The United Methodist Committee on Relief has announced it will conclude operations at the Sager Brown Depot as it reimagines how disaster relief supplies are assembled, stored and deployed.
For nearly three decades, Sager Brown in Baldwin, Louisiana, has played a global role in disaster response. Millions of relief supply kits, often called flood buckets, have been assembled, prayed over and shipped to communities facing crisis across the United States and around the world.
In a February 10 press release, UMCOR announced it will no longer operate the Sager Brown Depot, starting January 2027. Plans are to modernize the way the relief agency manages materials while reducing costs to strengthen its disaster response ministry. UMCOR will seek an experienced logistics partner and expand collaboration with affiliate warehouses across the country, the release said.
Costs to Maintain Facility Not Feasible Anymore
According to UMCOR, the Sager Brown warehouse is approximately 48,000 square feet, a size that no longer aligns with its reimagined relief supply kit model. UMCOR also noted that the capital investments required to modernize the facility, including software systems, barcode scanning and logistics infrastructure, would be cost-prohibitive.
In addition, ongoing maintenance needs across the broader 25-acre campus, which includes multiple buildings requiring roofing, HVAC, and general upkeep, were cited as factors that made long-term operation unsustainable.
The Rev. Van Stinson, executive director of mission and ministry for the Louisiana Conference, said the ministry was never about one place or one program. “It was about people showing up for others, often in moments of deep need. That spirit of service and connection is something we carry forward.”
The relief agency will continue its work preparing and shipping relief supply kits at the Baldwin campus through the end of the year, in partnership with United Women in Faith and the Louisiana Conference. The depot will host all scheduled mission experiences.
“As disasters increase in frequency throughout the United States, building a more distributed and agile network that draws on the expertise of partners is critical to UMCOR’s future disaster response efforts,” said Roland Fernandes, top executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries and UMCOR. “We know that this transition represents a significant shift for those involved with this ministry. UMCOR Sager Brown has been a cornerstone of our relief supply kit distribution for nearly 30 years, and we are grateful for the dedicated and faithful staff, volunteers, and donors who have sustained this ministry.”
Conference Thanks All Who Served
Bishop Delores J. Williamston, who leads the Louisiana Conference, gives thanks for every life touched, every volunteer who served, and every prayer that traveled alongside those kits.”
For the Louisiana Conference, the change is a reminder of something long known in ministry: Models change, but the call does not.
“Even as this chapter comes to a close, our calling remains clear,” Bishop Williamston said. “We will build new approaches to disaster response that meet today’s realities. We will connect congregations to neighbors in crisis. And we will equip churches to act quickly, faithfully and together.”
Conference leaders also want churches and members to know that conversations about what's next are ongoing.
Plans are underway to honor and celebrate Sager Brown's legacy. Opportunities for celebration and reflection are being planned through the end of the year, with additional recognition anticipated at the 2026 Louisiana Annual Conference.
While the Sager Brown Depot model is changing, the heart of the work remains, Williamston said.
“We are thankful for what has been. And we are hopeful for what God is still calling us to do, and how we can and must respond when communities are in need. We will do so with bold love, a joyful spirit and with great courage.”
Your Donations Help
Your gifts on UMCOR Sunday helps support the foundation for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) so that they can provide lifesaving grants to people suffering from disasters around the world.
excerpt from a story by the Rev. Todd Rossnagel, director of communication strategies for the Louisiana Conference.
This story shows the impact of UMCOR Sunday—one of six United Methodist Special Sundays with offerings—to ensure that help and hope reach those in crisis. Your gifts cover the administrative costs of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), so that 100% of other donations can go directly to disaster response and humanitarian aid. Together, we make it possible for the Church to respond swiftly and faithfully when the world needs care most.
When you give generously on UMCOR Sunday, you sustain the ministry that enables the Church to bring God’s love and practical help to disaster-stricken communities.
