The Giving Circle - In NY

http://www.thegivingcircle.org/


9/23/08 - I'll not delete their information from my blog, but I am also no longer advocating working with them. They have gone back on their word to assist families at least twice - with this last retraction occuring with 3 separate families. These two incidents have occured in the last year alone, so am unsure how many others there may be.

City Action Partnership

3/1 - This post will be removed in by April 1 (no joke). Please reset your bookmarks to the following link instead:
http://katrinanetworking.blogspot.com/2006/11/city-action-partnership.html

Ooo - been awhile. 3/1 Update on their webpage! http://www.capisdowntown.com/march2007.html
11/20
HOLIDAY COLLECTION CAMPAIGN: We will be collecting food (canned meat, veggies and fruit, and grains) to send to the Angie Free Clinic in LA for the holidays. (see below for more info). These boxes will go to the elderly.
We will also be collecting Children's & Teen's underwear for Metairie, LA and to support our CAP officer, Bobby Jernigan, who is in Africa. Bobby's unit has adopted a children's orphanage and asked if we could help. LET'S SHOW HIM WE ARE BEHIND HIM!
9 pallets were sent down to Waveland via the "Ghost". 3-1/2 pallets of pet food collected by Ashley Robbins (yeah Ashley!!), 2 pallets of Tupperware containers, 1 pallet of baby formula, 1-1/2 pallets of new flip flops, 1 stove and fan donated by Linda and Roger James. SPRINGER EQUIPMENT really came to our rescue with very short notice and provided a forklift (see picture below). They are this month's heroes!
Five boxes of test strips were shipped out to Common Ground, NOLA; St. Andrews Family Community Center, McComb, MS; Excelth Family Health Center, NOLA; and Algiers Health Clinic, NOLA.
BAYER CO. shipped supplies for another 500 diabetic kits and volunteers from HandsOnBirmingham and Americorps Corps put together half of the them and the AWARE Club of Vestavia High School came and finished the job! Thank yall so much!
Dr. Webster from Mobile picked up 99 kits for the Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy in Mobile. We are working on transport for the rest (10 clinics have requested kits at this time). Thanks Doc!
Becky picked up 3 car loads of baby formula from the Post Office and has them pretty much ready to ship. UAB delievered another van full of supplies. Go UAB!!! Thanks so much.
Big thanks to John for cleaning up the warehouse.
Jefferson Community Clinic asked for help and I am happy to report a bevy of activity from the urgent call email sent out on their behalf. Here's what happened.
* Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy didn't have requested meds, but is inventorying what they have that they can share. Preliminary list was put out in an email sent to all registered users of the Relief Database.
*MS Univ. Medical Center offered Albuterol and some other meds.
*HANDS offered to pick up the meds and ship them directly to Jefferson Clinic. HANDS also delivered meds to several other clinics from what they picked up from MS Univ. Med. Center.
*Direct Relief International contacted us to offer beta blockers. This was a new contact for us. Guess that means their grapevine is working pretty good. :-)
*The good folks at Loudoun Group in Virginia are sending 4 boxes of supplies too!
Direct Relief notified us of a clinic they were unable to help as they did not yet have their 501c3 status. This little community clinic is really struggling to keep open. We have been putting together some supplies we got from UAB for them, got them on the database and best of all, were able to direct the remaining supplies at the Pass Christian Clinic (which closed last month) to them. This little community is about 30 miles south of Tylertown, MS and hasn't gotten much help. This is where the food boxes will go for the holidays.
11/3 Med Relief Update
Dear Friends and Volunteers:

We just got in a load of diabetic supplies and need help making the kits. Please give us a call if you would like to come down to the warehouse for an hour or two. We are happy to work with groups of kids as well (as long as you provide some help with supervision). :-)

Check out the October UPDATE (with pictures) if you haven't already at http://www.capisdowntown.com/updates.html

