Gustav local volunteer info

All, Please see e-mail below regarding the church's efforts to help if needed. If you're around and can help out I'm sure it will go a long way. - Jason
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Hello! I hope many of you are enjoying the start of a relaxing, long holiday weekend. As an FYI, it was three years ago today that Hurricane Katrina made its second and third landfalls in the gulf coast region, causing devastating damage to that region, which is still in the process of rebuilding today. We were able to see God working through so many people here at Custer Road who wanted to reach out and use their talents and resources to do whatever they could to help our neighbors to the south. The results of this passion were incredible and I know hundreds of lives were changed because of the compassion shown by our church. As a result of the faith based community’s efforts for Hurricane Katrina, the county has seen what it is capable of accomplishing as far as Emergency Response and has been working since that time to put effective measures in place to plan for future emergency situations. For those of you still in town, I wanted to give you a quick update on the county’s emergency operation plans for this weekend and beyond due to evacuations and aftermath from Hurricane Gustav, if necessary. Collin County is gearing up to possibly shelter evacuees from along the Gulf Coast. Although the Collin County Emergency Operations has not been formally deployed as of this morning, there is a possibility that Collin County will stand up to support sheltering operations around the metroplex. The American Red Cross has 2 shelters in McKinney on standby to open if the need arises to shelter evacuees from the Gulf Coast. Homeland Security is currently attending statewide conference calls with the Governor's Division of Emergency Management to remain advised of the status of evacuations along the Gulf Coast. If you are around this weekend and would be willing to be on call to respond if needed, please send an email to breilly@co.collin.tx.us with following information: Your contact information – email, cell and home phone numberWhether you are medical or non-medical volunteers. Noting any other specialized training would also be helpful. If the Red Cross requests your volunteer assistance, all non-Red Cross trained volunteers will be required to attend just in time training at the shelter they respond to. If you do not have Red Cross training, that’s ok, you will still be activated and utilized based on your availability. The county should have a better idea Saturday morning what, if anything, will be needed in our area. Whatever your availability this weekend, please pray for those communities and lives that have already been affected by Gustav and the safety and well-being of those communities that lie in its path, awaiting what is to come. Also, pray for those who are ministering to these communities’ needs. Thank you,
Sara Sara Shinneman
Director of Missions
Custer Road United Methodist Church
6601 Custer Road, Plano, TX 75023
Phone 972-618-3450, ext. 239
Missions@crumc.org www.CRUMC.org