Please Help Respond to Our Neighbors in Need

It is Time to Fill the Truck with Disaster Supplies!

Thank you so much to those churches that have been gathering and storing supplies for our sister churches in communities affected by the recent hurricanes. It now is time to fill the truck!

Thanks to the generosity of Sundown Express in Gates, TN, the Nashville Episcopal Area has a semi-truck that we can fill and transport the supplies where our UMCOR teams need them the most. The shipment will leave our Area at the end of October, so please bring supplies to the indicated drop-off locations by the dates given below.

Our Area-wide Disaster Response Coordinator, Rev. Robert Craig, says that the supplies begin accepted for this shipment include the following:

Hygiene kits | DETAILS

Cleaning kits | DETAILS

Tornado buckets | DETAILS   (Tape list of contents to side of bucket.)

Tarps: 12×16 feet and larger

20-inch box fans

25-ft extension cords

2-gallon garden sprayers

Square-tipped shovels

Metal garden rakes

Please choose one of the following locations to deliver kits, supplies and buckets. Feel free to use the closest, most convenient location. CALL FIRST to confirm hours/deadline before making delivery.

Memphis Conference Dropoff Locations

From the below locations in the Memphis Conference, all items will be transported to Forty West Designs in Jackson, TN. On Saturday, October 27, volunteers will palletize all supplies at Forty West Designs for shipping out on Monday morning.

• Christ United Methodist Church| 4488 Poplar Ave. | Memphis, TN | 901-683-3521 | Drop off items at front of church (under breezeway) Mon-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Germantown United Methodist Church| 2331 South Germantown Rd. | Germantown, TN 38138 | 901-754-7216  

• Mississippi River District Office|1382 West Church St, Alamo, TN  38001 | 731-696-4117

• Omni Tech| 1050 S. Main, Dyersburg, TN | 1050 South Main St, Dyersburg, TN | 5 to 8 p.m. each weekday. Go to lower rear building and enter at large rollup bay door.

• Benton First United Methodist Church| 845 US Hwy 641 Spur, Benton, KY | 270-527-3990

• Tennessee River District Office| 24 Corporate Blvd., Jackson, TN | 731-660-1376 | Monday – Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact Robert Craig at disasterresponse@memphis-umc.org.

Tennessee Conference Dropoff Locations

In the Tennessee Conference, supplies can be dropped off during the week at the locations listed below.

• Feed America First, 319 Murfreesboro St., Murfreesboro, TN 37127 | Monday-Friday. 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. (The Feed America First staff will palletize and shrink wrap supplies as they arrive! This is a great blessing for us.)

• Cedar Crest Camp | 7900 Cedar Crest Camp Road | Lyles, TN 37098 (There will be an enclosed trailer located at the Cedar Crest office for deposit of supplies from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday. If you have questions, call the camp office at 931-670-3025.)

• Columbia First UMC | 222 W 7th St. | Columbia, TN 38401 (Dropoff at the church between 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Call the church for more information at 931-388-3306.)

• New Chapel UMC | 5016 Highway 49 W. | Springfield TN 37172 (Please call Jim Rogers at 615-944-3327 to set up a delivery time.)

• Waverly First UMC | 115 W Main St. | Waverly, TN 37185-1556 (Please call Betsy Haley at 931-622-0692 for a drop off time between 8 a.m. -2 p.m. on Monday-Thursday)

Churches on the western side of the Tennessee Conference also are welcome to bring their supplies to Jackson on Saturday, October 27, to Forty West Designs warehouse, 52 Ragland Rd., Jackson, TN.

Final Shipment to Load and Leave on Monday October 29

Volunteers are needed on Monday, October 29, to help transport supplies as well as on-site at Feed America First to help prepare the load for shipping. If you can help, please email Robert at disasterresponse@tnumc.org.

Thank you in advance for answering this call to action to help our neighbors in need!