Here's a little update of what went on with the clinics in the gulf after a recent call for some help with beta blockers (heart meds) and inhalers:

I am happy to report a bevy of activity from the urgent call email sent out on behalf of Jefferson Community Healthcare Clinic. Here's what happened.
* Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy didn't have requested meds, but is inventorying what they have that they can share. Preliminary list was put out in an email sent to all registered users of the Relief Database. If you did not get that email, please get in touch with me so I can walk you through getting registered and get the info to you. You can register without even having a facility record.
*MS Univ. Medical Center offered Albuterol and some other meds (list was included in above referenced email).
*HANDS offered to pick up the meds and ship them directly to Jefferson Clinic.
*Direct Relief International contacted us to offer beta blockers. This was a new contact for us. Guess that means their grapevine is working pretty good. :-)
*The good folks at Loudoun Group in Virginia are sending 4 boxes of supplies too!

Thank you for your support!
Laura
10/24 Exerpts from the Update on their website
My sincerest thanks to you all!! In addition to being able to send out four packages, Janet Raines and I (both FOOTMAD dancers) made a trip to Waveland and New Orleans. Here is what we did.
Waveland, MS—Kathleen Johnson hosted a workshop and I presented my first power point presentation on how to use the Citizen Action Team (CAT) Relief Database to about 6 guinea pigs. Representatives from clinics, Salvation Army, and churches were present and appreciative! We spent the night at a church volunteer camp.
BTW- the van broke down about 20 minutes outside of Waveland. Janet stayed with the van to wait for AAA (what a great travel partner she turned out to be!) and I got a ride from a nice man who went way out of his way to drop me off at city hall in Waveland. The next day, Betty who works at City Hall woke her son and asked for the keys to his Yukon so we could continue on to NOLA as planned. “You’re giving my car to complete strangers --to go to New Orleans-- overnight!” he exclaimed. Her reply, “they aren’t strangers, they’re volunteers” and off we went.
We spent another night in Waveland and basically killed time waiting for the van to be fixed at Wavefest. Oh yeah, I borrowed another vehicle to take a volunteer to the airport in Gulfport and ran out of gas on I-10 (my bad- I was told to get gas, but forgot). No worries, it was a truck and had a gas can in the back with enough to get me to the next exit.
Kits (24) were left in Waveland for St. Andrews Mission Clinic in McComb, MS to pick up and 2 small boxes of med. Supplies and (18) kits were left for Volunteers of America clinic in Gulfport.
The van’s transmission died the day after we got back from our trip. We will try to sell it to get back the money we put into it in Waveland. It was a wonderful tool for us-- hauling stuff to and from the warehouse and made several trips to the coast with supplies.
Thank you again, Frank Waddell of Charleston, SC, for this kind donation!

10/17
From Kathleen Johnson
There were 9 pallets delivered via the ghost to Waveland from CAPS in Birmingham. I had them unloaded at Home Depot as I could not find another forklift in town at that hour. What a shame that I had to browse the tool section prior to the semi arriving. *G* Dog food, cat food (probably intended for Suzie Polard), new flip flops, light fixtures, glassware, and I am totally unsure of what is in the rest. But it is packed and wrapped securely on pallets.I need to get it picked up tomorrow - I told them 9.30am or so when I get out of the radio station. I will get it loaded onto the blue trailer and up to you sometime tomorrow.
Just another wild day in Hancock County *G

Introduction
When Hurricane Katrina hit the coast, CAP (City Action Partnership) mobilized to coordinate donations for evacuees at the Civic Center. With the tremendous outpouring from the Birmingham community, CAP began coordinating shipments to the coastal areas. We continue to be a link between the Birmingham Community and the coastal relief effort and have become part of the nationwide grassroots relief effort.

