Serving Others

Mission Trip Opportunity – Iowa Flood Relief

There is a continued need for volunteers in Iowa’s Cedar River valley.  The valley experienced devistating floods in the summer of 2008 damaging many houses and businesses and displacing many families from their homes.  Cedar Valley is less than 4 hours from Pewaukee.  The Presbytery of North Central Iowa has been coordinating a disaster assistance effort in the region.  This is an opportunity for Zion to reach out to our neighbors in Iowa and help with the restoration effort.  Because this is a smaller “disaster” arrangements for volunteers are not as well developed as in the Gulf Coast, but there is certainly plenty of work to be done to help families again have a home. 

A mission effort to this area would be less of a mission trip and more of a mission adventure, because of the number of unknowns.  However, this is what I have learned about the mission opportunity.

1. We would coordinate our efforts through the Disaster Assistance Coordinator, Kaylene Hoskins, at the Presbytery of North Centeral Iowa.
2. We can plan our trip for any time we are available.  There is plenty of work.  We can commit to any number of days and the can include weekdays or weekends.
3. We would not really know the kind of work or the exact location of our work until, perhaps, just days before our arrival in Iowa.
4. Sleeping accomodations would be of the “sleeping bag variety” and in the fellowship area of a cooperating local church.
5. We would be on our own for meals but would likely have access to a church kitchen to make breakfast and prepare lunches.  We would likely be able to shower at a local school.
6. We would be encouraged to bring our own tools.
7. The exact type of work we would be doing would depend upon the need at the time.  At the time of my call, at one home volunteers had just completed raising the exterior wall of a new home and volunteers this coming weekend would be helping with roofing and building interior walls.  The volunteer coordinator indicated that there was work that could match our skills.
8. We could be working anywhere in the North Central Iowa area.
9. At one of the homes requiring work, the owner, who works second shift, is there during the day to work with volunteers.
10. Other families have homes that will be requiring cleanup, insulation, drywall, painting, plumbing, electrical work, and more.

As of September 23rd more than 8 people at Zion have expressed interest in the mission effort.  We’re targeting either or both of the following time frames for the trip.
a.  October 17-19
b.  October 31-November 2

We are doing a phone calling effort to be sure we given any member or friend that is interested in participating an opportunity to do so.  Once we’ve settled on a timeframe and number of participants there is a little paperwork that needs to be handled.  Each participant will need to fill out:
a.  Liability Release Form (feel free to print this, fill it out and get it to Dave Stevens)
b.  Registration Form (feel free to print this, fill it out and get it to Dave Stevens)

And our team will need to complete a skills assessment form once all volunteers have been identified.

Let the conversation begin.