A new conference disaster response appeal number has been established to help our friends, the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, recover from Hurricane Maria. Please make checks payable to the Eastern PA Conference and indicate “Fund #0345PR–Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief.”   Meanwhile, our conference’s Latino Commission and member churches are collecting and sending numerous supplies to Puerto Rico to address urgent identified needs.

Bishop Peggy Johnson met with commission clergy members (many of whom come from Puerto Rico) on Nov. 30 to plan and coordinate strategy for aiding the beleaguered island in its long, slow recovery. Churches across the conference are giving through UMCOR, but only a small portion of those funds may be used to help repair or rebuild damaged or destroyed churches.

“Thank you for joining in this ambitious relief project,” says the Rev. Irving Cotto, commission member and Cabinet Dean. “May God bless all those affected by these hurricanes and all those reaching out to help.”