Needs
Thanks to the generous donations and volunteers in our community, we've been able to make a difference to many people who have lost so much. However, trips to the coastal areas have shown us that because of the enormity of the affected area, progress has been very slow along the coast. At this time, we will take any kind of household item as long as it is in good shape and working order so keep us in mind when you redo something in your house. For instance, we recently shipped to Waveland three used toilets! Windows and doors seem to be big on the wish lists as well.

We are collecting to ship:
Bandaids
Chapstick
Rolaids or Tums (please buy the rolls)
Sun Screen
Bug SprayAnti-biotic ointment
Bottled water (see May Update)
Cat and Dog food
Pet Flea Control Products
Ocean Spray Saline Nose Spray (Urgent request from Vol. of America Free Clinic)
Spanish/English Dictionary (Urgent request from Vol. of America Free Clinic)

What’s needed at the CAP Warehouse:
Hand Truck
Large rolls of packing tape
Bottled water for workers
Money for shipping and gas
Tax deductible contributions can be made to:
ONB/Katrina
c/o City Action Partnership
1801Third Ave.
N.Birmingham, AL 35203

Tax deductible contributions can be made to:
ONB/Katrina
c/o City Action Partnership
1801Third Ave.
N.Birmingham, AL 35203

If you want to volunteer
Call Laura 205-288-1317

We are looking for:
Volunteers to put diabetic test supplies into kits for shipping.
Volunteers who are heading to the Gulf (even if you only have room for 1 box) and can take supplies down.
Volunteers with computer internet access and unlimited long distance who can help keep in contact with Medical Clinics we are serving on the coast.
Volunteers who would like to head up a project.
Volunteer Doctors and Nurses: We are compiling a list of doctors and nurse practitioners who might be available to work in a clinic in a disaster area on very short notice. I can guarantee you that this is a most rewarding experience. Please email capbham@aol.com if you would like to be on this list.
We are in touch with MANY organizations and people working in disaster relief. If you would like to volunteer on the Gulf please feel free to contact us.
We are most grateful to the many volunteers who have helped us accomplish so much! Please visit our “Community Support” page.
A special thanks to Becky Davis (aka “Grandma”) and her friends for keeping the warehouse going all this time!

CAP Hurricane Relief Update - September 3, 2006

Wow, things are really zooming along here. Andre Natta from Main Street Birmingham did something really unique. He threw himself a birthday party and asked his guests to donate to CAP's hurricane relief effort. He looked on our web site http://www.capisdowntown.com/ and gave his guests a list of items we were asking for. It was a very successful and fun party! We got only items we asked for AND $200.00!!! Imagine how excited we were! Most of this will be spent responding to urgent pleas for medical supplies.
I'd like to raise the bar here. What if everyone who has a birthday in Sept. did the same thing? Maybe we could get a radio (would like someone to suggest a station) to announce those participating. Here's why. Remember long-term volunteer Kathleen Johnson? We sent her a laptop computer, an air conditioner and 3 toilets and a lawnmower for the city. She has helped over 500 people get back into their homes and now she has access to a warehouse! Free Haul in Arizona can get us a load of culled lumber (approx. $40,000 worth of wood) for shipping costs--approximately $2400 last time I checked. Kathleen has salvaged everything she possibly can to come up with lumber to help the very poor and elderly in Waveland and I'd sure like to send her a load of wood. I also think if we can pull this off, other community's will do it to and we can finally start moving the loads of lumber that have been just waiting for shipping around the country.
HOW ABOUT IT BIRMINGHAM?! Let me hear from you!

