Epworth UMC New Orleans
Storm Relief Team
August 5-12, 2006
Lee Davison – Planner / Coordinator | Bob Town |
Plus…10 Epworth volunteers who transported team members to and from Detroit Metro Airport . We thank you! | |
UMCOR, Eastbank Disaster Recovery Station
(headquartered at) Kenner First United Methodist Church
Darrell Guillory, Operations Coordinator
1005 Moisant Street , Kenner , LA 70063
504-461-0425 (phone); 504-465-9150 (fax)
Our team felt that the UMCOR, with skeleton staff, is doing an amazing job of providing sustained assistance to thousands in need. UMCOR deserves our continued full support.
Team Accommodations at Kenner First United Methodist Church , Kenner , LA Maximum housing at this church = 80 Church is air conditioned. Small but adequate kitchen (need improved refrigeration); large eating room Chapel was available for our evening devotions Four showers in and outdoor wooden shed, built by the Mennonites in Sept. 2005 Canvas cots were available, however most of our team slept on air mattresses brought from home. Transportation Our 17-person team used 2 rental 7-passenger vans (12–passenger vans were “unavailable” by all car rental companies.) We also used one private 7-passenger van owned by a team member, Martha. That is, a total of three 7-passenger vans were used daily to transport team members---as well as tools & equipment. Assuring adequate Hydration Gatorade - Each team member was advised (by Dr. Pasch) to drink one bottle of Gatorade in the morning and one bottle after returning to the church in the late afternoon. Water: We took church provided coolers (24-50 bottle capacity) to the work sites filled with ice and water bottles – about 4-6 bottles per person, per day. Meals Church kitchen was available. However, with multiple work teams (50 people that week) it was not practical to prepare evening meals at the church. Some refrigerators did not work well, plus when we returned to the church in late afternoon---we were too exhausted to cook even a simple meal. We decided: Breakfast: At the church (cereal, juice, fruit, Gatorade, etc.) Lunch: Each team member prepared his/her own sandwich to take to work site. Dinner: Ate out at nearby low budget restaurants. An excellent fish dinner was prepared, delivered and served at the church by Eddie Scott---as a “thank-you.” Eddie inspired us at dinner with his conversation and personal mission to lift and inspire young people to a better life via education, support and encouragement. Work teams We established three work teams, based on self-reported skills: The skilled workteam “The Drywallers” (varied from 5 to 7 people) put up sheetrock. The “Determinators” used their talents to smash down walls, remove bathtubs, toilets, pull nails from ceilings & walls, haul debris in wheel barrows to the curb, clean up outdoor debris---and related tasks. The “Kenner Church Team” of two individuals provided much needed volunteer work at Kenner church. One person used their organizational talents at the PC to help perform a variety administrative work which had piled up. Another person completely organized store rooms and the tool room----a huge help to future teams as they search for supplies, tools and equipment. Tools, Equipment and Supplies All work tools (e.g., wheelbarrows, shovels, hammers, sledge hammers, crow bars, rakes, buckets, tarps, etc) provided by UMCOR. They had facemasks available, but the ones Dr. Pasch provided were better, so we used them. UMCOR also provided work gloves, water, breathable work suits with long sleeves and pants. Epworth purchased 3 walkie-talkies for the teams. Team members personally brought from Toledo : face masks (#95 protection level, provided by Dr. Pasch) work gloves first aid kits work boots - ankle covering goggles bug repellant sweat bands Assignments given to teams daily by UMCOR staff The “Drywallers” worked in the same house the entire week---rock sheeting. The “Determinators” worked as one group (2 vans) each day, but at three different homes during the week. The “Kenner Church Team” assisted the UMCOR staff in a myriad of ways.. Epworth Missions “Budget” Epworth’s budget for the team was $3,400 ($200 times 17 people). The budget provided a $700 donation to Kenner UMC to offset some church operational expenses (electric, water, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc.), local transportation expenses (van rental, van insurance, gas), groceries, ice, team T-shirts, and miscellaneous items needed by the teams, not supplied by UMCOR, such as saw blades, vice grips, etc. Actual expenses were $3,356, slightly under budget. However, use of Martha’s private van greatly helped our budget. Team members privately paid transportation to/from New Orleans , plus meals en route and several restaurant meals during the week. Some restaurants accepted only “cash” and not credit cards. Housecleaning Kenner church On Saturday morning the twelve remaining team members spent 3-4 hours cleaning the church. Kitchen refrigerators were scoured, toilets and bathrooms were cleaned top to bottom as well as the 4 outdoor showers. Floors were mopped, rooms and hallways swept, etc. Waste baskets and garbage cans were washed. The vast array of outdoor wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, tarps, buckets, etc. were sorted out and organized.
Building a relationship with First United Methodist Church , Kenner , LA.
Pastor Tracy MacKenzie met with our team on Friday and began to explore how we might build an ongoing relationship between First United Methodist Church and Epworth UMC. She talked about the importance of our using our talents to help rebuild the physical aspect of lives as well as “just listening” with compassion to local people as they tell their stories. We gave her a Jesus Doll.
Another Jesus Doll was given to a family where the “Drywallers” had been working. The family includes four foster children.
Thoughts for consideration:
- The team would like to encourage others at Epworth members to become part of a Work Relief Team.
- It would be helpful to bring Pastor Tracy MacKenzie to Epworth UMC, perhaps as a guest speaker to address the congregation.
