OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (Sept. 28, 2018) – Sixteen members from First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge visited UMCOR’s Sager Brown Depot Sept. 15-22. 

UMCOR stands for United Methodist Committee on Relief. Sager Brown is a relief-supply center located in Baldwin, Louisiana. 

First UMC members joined with other missioners to verify and pack hygiene kits and cleaning kits prior to shipment of these supplies to UMCOR disaster-response centers, including those in North and South Carolina responding to Hurricane Florence floodwaters. The Oak Ridge team brought with them 201 hygiene kits donated by their congregation. 

The team was productive while having fun working together. They unpacked, verified, restocked, resealed, and shrink-wrapped 1,728 cleaning kits, staging them for shipment. They unpacked and verified 2,016 hygiene kits, added toothpaste to them, and repacked them for shipment. 

They spent hours counting out 41, 932 Handi Wipes, rolling them into packets of 18 for use in cleaning kits. They worked the dock, loading and unloading supplies. On Thursday night, all team members attended a vespers service planned by members of each team.

Maxine Schultz led the team, comprised of Nita Barnes, Janet Cook, Barbara Haymon, Linda Houlberg, Wayne Houlberg, Evelyn McKamy, Laura McLean, Fred Montgomery, Joye Montgomery, Bob Schultz, Cindi Wehrly, Cara Weigel, Janice Williams, Dianne Wilson, and Sandi Wright. 

First United Methodist Church’s next mission trip to Sager Brown will be Sept. 21-28, 2019. Call Maxine Schultz at (865) 482-0080 for more information.