The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has announced that the Sager Brown Depot in Louisiana will close in January 2027 as the agency shifts to a more distributed logistics model for assembling and shipping relief kits. For disaster response leaders in the Pacific Northwest Conference, the news feels familiar. When a key Western-region depot closed at the end of 2020, disaster response leaders here retooled, building a network of local supply sites that keeps kits closer to where they’re needed and allows volunteers to move resources quickly when disaster strikes.
In 2021, the closure of Depot West in Salt Lake City prompted Conference Disaster Response Coordinators (CDRCs) across the Western Jurisdiction to develop new ways to store and manage relief supplies closer to home. In the Pacific Northwest Conference, that shift became an opportunity to develop a system built for speed, access, and flexibility.
Today, the PNW Conference maintains memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with about a dozen churches that host disaster response supplies. Instead of depending on a single warehouse, supplies are distributed across the conference so they can be deployed quickly and aren’t positioned in the wrong region after a disaster.
“The model we have in the PNW helps us stay nimble as we respond to disasters,” said Kathy Bryson, co-Disaster Response Coordinator for the PNW Conference.
A distributed network of supply sites
A guiding principle in considering supply locations has been geography and mobility: positioning host churches along major east–west and north–south arterials so kits can move efficiently as needs shift and transportation routes impacted by disasters change.
During the recent flooding response, that strategy proved its value. More than 300 UMCOR cleaning kits were distributed from Mount Vernon UMC, which has the largest dedicated storage space in the conference and serves as a key hub for rapid deployment.
Churches across the PNW also create UMCOR-like kits, following the same core principles in what goes into each kit. While locally assembled kits may not be inspected and verified through UMCOR’s formal protocol, congregations have demonstrated they can quickly scale up production when needs rise.
Recently, Marysville UMC and Bothell UMC hosted work parties to assemble hygiene kits on short notice, demonstrating how the conference’s volunteer base can be a critical surge capacity when the need is clear and immediate.
Regional Supply & Storage Centers
Spokane Valley UMC
Kennewick First UMC
Wenatchee First UMC
First UMC (Olympia)
Goldendale UMC
Mount Vernon UMC
Wesley UMC (Yakima)
Coeur d’Alene UMC
Lynden UMC
Lewiston/Clarkston UMCs
Bothell UMC
United Church of Ferndale
Volunteers keep supplies moving
Because a just-in-time distributed system is in place, volunteers are essential not only to assemble kits but also to transport supplies between locations as disasters unfold.
Some sites offer additional flexibility. Kennewick First UMC, for example, can pivot quickly thanks to a mobile storage trailer stocked with kits, helping move supplies where they’re needed with minimal delay.
UMCOR’s announcement made it clear that the depot at Sagar Brown remains operational in 2026. This shouldn’t impact mission trips planned to the site this year, though it is always wise to be in contact with a location you intend to serve as needs shift and change. UMCOR storage at Sagar Brown will be discontinued in January of 2027, necessitating a change for any church that anticipated possible service there next year or beyond.
As UMCOR’s broader relief-supplies network continues to shift toward 2027, churches are encouraged to watch for UMCOR announcements to stay up to date on changes, guidance, and emerging plans.
