Disaster Response Update: Help for Fultondale
The needs in Fultondale and parts of Jefferson County continue after the F3 tornado that struck January 28.
We have been approved for an emergency grant of $10,000 to assist with short-term housing, which is still a need. Below is a request for help from the city of Fultondale for additional debris removal as well as contact information to volunteer. Please contact them DIRECTLY if you can assist. You can also assist by sharing financial support directly on our Disaster Response Website (https://www.umcna.org/
From the City of Fultondale:
While we have been so fortunate to have such an amazing outpouring of donations as well as volunteers at our donation + distribution center (which we are most grateful for and couldn’t operate without!), we are not having many volunteers offer to help with clean-up & debris removal anymore. We know and completely understand that the weather has not cooperated much at all and that greatly impacts what we can get done. That said, we still need crews with chainsaws, dump trucks, heavy equipment, etc., to come out and help our residents. The issue we are running into is that our uninsured homeowners and renters cannot afford to pay someone to come out and do this for them. Of the offers that we have received, most require payment, which is understandable but unavailable at this time. We know this is a big ask and that running equipment is expensive, but if there is any way possible that you or your crews could donate even a day of your time, it would be a huge start for our citizens.
If you are willing to come out for even a couple of hours one day, please contact us at Fultondale City Hall at (205) 841-4481, M-F 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., or you may reach Jessica Mullins Barnes at (205) 602-0311 (texts preferred).
In His Grace,
Randy Burbank
Disaster Response and Recovery Coordinator for the North Alabama Annual Conference
Email: rburbank@umcna.org