We Need Your Help Replenishing Flood Buckets Supply

The Rio Texas Disaster Response Team exhausted the Bishop Joel and Dr. Raquel Martinez Disaster Response Center of its supply of flood buckets. 

1,089 flood buckets were sent to East Texas to help flood victims near the Sabine River. 

We need to prepare for the next disaster. Please gather the materials for flood buckets and donate them to your local church. Click Here for Flood Bucket assembly instructions. 

"We need flood buckets for the hurricane season, as well as the summer and spring flood seasons," said Disaster Response Coordinator Eugene Hileman. "We are completely out of flood buckets."

Churches can drop off flood buckets at the Conference Office at 16400 Huebner Road. San Antonio, Texas. 78248. 

You may also drop-off flood buckets at the Martinez Disaster Response Center in Kerrville. Please make prior arrangements with Mr. Hileman first by emailing him at aehileman@riotexas.org

Flood Bucket donations will be accepted at this year's Rio Texas Annual Conference in Corpus Christi, June 9-12. 

If you wish to volunteer for Disaster Response, sign up for ERT Training. There are two upcoming training dates: April 9 at University UMC in San Antonio and April 16 at Asbury UMC in Corpus Christi. Click Here to sign-up for ERT Training. 

UMCOR Gives $100,000 Grant to Conference Disaster Response for Case Managing

This May, parts of our annual conference experienced severe storms and historic flooding. While many rushed to provide immediate help and relief, the process of rebuilding can take months and years. 

The Rio Texas Disaster Response Team was on the scene as soon as the waters began to recede and will continue to provide support and assistance through the long-term recovery effort. 

Due to the scale of the disaster in our area, The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has awarded a grant of $100,000 to assist the conference in our efforts. With the funding from this grant, the conference will be hiring one full-time Case Management Supervisor and two part-time Case Managers to facilitate connecting families in need with resources to help them rebuild. These case managers will receive training and support from UMCOR.

While the process of hiring the full-time position is nearly complete, there are still two openings for part-time Case Managers. Click here to learn more and apply. There is also a need for a number of volunteer case managers. If you are interested, click here to learn more. [Still working on this page.]

As the work of long-term recovery continues, The Rio Texas Disaster Response Team needs your help. There are projects already underway and Volunteers in Mission (VIM) Teams are needed right away. To learn more, visit our long-term recovery page at riotexas.org/long-term-recovery.