Valley Churches United MissionsDisaster Relief CenterFebruary 16, 1998

During the recent storms Valley Churches United Missions  Disaster Relief Center in Ben Lomond California is open for however long it takes to assist disaster victims. The purpose of the Center is to help area residents prepare before, act during, and respond after an emergency occurs.

The recent storms have not only taken their toll on local residents but also on the organization who helps them. VCUM found their warehouse flooded with six feet of mud and water last week when Love Creek jumped its banks. The damage is estimated to be about $60,000, said Annette Marcum, volunteer director of VCUM.

 "All our disaster supplies -- ruined," she said. All this hard work..." Marcum reflected. "For 16 years she said, we've been helping out people in need, both the poor and the not-so-poor, whose lives have been disrupted by natural disasters.
Now, we've become victims of a 
disaster ourselves and we sure could use some help."

What a wonderful sight it was when two Humvees and a five-ton truck rolled into Ben Lomond last Sunday with a couple of dozen marines. They were here to help and help they did.

Volunteers rallied to fill sandbags. The Red Cross was there. California Conservation Corp came to lend a hand. Many local residents came together to help those who needed it. Food was distributed, ham radio operators were organized, and shelters were set up for the suddenly homeless.

 
 
Most of the mess has been cleaned up but there still remains a lot of work to do. And a lot of items need to be replaced.

Since the storms  and mudslides of 1982 the all-volunteer staff has founded a mission to serve the area residents. At that time Marcum was amazed at the amount of low-income families and victims of the storms that she saw that were not receiving the assistance they needed from existing agencies."There was too much talk about doing the job, but when it came right down to helping those in need, it was not getting done by existing agencies in Santa Cruz County." Marcum recalled.

The VCUM Disaster Relief Center is part of Valley Churches United Missions, a year-round food pantry and has many programs including:

• Food Pantry
• Crisis rent/mortgage assistance
• Crisis utility assistance to avoid shut off
• Crisis medical and dental assistance
• Senior low-income food distribution
• USDA monthly food distribution
• Holiday Projects: Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas
• Mission, helping other agencies county wide
• Disaster Relief Center
• Educational supplies for children and adults

                                           Our Mission Statement:
The Valley Churches United Missions is a coalition of community and church volunteers coming together to perform humanitarian acts by providing direct aid assistance in the form of food and shelter to the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley residents in their time of need or crisis.