UCC and Super Storm Sandy

The UCC made a comment about Super Storm Sandy one year ago.  Here are some excerpts from that article.

Life changed overnight for thousands of Americans a year ago, when they found themselves in the path of Hurricane Sandy.  The superstorm, the second-costliest hurricane in United States history, struck the Atlantic coast on Oct. 29, 2012.  In the year since, people across the life of the United Church of Christ – from national offices, to conferences, congregations, and pastors – have come together as one church to care for those impacted by the storm.

Through the UCC's One Great Hour of Sharing, $289,484 in aid was distributed to UCC congregations and relief agencies to help affected people get back on their feet.

There was a story about a church in our area.

First Congregational Christian UCC, in Irvington, N.J. has always opened its doors to the community through its food pantry. But after Sandy, and with the help of a $2,000 grant from One Great Hour of Sharing, the congregation became a shelter for a warm space, a hot meal, and eventually became a community center where displaced residents could get food and water.

"The church is known for helping. For the last 25 years we're known for our food pantry effort monthly and weekly," said the Rev. Dolores Watson, the congregation's pastor. "When this event happened, the township approached us for help, and because of the space we have and the heart that out people have it was a natural fit. The township needed somewhere where people who were put out could go.
"We just opened our doors," Watson said. "We helped whoever came to the door."

For about three straight weeks, First Congregational Christian acted as both shelter and distribution center for other churches in the area, and handed out food from the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, Watson said. First Congregational also received donations from sister churches in Pennsylvania via a truck trailer filled with water and supplies, and shared that with other churches in Irvington and surrounding communities

Other churches in New Jersey helped Sandy Victems as well by either sending volunteers to work or housing them overnight.

UCC Volunteer Ministries is directing people interested in mission work to the long-term recovery effort in New Jersey and New York.
Watson put it best when she said, "We tried to spread the word of the UCC and as we call it, 'Just doing Jesus' – that's our slogan

If you want to read the full article use this link.  http://www.ucc.org/news/HurricaneSandy-one-year-later-10292013.html