Mission Ministries
Testimony from an Immigration Clinic
August 27, 2018
Immigration clinics are usually held once a week at a public, community place like a church or a school. They are places where immigrants can go to receive assistance filling out their immigration paper work. Immigration clinics are staffed by volunteers who are able to bear witness to the histories, hopes, and vulnerabilities of our immigrant friends. Rev. Rafeal García provides his witness from a summer of volunteering at an immigration clinic in New York City.
New Team Forming for Puerto Rico Recovery
August 10, 2018
New Team Forming for Puerto Rico Recovery – October 22 Craig Fitzsimmons, recently retired NYAC clergy, will be leading a team to Puerto Rico from October 22 to 29. For additional information or an application form contact the NYAC Missions office (tvencuss@nyac.com). This past year, NYAC teams have responded to Texas (3), Florida (1), and Puerto Rico (5). Additional teams are scheduled for August (Bishop and Cabinet) and October (Christ and Park Avenue Churches). Please see the following ...
Upcoming Recovery Team to Puerto Rico has openings
May 03, 2018
Upcoming Recovery Team to Puerto Rico has openings June 16 to 23 A team from the NYAC just returned from Puerto Rico. We worked on a home in Tao Baja, a community west of San Juan. The small home sits on 4-foot piers and took 5 feet of water! By the time we arrived initial ERT-type work had already been done. All walls had been stripped, almost all home furnishings and appliances had been moved to the street, several feet of mud from under the home had been taken out, and the home had been ...
News from the Disaster Response Ministries Team
April 17, 2018
Last minute openings for April Recovery Trip to Puerto Rico Friends, we have had several cancellations for next weeks’ trip to Puerto Rico so there is availability for new team members. We leave Monday, the 23 and return Monday, the 30. The cost is $650. If you are interested please let me know as soon as possible so that we can work out the required paperwork. We can worry about the funding at a later date. Please contact Tom Vencuss at tvencuss@nyac.com. June 16 to 23 Puerto Rico Recovery Team...
Equipping Communities for Mission
April 03, 2018
Out of sight… In today’s 24-hour news cycle, some things seem to come and go quickly; others seem to linger forever. Unfortunately, disasters often fall into the first category – except for the survivors. The storms of this past summer and fall resulted in more than 2 million applications to FEMA for disaster assistance; and that number is only those who applied. The volunteer faith-based community is essential to any recovery effort. Please see below the NYAC response effort and the many ...
Equipping Communities for Mission - the NYAC Responds
February 15, 2018
Disaster Response Updates This past month the NYAC deployed its first Early Response Team to Florida and its second to Texas in support of hurricanes Irma and Harvey recovery efforts. A first team is scheduled for Puerto Rico at the end of February. Teams are also being formed for April 23 to 30, and June 18 to 25. Click here for volunteer guidelines and application. We are still in need of teams to serve in Texas and Florida as part of their recovery effort. This month, the NYAC Disaster ...
Disaster Response Opportunities
January 10, 2018
Response Teams Forming for Puerto Rico The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico (MCPR), in partnership with UMCOR and UMVIM, has announced that it is now receiving applications for both Early Response and Rebuild/Construction (UMVIM) teams. All team requests are being handled through Conference Disaster Response Coordinators. Please click on the following link for more information. If you are interested in leading an ERT or UMVIM team please contact Tom Vencuss (tvencuss@nyac.com). Early Response...
NYC Hurricane Evacuee Center is Open and Receiving Applicants
October 30, 2017
NYC Evacuee Service Center update The NYC Evacuee Service Center opened on October 19 and has seen between 50 and 75 families daily. At any one time there may be as many as several hundred people in the small meeting area. While there have been a few families from Texas, Florida, and other areas of the Caribbean, the high majority are from Puerto Rico. The Center is located at the Julia De Burgos Latino Cultural Center, 1680 Lexington Avenue, between 105 and 106 streets in Manhattan. There are...
NYC Center Opening for Those Displaced by Recent Hurricanes
October 19, 2017
Friends, Please find the attached announcement from the New York City Mayor’s Office and pass it on to your respective constituencies and communities. The NYAC will be working with NYDIS (New York Disaster Interfaith Services) as part of this effort seeking to assist with short-term housing, emotional and spiritual care for the victims of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. This includes displaced individuals and families from Puerto Rico, Texas, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other ...
UMCOR Grants Assist Hurricane Relief Efforts
October 18, 2017
The United Methodist response to the devastating 2017 hurricane season is getting a boost through new grants from the United Methodist Committee on Relief. During their Oct. 12-14 meeting, directors of the denomination’s Board of Global Ministries and UMCOR approved more than $7 million in grants for hurricane and other disaster-relief work and $1.86 million for global health projects. UMCOR already had received some $15 million from donors in recent months to respond to U.S. disasters. ...