| Conference begins 'unprecedented' Isabel recovery By Melissa Lauber UMConnection Staff This Thanksgiving the Rev. Joseph Donick fled the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel that has plagued him since the storm hit Sept. 18. He went to a family vacation spot at Cape Hatteras, N.C. only to find a United Methodist Committee on Relief trailer there, assisting the more southern victims of the storm. Donick, of St. Georges Island-First Friendship Charge in St. Marys County, was strangely touched by the sight and turned his car around to take a photograph. It was an awesome, incredible witness to the connectional system, he said. Although his home will need major repairs its first-floor walls and sub-flooring will need to be stripped the pastor of the waterfront community found himself feeling thankful. There was so much devastation there, Donick said. Theyve been cleaning up for two months and it looks like the hurricane happened yesterday. While less damage was inflicted locally, the hurricane, which left more than 1.25 million Marylanders without electricity, damaged more than 30,000 homes. According to UMCOR, 10 to 15 percent of those in any disaster tend to fall through the governments safety nets of relief. To address those people, the Baltimore-Washington Conference, in conjunction with UMCOR, is venturing into new territory in disaster response. This fall, Associate Council Director Sandra Ferguson was approached by Marylands Department of Human Resources, requesting that the church take the lead in Hurricane Isabel case management. Attending to the people that fall through the cracks and being around for the long haul are what The United Methodist Church is best at, Ferguson said. While religious groups have traditionally rolled up their sleeves and done mission work with disaster victims, the bureaucracy of case management is a new ministry. Case management is a specialized ministry of identifying survivors needs and connecting them with existing resources. Its like a clearinghouse. Its about empowering, she said. The ministry also involves the creation and maintenance of a database to assist those seeking help in recovering from Isabel. The conference, with the assistance of UMCOR, recently brought in nationally known experts to lead training on case management. From those trained volunteers a small staff of four to six caseworkers will be created to ensure service. The Rev. Andrea Middleton King, a clergy member of the conference, was hired to assist with the recovery efforts. People dont seem to realize how huge this is. Its unbelievable. We are premiere, were doing unprecedented things, absolutely unprecedented, Ferguson said. Additional training for Volunteers in Mission was also held earlier this month for those who want to roll up their sleeves and work on short-term rebuilding projects. For Dorothy Ordwein, of Olivet UMC in Lusby, whose house was flooded by Isabel, volunteers from her church have been a treasure. Ordwein has lived in her home beside the bay for 50 years and says she knows the bays moods and behaviors. During Isabel, the waves were rough, churny and frothing, she said. But then, as she looked on, Ordwein saw, a solid wall of water rise up. She ran through the house and stepped out the front door as the water rushed in the back. It knocked her down, but she made it to the car, where Boy, her 16-year-old Maine coon cat, was waiting for her. When Ordwein was able to get back to her home two days later, she discovered volunteers from the church already working. Everything was under water. My furniture is still two colors, she said. A woman from the church loaned a rental property to Ordwein, who is sorting through garbage bags of belongings and mourning as she has to discard old photographs and other treasures. Its sort of heartbreaking, she said. Mold has delayed the houses restoration, but Ordwein hopes to be in by Christmas. God really does look out for you, Ordwein concluded from her experience. We know its true. But now were experiencing it. God is right there with us. To volunteer to help with the long-term recovery efforts can contact the Rev. Andrea Middleton King. She can be reached at (301) 332-9156. | 
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