for the quality and commitment of its work. It continues to assist with recovery and rebuilding for many months, even after other organizations have left the area.  

Make your donation to your church and note the fund it is supporting. 

Material donations 

Midwest Mission collects items for kits that will assist those whose lives are directly affected by the hurricanes. To learn what they need most, visit midwestmission.org/helene. 

Deliver donations to one of these permanent collection sites: 

• Neighborhood UMC, 1817-19 W. Washington Blvd., Maywood 
• Glenview UMC, 727 Harlem Ave., Glenview 
• New Lenox UMC, 339 W. Haven Ave., New Lenox 
• Community UMC, 400 Opatrny Dr., Fox River Grove 
• Lanark UMC, 405 E. Locust Street, Lanark 

Another option: Order items online from the Midwest Mission list and have them delivered to Midwest Mission. Learn how here.  

Resources 

• Bulletin Inserts 
• Announcement Slide
• Midwest Mission
• UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response
• United Methodist News Service

For information, contact Colin Monk, chair of NIC’s Disaster Response Committee, at (815) 603-9253