March 9, 2010

As DRS volunteers are busy rebuilding and repairing homes at the current reconstruction sites in Louisiana and Texas, preparations are being made in Cedar Rapids, IA and Munster, IN.

DRS is planning to reopen Cedar Rapids, IA, on March 27.  The first couple of teams will be 3-week teams and then 2-week teams will work through the summer.  The 3-week teams will start back up in September.  One of the exciting things happening in Cedar Rapids this year will be the Ecumenical Rebuild Project organized by Church World Service (CWS).  To some of you this maybe familiar, CWS organized an ecumenical project in New Orleans last year, in which DRS participated. There will be about 25 faith-based organizations participating in the Cedar Rapids project.  We will again be involved by providing both 1-week groups volunteers and DRS volunteers.

The new reconstruction site for this year will be in Munster, IN.  Northern Indiana experienced a tremendous amount of flooding in 2008.  DRS will be working closely with the LTRO, Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana (LARRI).  The Munster, IN, site will be opening May 1 with a 3-week team.  Then for the summer there will be 2-week teams until September when 3-week teams start up again.  

Since DRS will have 2 summer reconstruction sites, we will not be opening as many sites in the fall.  

If you have not already called Becky to schedule a time to volunteer this summer, give her a call at 1.800.848.5818.

Lake Charles, LA (2/20/10 – 3/13/10)
Disaster:  Hurricane Rita, Fall 2005
Project Managers:  Doug & Pat Guikema
On-Site Managers:  Tom & Grace Silvis
Construction Supervisor:  Martin Vander Meulen
Team:  Julian & Norma Baas, Phil & Peggy Howes, Harry & Shirley Batenburg, Andy & Rita Fluit, Hugo Staal, Dave Visscher, Marvin & Sharyl Wielard, LeRoy & Carolyn Koppendrayer, Tom & Jill Postema, Terry& Arla Reimink, Fred & Sandy Hoffman, John & Janie Bare, Dan & Barb De Vries

Galveston, TX (2/27/10 – 3/20/10)
Disaster:  Hurricane Ike, Fall 2008
Project Managers:  Rick & Bonnie Wiersma
On-Site Managers:  Harold & Marlyce Mulder
Construction Supervisors:  Rich Vanderveen
Team:  John Vanderveen, Len & Rynie Bakelaar, Ross & Rita Gibbons, Bernad & Gert Baker, Daryl & Maris Vander Kooi, Cal & Donna Hirdes, Side & Willie Kloosterman, Nelson & Phyllis Nibbelink, Mike & Karen Meyer, Ken & Sharon Zeinstra, Cliff & Angela Tuininga, Dennis & Triss Nanninga, Sylvan Addink, Sid & Jennie Byma

Munster, IN (OPENING 5/1/10)
Disaster:  Flooding
Regional Managers:  Ed & Helen Mulder
On-Site Managers:
Construction Supervisors:  
Team:  

Slidell, LA (2/27/10 – 3/20/10)
Disaster:  Hurricane Katrina, August 2005
Project Managers:  Tony & Jennie DeWeerd
On-Site Managers:  Pete & Jan Elgersma
Construction Supervisors:  Lawrence & Marie De Peuter
Team:  Lee & Arlene Veenstra, Daryl & Dorothy Baar, Peter & Ann Gootjes, John Hoftyzer, Bruce & Colleen Miller, Virgil & Esther Baker, Gary & Bev Van Noort, Rich & Sheryl DeMik, Carl Smits, Neal Van Drunen

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Volunteer Opportunities

Listed below are volunteer opportunities.  If you are able to volunteer please give Becky a call at 1-800-848-5818.

Kenner:  4/24 – 5/14

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Work Groups

If you are wondering where you can volunteer for a week (or less, or more) at any time during the year, DRS has many opportunities for individuals, groups or families. Click here for the Volunteer Groups brochure.

Before Spring gets here, dozens of adult groups will serve through the DRS Volunteer Groups program. You may recall that Chicago-area churches (led by Orland Park Christian Reformed Church) have built an entire house each of the last three years. This year, they feel called to do more. They will be in the New Orleans area starting four new houses, with plans to bring two of them to completion. Other multi-week groups from the Toronto area and from Western Michigan will also work in the area to finish as many houses as possible this winter.

You also might recall that DRS has provided encouragement and support to the Cambodian Christian Reformed Church in Salt Lake City. Their building burned down, but they now have plans and permits to begin work in January. Skilled tradesmen of various kinds are needed over the course of the project. Be in touch with Art Opperwall if you have an interest in helping.

