Barb Wooler, director of Crisis Response for Encompass World Partners, and Sandy Bell are surveying the needs in North Carolina this week to see where Charis Fellowship congregations may assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Below is a report she sent to responders this morning. Also included are some photos.
Sandy and I had a great morning in Hampstead, NC with our partner, Renovation Church. I know I speak for both of us when I say that everything Kurt Miller told us about Renovation Church is true! Their service during this crisis – before, during and after – has merely been an extension of what they have been doing for 3 years when their church was started.
You will love Lenny Moore, the project coordinator in charge of this response (see photo below). He is the pastor of outreach at Renovation Church.
THE NEEDS ON THE GROUND
Now
- chainsaw – trees, limbs, etc.
- cleaning
- mudding out homes
- trauma mitigation/visiting elderly
- Rebuilding/repairing – roofs, other damage
- Hanging dry wall
- Trauma mitigation/visiting elderly people
Lenny said this is no longer a priority need. Note to self: food trucks are a big need in the first week of a disaster, but less after that.
This continues to be a challenge. There are hotels in the vicinity, of course, but they are at capacity. Kurt Miller is looking for a solution that would allow our teams to stay together, but if not, Renovation Church members are accepting people to stay in their homes. So one way or another, lodging will be taken care of and will be free.COST: $0, just the cost to get yourself down here. You may also have to pay for some of your meals. As a safety you could bring $100, but it’s possible you’ll take most of it back home with you.FIRST TEAMS
Sandy is working with Western Reserve (Macedonia, OH) to get our first team on the ground Oct. 8-15. Lenny said ideally they could use 50 volunteers a day. The locals have been working hard, but they are exhausted and need to get back to work now that most roads are open now.
TWO IMPORTANT LINKS
Here are two important links that will help us prepare for your team’s arrival and ministry with Renovation Church:
- Use this link to inform Charis Fellowship/Encompass Crisis Response even if your details are still sketchy:
encompasscrisisresponse.org/charis-crisis-response-team-info/ - When you team/dates are a sure thing, inform Renovation Church at this link: renohampstead.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/182/responses/new
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- Volunteers met at the church office with Lenny.
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- Seronica was visiting a church in Tampa when she learned they were sending a team to Hampstead. She signed up!
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- Today’s project is a house that had about three feet of water in it.
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- Hallway gutted.
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- Kitchen
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- Lenny, on right, with Barb Wooler and Sandy Bell.
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- Pastor of Renovation Church, a three-year-old congregation with an average weekly attendance of about 1,200 people.
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- Of 150 homes in the Cross Creek area, more than 60b had some sort of major damage. (See waterline.)
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- End of the road… for now.
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- We found several agencies and churches that are providing free food and assistance.
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- The two guys on the left provide instructions to team leaders.
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- Until two days ago, a boat was the only way to get around this neighborhood.
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- Lakes where lakes don’t below.
