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What are the restrictions for youth volunteers? Are there any requirements for volunteers? What are the facilities like for the volunteers? What if someone wants to go, but isn’t able to go in June? Is this a one-time opportunity? What opportunities to assist are available if I can’t travel to Mississippi? How do I sign up to help with a committee, or travel with a work group?
Introduction. Lutheran Disaster Relief [ www.ldr.org ] has been involved in relief efforts in coastal Mississippi since Katrina, and expects to remain involved for 8 to 10 years. Their role is fluid, and changes with the changing needs of the situation. There is an administrative center at Bethel Lutheran that is manned daily as well as a medical clinic and caseworkers. The majority of the volunteers are housed at Good Shepherd Lutheran’s tent city, which is about 2 miles down the road. There are volunteer accommodations, a kitchen that provides meals, and showers.
How is their work financed? Their work is supported by donations from churches and individuals. All volunteers are asked to cover the cost for their food by paying $20/day while they are working. They have also received grant money.
Who does the work? There are paid staff members, as well as both long and short-term volunteers. People of all denominations are welcome to participate with them, as are secular groups.
What are the restrictions for youth volunteers? [These restrictions are subject to change, and should be confirmed later in our planning stages] Children who are 14 or 15 (or very close to their 14th birthday) are welcome to work, if accompanied by a parent. They must be accompanied by a parent when working, and must reside with a parent at the Bethel facility. This facility is about 2 miles from the volunteer tent city, and only has about 25 spaces. There are some restrictions about what jobs they can perform, which can change depending on the circumstances. Children who are 16 or older must have either a parent or designated guardian present. They can live in the tent city, work in any group, and do not necessarily have to be accompanied by their guardian during work hours. It is recommended that all youth have two adults be responsible for them, in case something happens to one of the adults. No adult can be responsible for more than 3 children.
Are there any requirements for volunteers? All volunteers MUST have medical insurance and a tetanus shot that is current within the last 5 years.
What jobs need to be done? Jobs include cooking, cleaning camp facilities, answering phones, intake of clients, filing, working at the warehouse and distribution center, running errands, medical/nursing/pharmacy, and assorted construction tasks. Much of the “mucking” is done for homes that will be reoccupied, and there is now a greater need for “skilled” labor – specifically carpenters, roofers, dry wall installers, and electricians. Because of this, it is beneficial for volunteers to come as work teams, captained by a skilled person who can teach and supervise their crew. There is no longer a need for a lot of unskilled labor without skilled leaders. If a group doesn’t have enough skilled members, they are asked to recruit them from their community
What are the facilities like for the volunteers? There are about 40 RV/mobile home hook ups, but advance reservations are required. The tent city is comprised of three residential tents with wooden floors, a heat pump, and about 33 bunk beds with mattresses. There are some electric outlets in each tent. There is a shower trailer with 5 private shower stalls and three sinks each for men and women. Toilet facilities are port-a-potties. There is a dining tent with wooden floors. Meals are prepared in a portable kitchen, and while adequate, don’t provide a lot of choice or variety. There isn’t much privacy, and the conditions are very basic. At present there are no computer (e-mail) connections available to volunteers. They are working on this.
How do we get there? While individuals can fly, each team will need to have transportation when they get to Biloxi. The trip is about 1,100 miles, each way and the drive takes about 20 hours, including rest stops and meals. We are attempting to arrange for accommodations with a church in Atlanta on the way down, and in Clemson, SC on the way back, to help keep the cost down. We will expect to car pool, sharing the cost of gas.
How will we pay for the trip? Each person will be responsible for his or her own expenses. People who are unable to go will be invited to sponsor people who are going. Additional opportunities will be available to those not going for babysitting, or pet sitting. For tax purposes, checks will be made payable to Church of the Ascension, who will provide receipts.
When can we go? Our first group will depart on June 24th, and return on July 2nd, working Monday through Friday. We will carpool, and are trying to coordinate guest housing with churches while on the road.
What if someone wants to go, but isn’t able to go in June? Skilled individuals are easy to accommodate, especially if they make advance arrangements so non skilled volunteers can be assigned to work with them. Otherwise, it would be a good idea to either form a small group consisting of a combination of skilled and unskilled friends, family, or co-workers, and coordinate directly with the camp. An alternative would be to join with a group from another area church. St Dunstons is going May 1-6, and All Saints is planning trips from July 15-22 and Nov 6-13. They have asked if we can make our date available to any of their people who might have schedule conflicts, and would welcome our people joining their groups.
Who will we be helping? While it would be great to be able to coordinate a project with either Church of the Redeemer or some of its parishioners, that might not be possible, although we will be in contact with Rev. Roberts prior to our departure. There is a lot of coordination required between clients, volunteer skills, materials, and permits, so everyone must be prepared to be patient, and to be flexible, remembering that this mission is about the people of Biloxi, and not about us.
Is this a one-time opportunity? Absolutely not! With the relief team expecting to be in place for 8 to 10 years, there will be many opportunities for additional teams to participate. All Saints has formed a committee to define their long-term commitment to the area and to Church of the Redeemer.
What opportunities to assist are available if I can’t travel to Mississippi? It’s the intention of Church of the Ascension to support relief efforts for the long haul. To that end, there will be a need for fund raising, donations of physical goods, publicity, recruiting, and future trip coordination. These positions can be either long or short term in nature, depending on your schedule.
How do I sign up to help with a committee, or travel with a work group? You can send an e-mail to mendingmississippi@yahoo.com, and the appropriate committee chairman will respond. If you’d rather call, please contact the trip coordinators [Kae and Tom Clarke] via the church office at 301-863-8551.
Last Updated: November 12, 2006 |
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