Second hurricane work blitz set for Jan. 13-14

Volunteers sought; registration going on now

By Jessica Brodie

SELLERS—On the heels of a wildly successful hurricane work blitz in the Nichols/Mullins area (see related story here), United Methodist disaster response leaders are organizing a second blitz.

The blitz will be in the town of Sellers, in the Marion District. Like Nichols, Sellers received extensive flooding in October as a result of Hurricane Matthew. Many homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed, and much help is needed there.

“It’s basically a mini Nichols; the same waters that flooded Nichols flooded Sellers, but Sellers is much smaller and has not received as much publicity, and they have very few resources of their own,” said Matt Brodie, disaster response coordinator for the South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church.

The blitz is set for Jan. 13-14, and adult volunteers of all skill levels, including those with no experience, are needed to do tear-out and mold remediation for flooded homes in that community. Untrained volunteers will work under the guidance of trained volunteers, many of them members of South Carolina’s United Methodist Volunteers in Mission’s Early Response Team.

Brodie said there is a possibility that some volunteers will also continue work in the Nichols area that day, since Sellers and Nichols are so close to each other.

The January blitz will be modeled after the Nichols blitz, which was held Dec. 2-3 (see article, here). The Nichols blitz was a huge success; organizers had set a goal of 100 volunteers and completion of five to seven homes in preparation for future long-term relief, but the event far exceeded expectations, drawing 236 volunteers from all over the state who completed tear-out of 18 homes.

Registration is going on now at www.umcsc.org/data/sellersrelief.php. Organizers said it is important for volunteers to sign up in advance so they can plan for the event better.