Disaster

Our Disaster committee works in several different facets – they join together when there is a local Disaster – Natural or Man-made. We work closely with the community and the supporting agencies to serve and bring aid where necessary. Our church has been involved in many projects over the years to help.

Help during the 2020 Hurricane Season

Gail & Lee of our disaster team drove 75 health kits and over 100 blanket and quilts to Elmer, NJ to meet up with Mary Bates where she was loading a trailer for assisting hurricane victims in Florida. Thank you to everyone who keeps our disaster ministry going!

COVID-19 Pandemic 2020

Our church and members have been effected greatly with the quarantine and our “normal” ways of worship have been interrupted. We worship virtually with daily postings on Facebook and weekly worship services on our YouTube channel, Facebook and Website. We hold a Saturday evening service over a conference call where anyone can call in and join our service, and we are holding services in person at church.

We donated masks and gloves to the Essex Police Department. Our quilters have worked feverishly on masks for our congregation, for the nursing staff at UMMS, and for the WNALC ladies group of St. Matthew for donations to the Perry Point VA. Stay tuned for more information as we weather the storm!

Earthquake in Ecuador – April, 2016
​Our Disaster committee, through donation from the congregation and budgeted money, sent $1,000 to Ecuador through Palm Ministries for the purchase of clean water for the communities effected by the earthquake.

Fire @ Seneca Bay Apartments – May, 2010
Our Disaster committee and Social Concerns committee got together and financially assisted the displaced residents with Walmart gift cards and donations form church members of items that were in need.

Earthquake in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti – January, 2010
Our Disaster committee sent financial support to Pastor Privil Opont and his church.

River Valley Ranch Flood – November , 2009
A large donation from the Disaster fund was awarded through the Council of St. Matthew to assist River Valley Ranch with the efforts to rebuild after a flood in 2009.

Hurricane Katrina – August, 2005
We connected with a church in Camp Springs, Mississippi to help aid in first response and to bring supplies to the community of Camp Springs. Many members from St. Matthew made the drive to Camp Springs, Mississippi to assist on site.

Hurricane Isabel – September, 2003
Our church was quickly turned into a disaster response center where we were able to develop a plan to assist the community with prepared meals, teams to assist in clean up, provide donated supplies to help ease the burden of the disaster, and much more.

St. Matthew Disaster Relief Program
Supporting the NALC Disaster Relief Office which served:

• Ranchers Relief Fund. Those Affected by Blizzard of 2012 in South Dakota
• The Atlantic City Recovery Group helping victims of Hurricane Sandy @ St. Andrew by the Sea
• Supporting the Baptist Relief Agency, capable of providing 12 different Relief Units with trained personal.
• Supporting the Inner Harbor Ministry

The Disasters recalled above are only a few that have received assistance, through the grace of God, by our congregation. Our congregation works tirelessly and graciously on any disaster they are called to serve. Our committees work together to provide the aid and support of every disaster we are called to assist with.

Thanks be to God!