Flood recovery trips to Mediapolis to continue
The trips to Mediapolis, Iowa, have been rewarding but the need is much greater than could be met in the three weeks we were there. Accordingly, additional trips are now scheduled. In all instances, volunteers will be housed in private homes in Mediapolis (where breakfasts will also be provided) but the work will continue in the small village of Oakville, about 8 miles away. Showers will be in the local school. Lunches will be taken to the work site and dinners will be in the Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church. Cost will be $250 per volunteer. See the schedule section for trip dates.
Mid-west flooding - Oakville, Iowa - July 12-20, 2008
Lend A Hand will be going to Mediapolis, Iowa, to assist in flood recovery efforts. The nearby town of Oakville(population 400) was covered by 10 feet of water. We will also be assigned to some remote farms in the area. As seen in the Patriot-News and on TV, the damage has been great and the need for help is daunting.
So far, LAH is the only assistance group that has volunteered to help. Our group will be joined by people from Mediapolis who want to help their neighbors. Muck out and rebuilding will be done. No tree trimming or roofing needed.
We will travel by bus, leaving on Sat., July 12 to Danville, IL, where we will stay overnight, then travel to Mediapolis. We will stay in individual homes, hot showers and soft beds. Dinner and devotions will be at the First Presbyterian Church. The return trip will stop near Cambridge, OH, on Saturday, July 19, and arrive back in Camp Hill on Sunday.
Cost is $250 to cover the cost of the bus, motels, and food for the week. Download applications at www.lendahandmissions.com or call 731-8888 or 877-211-0700.
A letter of explanation to the volunteers on the recent bus trip to Arkansas.
An incident arose during last week which needs clarification and explanation. The issue, as presented to me, was the assignment of one of our work teams to work in the home of a person who appeared wealthy enough to have paid for the repairs himself. As the Administrator of Lend A Hand, permit me to address this matter. There are two significant areas of discussion. Legal and Philosophical/Spiritual.
Legal. The Internal Revenue Code establishes criteria under which an organization can be deemed a 501 C 3, non profit, charitable organization. The Code specifically states that the organization CANNOT select the homes on which it chooses to work. For example, if we stated that we were recruiting people to work on Mister Smith’s home on XYZ Street, we would be in violation of the Code and subject to revocation of our tax exempt status. . Rather, we must:
1. Specifically be invited to send volunteers to an area affected by a natural disaster... In Arkansas, we were invited by the Disaster Assistance Coordinator of the Presbytery of Arkansas in Little Rock.
2. We can only work on homes as assigned by the designated local coordinator.
3. If the home is directly storm damaged, we can only refuse to work at that site if, in our determination, it is unsafe or hazardous to the health and welfare of our volunteers. For the home in question, we only did work which was the direct result of the water damage.
We refused to do other work requested by the homeowner that could have been construed as” remodeling”. We also refused to put a new floor in a hunting cabin since this was not a primary residence. These refusals were consistent with our responsibilities and the letter of the Laws under which we are governed and held accountable.
Philosophical/Spiritual. As Christians, we respond to the emotional, mental and physical suffering and anguish encountered by those who have been the victims of a natura l disaster. It is the extension of the hand of fellowship that sets Lend A Hand apart from other disaster responders. We do not inquire about financial need. We do not ask why friends or relatives have not stepped forward to offer assistance. We do not chastise the homeowner for not having started on the road to recovery themselves. We do not evangelize or proselytize. Rather, our Christian relationship among ourselves and with the homeowners silently speaks for our commitment to Christ. Our actions bear witness to His greatness. It is the mission of our volunteers to listen to the stories, to pray with victims, to console and comfort those in need. It is our blessing to share our talents and abilities to improve and restore homes, returning to the homeowner a sense of wellbeing and giving them the strength to move forward in the recovery process. These trips are just one way in which our volunteers continue on their own ‘faith journey’, growing in their faith, demonstrating the love of Christ, and bearing personal witness to their true calling. It is hoped that all volunteers experience a sense of awe and wonder, a sense of Christian community, a sense of personal mission, an enthusiasm for continuous discovery and creativity, and, a sense of well being and joy!
GOD’S BLESSINGS TO ALL OF YOU, FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF THE LORD!
Yours in Christ,
Bill Bauer, Administrator
Camp Victor Ministries - Ocean Springs, MS
Lend A Hand has been in contact with Camp Victor Ministries in Ocean Springs, MS and has tentatively scheduled a trip there for November 8 – 16, 2008. Camp Victor (CV) is affiliated with Lutheran Episcopal Services in Mississippi (LESM). Please visit their excellent website at www.campvictor.org for additional information. CV is very similar to DVF with the bonus of having several construction supervisors to coordinate the construction work and supply delivery. Lydia Fehr will be functioning as trip leader, with the help of several of the “repeaters”. Please consider being part of Ocean Spring’s recovery by signing up for the November trip. An individual’s direct cost to participate is still $250 and we continue to rely on donated funds to cover the rest of a trip’s cost. By God’s grace and with your support, the donations will continue to cover our costs for as long as there is work that needs done.
Flood and tornado recovery, Clerendon Arkansas
A work team will be sent to Clarendon on Saturday, June 7 and retrun June 15, 2008. We will stay overnight in Knoxville TN at a Best Western, then continue to Arkansas. We will stay at the Brinkley National Guard Armory, sleeping on cots. Bring air mattresses and sleeping bags. There are dining facilities and hot water showers at the Armory. In Clarendon, we will do muck out work, removing water damaged furnishings, flooring, and wall board. We are traveling on a chartered bus. So far, 26 have signed on. There is room for 6 more. We return on Sat., June 14, staying in Knoxville, and arriving back on Harrisburg around 4-5 PM on June 15. Cost is $250 per person.
Office Hours
Because LAH is entirely staffed by volunteers, a person is not always present at the office. Ususally, either Bill or George are in the office from 9 to 10:30 daily and that is the best time to reach a 'live' person. Messages left on the answering system are usually returned within 24 hours. We also attempt to respond to all emails immediately and will send trip receipts and other materials within 24 hours of receipt at the officeof applications and checks.
The office is open from 9 to 4 daily, Monday thru Friday and things may be picked up or dropped off by talking to Suzi, the presbytery's Administrative Assistant.
Policy on trip costs
1. For volunteers taking the bus, the cost will continue to be $250 per person.
2 a. For individuals or groups that elect to use their own vehicles or vans but wish to travel on the same dates as the bus and/or to ‘caravan’ with the bus, the cost is $150 per person for the cost of motels used at mid-points in the trip and for fees charged by the ‘tent city’ for utilities and meals.
2 b. For individuals or groups wishing to travel on dates other than the dates of the bus trip, we will provide you with the names and phone contacts at the motel and the ‘tent city’ but you will need to negotiate group rate discounts on your own at both the motel and the ‘tent city’. You can mention the LAH rates and ask for similar considerations.
3. For those volunteers traveling by personal vehicle or flying commercially to the disaster site but staying with us at the ‘tent city’, the cost is $75 per person for food and utilities at the tent city.