THINK SPRING [break] – Our promotion entitled “Give ‘em a Spring Break” has been a huge hit! Over forty groups are signed up for service opportunities during Spring Break week. Is your group signed up? DRS works with many partner organizations in disaster areas and God has always provided the openings available to place more groups. If your group is interested in serving through DRS for Spring Break, please get in contact with us. This is a wonderful way for youth groups, college groups and family groups to experience memorable and meaningful Spring Break. Don’t  forget to check us out on Facebook. Under the groups section, look up “Give ‘Em a Spring Break with CRWRC – DRS” and join the group!

Opportunities:

 1. Northerly Locations – There are a number of northern location that are urgently looking for help

• Northwest Indiana – A 3 county area including Munster and Gary where severe flooding in September of 2008 left thousands of homes in need of both gutting and rebuilding. The area is about 2 ½ hours from Grand Rapids and less than one hour from Chicago. Free accommodations in volunteer housing, kitchen and showers available.
• Martinsville, IN – In need of rebuilding crews, in some cases to build new homes that were destroyed by floods. Accommodations provided an a means for meals and showers
• Cedar Rapids, IA – Cedar Rapids continues to rebuild from flood. As always with these projects we support, accommodations, meals and showers are available. Details vary by location.

2. Hurricane Katrina area (Mississippi/Louisiana): We are still working with partners in the Katrina area and they continue to ask for help from our volunteers. If you are thinking of serving in a warmer location this winter, spring, or summer, we would be happy to tell you about some options.

3. Hurricane Ike area (SE Texas): Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston and parts of Houston. We are partnering with some great organization there that are doing both clean up and rebuilding, and will be doing so for several years

4. Other areas-  We are always researching and looking in to new opportunities all around the United States. Contact us to see how we can help you to find a place to serve in other areas of the United States that you might be interested in.

Please be in touch with us. You can contact either Art Opperwall or Torey Kittlesonat 1 800 848 5818. We hope to hear from you, whether you have an interested in serving somewhere soon, or if you are thinking many months down the road.

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Announcements from our DRS "Family"

As you reach milestones or experience special events in your life let us know so they can be posted on the website. 

Jan Haveman retired from CRWRC after four and a half years of working for Disaster Response Services, which followed an extensive career alongside her husband, Lou, as CRWRC missionaries.  It has been great having Jan as part of our DRS team, and we will miss her.

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Program In-depth

Needs Assessment

The Needs Assessment program provides a snapshot of the needs in a community struck by disaster.  Working with the community’s Long Term Recovery Organization (LTRO), volunteers go out in a disaster affected area and will go door-to-door asking the homeowner if there are needs in recovering from the disaster.  DRS Volunteers complete a survey to record the needs and this survey is then entered into a computer program.  The LTRO has that information to aid the recovery efforts in their community.  At times a community is too widespread and Walk-In Centers are arranged and manned by DRS Volunteers.  Survivors of the disaster can then go to the Walk-In Center and complete the survey there. The survivor has the opportunity to tell the Volunteers their experiences during and after the disaster and what needs they have.

Needs Assessment Volunteers are a wonderful group of people that show God’s love and compassion to those affected by disasters.  

Comments from volunteers:

“This community had done a great job of helping themselves before we even came there.  It was interesting to see how they helped each other and grew closer together as a community because of the flood.  It was not unusual for a neighbor to ask us to help their neighbor across the street, even while they were sitting in a mess themselves.  It was wonderful to see this spirit of helping each other.  It was living out the Christian commitment of love one another."

“I experienced much empathy listening to everyone’s emotional stories.  I was reminded that God and only God is the One in control.”

“I had the opportunity to tell one woman about Jesus.”

“We had several experiences where people poured out their hearts to us.  We gave a listening ear which was sorely needed.  It feels so good to be able to help so many distressed people!”

“Clients commented that they appreciated having someone to listen to their problems.  This helped them on their way to recovery and to deal with their problems.  It was a rich spiritual experience being the hands and feet of Jesus in sharing and reaching out.”

“We are so blessed,” was the response when we called upon an elderly couple who survived the tornado.  As she saw the tornado coming she ran to get her 98 year old husband out of his electric life recliner chair. The power went out.  She could not get him up and move him to the inner hallway so she put pillows over his body and protected his head with her body, holding him in her arms.  As the wind ripped into their home a large branch came through the roof, rafters and ceiling of the room they were in, landing just a few feet away from them.  It was a close call with injury and death.  Their home had damage but was not destroyed entirely like the home across the street.

“We stopped at one FEMA trailer, and were told that we were the only people that had offered any hope to get out of the FEMA trailer in the last two years.”

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