WNCC UMC Disaster Response

Are you struggling to stay cool during extreme heat? 🥵

Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability is working to better understand how people and communities across North Carolina are experiencing and responding to extreme heat.

📣 Take the Survey: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bOrs9R6q720QxSK

By taking the short survey, you'll help us learn what resources, challenges, and solutions matter most to you and your community. Your experiences and perspective are valuable, and your voice can help shape future programs, and policies that improve heat resilience across our state.

The survey takes about 5 minutes to complete. Thank you for sharing your voice and helping us build a healthier, more resilient North Carolina.

With profound sadness we honor the life and memory of Scott Smallwood, our construction manager with the WNCCUMC AMY disaster relief team, based out of Spruce Pine. His sudden passing in a motorcycle accident has left an irreplaceable void in our hearts and our mission.

Read more about Scott and his legacy on our website at https://www.wnccumc.org/newsdetail/honoring-the-life-and-legacy-of-scott-smallwood-19891391

According to NC Emergency Management, "A dangerous heat wave is likely to setup across NC by the middle of next week and peaking during the July 4th holiday weekend. While details will continue to be refined over the coming days, now is the time to prepare for extensive heat with little to no overnight relief."

Learn more about how to prepare at wnccumc.org/disaster-extreme-heat

Save the Date for July 23rd at 7 PM!

Being a faithful presence in our community means being ready when disaster strikes - protecting our buildings, continuing our ministry, and caring for those who need us most. Join our own Brian Mateer and Maggie Armstrong to learn how your church can be prepared Before the Storm.

Follow this link to register: https://wnccumc-org.zoom.us/j/85079665970

Let’s connect at Annual Conference. 📢✍️

From June 18–21, our Disaster Ministries team is heading to Lake Junaluska for the 2026 WNCC Annual Conference meeting.

Whether your church has already fielded a volunteer team, or you are looking for ways to plug into our sites this summer, we want to meet you. Come talk with our team, get a snapshot of our operations, and grab some special giveaways while supplies last.

Check out all the conference info at https://www.wnccumc.org/ac2026, and make sure to stop by our booth to say hello and grab your resources!

A huge thank you to the volunteer team from Centenary United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem for spending a full day of hard work at our Ministry Response Center.

This crew jumped right into organizing and assembling donated cabinetry and built-ins so our field teams can deploy them to sites smoothly. By strengthening our central hub, their efforts directly ensure our field construction teams have exactly what they need to get neighbors back into safe, sanitary, and secure homes.

Most days, you can find Kasey Kelly keeping our ministries on track as Administrative Assistant for Western NC Conference, United Methodist Church Mission Engagement and Disaster Relief & Recovery. But she recently spent two days with our High Country team in West Jefferson, getting a firsthand look at their daily operations.

"The staff welcomed me with incredible hospitality, sharing meals, stories, and a clear passion for the work they do. At one point, Doug looked around and reminded me that "the mountains are his office"—and under a perfect blue sky, it was easy to see why.

The highlight of the trip, however, was meeting our clients. Watching them look at their homes slowly being rebuilt helped me connect my "behind-the-desk" administrative work directly to the physical structures going up on the ground. It was a powerful reminder that every role in our conference is vital. Whether we are managing logistics in an office or swinging a hammer on a roof, we are all working together to ensure our neighbors return to safe, sanitary, and secure homes."