The mission of the Disaster Response Ministry in the Rio Texas Conference is to provide a caring Christian presence in the aftermath of disasters.
Reorganization
The reorganization of the Conference to three districts has made it necessary to reorganize the structure of the disaster response ministry. Each district continues to have a Disaster Response Coordinator, but sub district coordinators have been added to get quicker response when disasters occur. This is especially important since disaffiliation has left some areas of the Conference without United Methodist Churches. The goal of the disaster response ministry is to respond to disasters throughout the conference, even if there is no United Methodist Church in the area.
Last year's floods
All three districts in the Rio Texas conference experienced devastating floods in the past year. In April, nearly 5,000 homes were flooded in communities in the Rio Grande Valley. In June and July, the tragic loss of lives from the July fourth flooding on the Guadelupe River received extensive news coverage and massive outpouring of support. At the same time numerous communities from San Angelo to Austin were also devastated by flooding on rivers and streams in their areas. It is estimated that approximately 3,000 homes were impacted throughout the conference by the June and July floods.
The Disaster Response Ministry responded to these floods with distribution of UMCOR cleaning kits and with Early Response teams to assist with the clean-up. Very shortly after the floods, plans were initiated to prepare for the massive repair and rebuilding effort that would be required during long term recovery. This work is moving forward. A generous UMCOR grant has underwritten hiring staff to guide long-term recovery efforts in the Rio Grande Valley and in the Concho Valley. Volunteer teams have also begun to assist with repair and rebuilding efforts throughout the conference.
Needs
The demand for teams to assist in the recovery effort is massive. Case managers are at work identifying families who need assistance, but resources are far too limited to hire contractors to make the repairs. The only way we can hope to stretch resources is to use available funds to buy material and then use volunteer teams to make the repairs. Please consider becoming part of this important effort. Teams are needed throughout the Conference but the hardest place to get volunteers is in the Rio Grande Valley, where the need is greatest. You can request more information or register your team on the Disaster Response Home page (www.riotexasresponse.org).
Sager Brown closing
UMCOR has announced that the Sager Brown warehouse operation will be closing at the end of 2026. Currently, plans for reorganization of the kit ministry are being finalized but there are no plans to discontinue the ministry. The Martinez Disaster Response Center in Kerrville will continue to operate as an UMCOR affiliated warehouse and will continue to accept UMCOR kits. You are invited to consider being a part of the ministry by volunteering at the warehouse as part of the first Saturday effort.
Change of leadership
Eugene Hileman will be stepping down as the Conference Disaster Response Coordinator at the end of June. He has served in the position for the past eighteen years. Jim Balthazar, who presently serves as the North District Coordinator, will become the new Conference Coordinator on July 1. Jim has served on the Conference Disaster Response Committee for several years and has extensive experience in leading teams for both early response and long-term recovery.
Eugene Hileman Rio Texas Conference Disaster Response Coordinator