You can see Kathleen on a piece that Channel 12 in Montgomery did on the link below. In case the time on the link has run out, I have included the article from the story at the bottom of this email.
http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?s=5342187

Other news: We get to take something off of our list!! Jeff, a member of Mt. Top Community Church has donated a cell phone and monthly plan to Becky, our volunteer warehouse manager. Thanks Jeff!!
Dr. Wally Retan brought in some sample meds in response to an urgent call from the free clinic in D'Iberville. Way to go doc!
Mike McCormick brought over 1500 flip flops from his mission group and the our friend Leslie with Citizen Action Team Database is finding out where to send them. Becky and Birmingham 's homeless have been boxing them up for us.:-)
Last Thursday's Birmingham Weekly had a great article on us (page 21).
If you haven't explored our new web site, ya gotta see it. http://www.capisdowntown.com/. It's loaded with information on Hurricane Relief activities and CAP services (including the Hand to Hand Resource Guide for the Homeless). Jimsey with Magic City Moments really did a great job.
Thanks for all of your support!
Laura

Laura Katz Parenteau
Admin. Assist./Disaster Relief Coord.
City Action Partnership (CAP)
1801 Third Ave. North Birmingham, AL 35203
205-251-0111 office
Email: capbham@aol.com
www.capisdowntown.com

Wayland To Waveland

www.WaylandToWaveland.org
Wayland to Waveland Hurricane Relief Fund
c/o Town of Wayland
41 Cochituate Road
Wayland, MA 01778

3/13 The Wayland to Waveland (W2W) Hurricane Katrina Relief group is rallying for a special work effort April 1-7 to significantly advance the work on Ms. Melanie Keretas’ house that was started in the group’s October Wave of Relief.
Anyone interested should contact Cindy Lombardo. We have been staying at a new hotel in Bay St. Louis, the Hollywood Magic Casino Resort. The room rate is $59 during the week. We are working for a group rate that week. Watch this page for more details.

Click here for the LATEST PHOTOS of Ms. Hazel's House...

Move-In Showerfor Ms. Hazel!
We have registered Miss Hazel at Bed, Bath & Beyond for household items that she will need as she moves into her newly renovated home, the contents of which were lost in Katrina. People can participate in the “Move-In Shower” either on-line or at any Bed, Bath & Beyond store by referencing Hazel Tracey (with an E) at the Gift Registry.
Anyone shopping on-line at http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/ can access Miss Hazel’s gift registry by name (Hazel Tracey with an E) or by her registration #2766742. Coupons can be used for gift registry in-store purchases under the conditions specified. Please be sure to note any restrictions when planning your purchase.

2/14
February 12 – Starting this week, the Wayland to Waveland (W2W) Hurricane Katrina Relief group is partnering with a group of 6-8 volunteers (carpenters, electricians, etc.) from Jamaica Plain to finish the three home-building projects in Waveland, MS started in the October Wave of Relief.
Some significant work has been done since local builder and Wayland resident Peter Bachman led more than 25 other Wayland residents in building one home from the ground up, and repairing two others. But there is still much to be done before hanging the “Mission Accomplished” banner!
One goal of this new two-week effort (Feb. 10-25) is to complete the finish work on 89-year-old Miss Hazel Tracey's house to the point where she can move back in and out of the tiny FEMA trailer parked outside where she has lived for more than 16 months.
Among other things, this effort will include installing a new bathroom and kitchen, trimming all windows and doors, and more. The W2W leaders hope to be shopping for linens and such for a house-warming.
The Jamaica Plain group has been working with W2W to prepare for their visit, learning in detail what needs to be done. Some members of the W2W steering committee will work with them in Waveland, making introductions to key local contacts and working on site. The W2W representatives also will start the process of identifying future projects.
The workers also will continue work on Ms. Melanie Keratas’ house across the street from Ms. Hazel. This was the house rebuilt from the ground up. Windows and siding have been installed on Ms. Melanie’s since the Wayland team’s visit, and now it’s time for insulation and interior wall board, among other things.
The group visiting this month also plans to build the deck and front staircase on Scott Blackwell’s house. This house was salvaged from the storm damage. The Wayland group had installed windows and doors, and did some electrical and plumbing work. Remaining is to complete an exterior deck and finish interior wallboarding.
The W2W committee members (Tom Fay, Pam Lesser, Cindy Lombardo, Kathie Steinberg, and Lonnie Swarz) will be pre-planning for the group’s next building projects set for October 2007. W2W is in talks with several local builders and contractors to spearhead our next effort. Other local groups have expressed interest in partnering with W2W on future projects. These partner groups are eager to work with us on projects of substance on which they can see the effort through to success. Many projects in the Gulf Coast towns are “blind” in that workers never really see the owners or see the ultimate outcome of their work. In the W2W projects, there is a direct interaction with the owners, the work is productive, and the end product is both clear and satisfying.
W2W has talked with groups locally, including one from Concord, MA, as well as with groups in Illinois, California and Washington. All are committed to helping rebuild the Gulf Coast area hit so hard by the hurricane.

