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January
31, 2009
Informational Meeting notes
Greetings,
Thanks to all of you for attending the 31 Jan Iowa Flood
Relief informational meeting. We had nine churches
represented. A special thanks goes to Father Genereux
(the Iowa flood relief coordinator in Iowa), Kathy
Kirkland (the team lead for the Pohick Group who went to
Iowa in 2008), and Michael Dow (the manager of the
Springfield Home Depot).
Father
Genereux presented the situation on the ground in Iowa
and laid out the steps we need to take for getting the
planning process started. He recommended we get with
Lisa Butler, the initial contact coordinator in
Iowa, soonest to schedule our mission trips so as to
reserve a place to stay. Otherwise, you may have to
stay in a local hotel which will drive up your costs.
Lisa is also an excellent place to start as she will
provide you with all the other requirements (i.e.
tetanus shots) you will need to meet before going to
Iowa. The one exception is the Shady Rest Motel
project. If you chose to work that project, you need to
work direct with Father Genereux.
Kathy
Kirkland provided invaluable advice on travel, necessary
tools, health safeguards, team composition, and tips for
dealing with homeowners.
We were
extremely fortunate that Mike Dow attended the meeting.
Father Genereux stated the skills needed were: framing,
dry wall installation,
taping, mudding, prepping the drywall, priming and
painting. Mike said he would put together a class that
would start with framing and progress through all the
skills necessary through painting. He also committed
the Ashland Home Depot to teaching the same skills to
the St James the Less people in Ashland.
We
currently have three groups going to Iowa this summer.
Aleta Meyer, (St
James the Less,
Ashland) is leading a mixed group of 20 - 30 youth and
adults to Iowa for a
4 - 9 Jul trip. John and Karen Wires are putting together a group
from Grace Episcopal in
Alexandria
to come to Cedar Falls. Right now they are estimating
6-8 adults coming May, 9-16 or
May 16-23.
Olivet is also putting a group together of 6-8 adults
arriving on the
21st of June
and leaving on the
27th of June.
I
suspect several others of you are also in the planning
stages for a trip to Iowa. While we do not need to be
involved in your planning process, we need to know who
is going to Iowa and when you plan to go. Remember to
get with Lisa Butler soonest to ensure they have a place
for your group to stay and to get started on all the
forms and requirements (i.e. tetanus shots) you need to
accomplish before you depart. Remember, if we can be of
any help in facilitating your trip, let us know. Also,
thanks to Mike Dow, we have the opportunity to get
trained on the skills we'll need. I only ask that we
coordinate your training requirements/dates so as not to
overburden
Home Depot by asking for training on too many different dates.
Again….thanks!
God's Grace to all,
Dan Wilmoth |
