The warehouse will stock supplies for seven different types of relief kits: health, sewing, layette, clean birth, school, bedding and flood buckets. UMCOR recently sent 3,000 five-gallon flood buckets with cleaning and sanitary supplies to the Dakotas, where flooding forced hundreds from their homes.

Local volunteers will also be able to access the warehouse to assemble kits, mostly on weekends by appointment, he said, adding that groups from any faith or community group are encouraged to participate.

"We're really excited about it because it offers a good sense of pride here with the Utah Methodists and also with the entire Western jurisdiction to have the agency here. We're hoping volunteers from the East will actually want to come and check out what's happening in Utah."

UMCOR was organized in 1940 in response to the violence and suffering caused by World War II. The agency has programs active in more than 100 nations, varying from health and world hunger to poverty.

For information or to volunteer or donate supplies, call the Rev. Hare-Diggs at 801-973-7250 or e-mail WestDepot@UMCOR.org.

E-mail: carrie@desnews.com