10/5
A group of 18 Wayland, MA HS students, and 9 adults are headed to Waveland this weekend (10/6) to do some repair and rebuilding work. A second wave of about 30 adults will be headed to Waveland from Wayland, MA on 10/13 to build a home and repair to others.

ACCOMMODATIONS IN WAVELAND:
Hotel cost: approximately $60 per night per person in a shared room.

MEALS:
-breakfast: likely provided by hotel
-lunch: likely provided by volunteers or caterer
-dinner: likely purchased at local restaurant or caterer
-cost for meals: approximately $18.00 per day per person

WORK TO BE DONE IN WAVELAND:
Three primary projects are set for Waveland. First, Wayland builder Peter Bachman and his crew will lead the charge in building a new home for Waveland resident Ms. Melanie Keretas. Her next door neighbor Ms. Hazel Tracey will receive a new roof and windows thanks to Peter and Wayland volunteers. Third, Waveland resident Scott Blackwell will also receive newly installed windows. If there is time, volunteers will also perform small repairs and clean up some properties. No particular skills are required, just a willingness to help residents of Wayland’s sister community.

MAXIMUM NUMBER OR ADULT SLOTS AVAILABLE: no maximum Electricians Welcome!

ITEMS NEEDED TO BE BROUGHT BY ADULTS: light clothes, given warm temperatures

Caring Mission

Despite being Ground Zero for Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, Waveland, Mississippi will recover and rebuild, and residents of Wayland, Massachusetts will help this small and beautiful community in its efforts. Our commitment and affirmation to Waveland reinforces that they will not be forgotten and we will support them for the long haul.

Established in 2005, Wayland to Waveland (W2W) is a public/private partnership aimed at providing short- and long-term support to the residents of Waveland, Mississippi who sustained major losses from Hurricane Katrina. This support will be in the form of developing personal relationships, assisting in the rebuilding effort, and leveraging the many skills and resources that Wayland residents can offer our sister community.

Fundraising

Donations are fully tax deductible
All donations go through the Town of Wayland and are earmarked excluively for helping Waveland, MS and its residents.
Wayland to Waveland Hurricane Relief Fundc/o Town of Wayland
41 Cochituate Road
Wayland, MA 01778

How Else Can You Help?

SENIORS: agree to befriend a fellow senior citizen in Waveland to make a phone call to say hello now and then, drop an occasional note to that Waveland senior, and generally let that fellow senior know that someone is thinking about them. Call one of the committee members listed below to obtain the name of a needy Waveland senior.
FAMILIES: agree to support a Waveland family in whatever way you can. Maybe your effort will only be a phone call or a card now and then. Maybe you could provide more substantial help if you able and interested. You may wish to fund some small expenses to help that family recover from Katrina’s devastation. Call one of the committee members listed below to obtain the name of a needy Waveland family.
INDIVIDUALS: agree to support, in whatever small or large way you can, another individual struggling to survive and face the challenge of rebuilding their life changed by Hurricane Katrina. It may be that you make a phone call now and then, or drop a card in the mail, letting that person know you are thinking of them. Or, you may wish to help them out financially. Do whatever you wish to do. Call one of the committee members listed below to obtain the name of a needy Waveland individual.

Tom Fay 617-312-7573 tom.fay@waylandtowaveland.org

Pam Lesser 508-358-8044 pam.lesser@waylandtowaveland.org

Cindy Lombardo 508-358-5958 cindy.lombardo@waylandtowaveland.org

Kathie Steinberg 508-358-9553 kathie.steinberg@waylandtowaveland.org

Boys and Girls Club

www.bgcgulfcoast.org

Shipping Address
Lundays Unit/Beauvoir Unit
2003 Lawrence Ave.(Beauvoir Elementary)
Biloxi, MS 39531
Phone: (228) 348-3205 Fax: (228) 435-5424
email: Lundays@bgcgulfcoast.org

Hancock County's B&G's Club
1101 St. Joseph St. (Waveland Elementary)
Waveland, MS 39576
Phone: (228) 323-8679 Fax: (228) 463-9662
email: HancockCounty@bgcgulfcoast.org

WISH LIST

Printer Ink
Construction Paper
Washable Markers
Scissors
Crayons
Drawing Paper
Tempera Paint
Watercolors
Pastels
Charcoal
Paint brushes
Colored Pencils
Sponges and Glitter and Stencils
DVD movies with kid-friendly ratings
Board Games like Checkers, Chess and Connect Four
Plates, Cups and Napkins for snacks, parties and more
Balls to play with on the playground in Spring

A POSITIVE Idea!

What do you do with all the “stuff” you accumulate when you travel on business or to conferences? You know, all that free stuff you can’t help but pick up at the trade shows or when staying in a hotel. How many chip clips or mini sewing kits do you really need? How many unopened bottles of hotel shampoo or lotion can you store in your bathroom? Well, now there is a reason to collect this stuff: donate it to us! That’s right – we use those little giveaway items as incentives for the kids at the Clubs and they love it! We also use the hotel shampoos, lotions, etc., for stuffers for the KidsDay Health Fair or just to hand out when necessary.
So save up those items and give us a call. We’ll take them off your hands and put them to good use, POSITIVELY!

Bucks Mont Katrina Project - PA

www.BucksMontKatrinaProject.org

You may send a check payable to
The Salvation Army to:
Bucks-Mont Katrina Relief Fund
PO Box 1542
Doylestown, PA 18901

3/12 http://208.62.60.4/40/article_1027.shtml
excerpt
When attorney Maureen Gatto, now volunteer project coordinator for Bucks Mont Katrina Relief, left her home in Pennsylvania last August for a two year stint in Hancock County, she knew the work here would be totally absorbing. So she asked a few little things of her family."I told my husband please don't let the house foreclose, my sons to put off any grandchildren, and my mother to stay healthy," Gatto laughed. "My practice of course couldn't wait two years, so someone is handling that."Gatto is just one of hundreds of volunteers from the Pennsylvania counties of Bucks and Montgomery who just can't seem to do enough to help Hancock County get back on its feet. The two counties are bordered by the city of Philadelphia in Southeastern Pennsylvania.The group sponsors around 15 programs in the county, some ongoing, some just getting started, and others nearing completion. On Tuesday the group will co-host an all day bash of groundbreakings, ribbon cuttings and opening celebrations for projects organized by the group from the ground up.

2/14/07

Child care center dedication scheduled for March 13, 2007

The Hancock County Child Development Center building dedication is now scheduled for Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 11 a.m. in Bay St. Louis, Miss. If the dedication ceremony is anything like the ground-breaking event held in April 2006, be prepared for an emotional and joyous occastion. The child development center is a gift from the Bucks Mont Katrina Relief Project to Hancock County, Miss., and will accommodate 124 children. The March 13 ceremony will include a ribbon joining (no ribbon-cutting -- we're joining our efforts with the gracious people of Hancock County), music, reception, tours and treats.

1/14

Welcome to the Bucks Mont Katrina Relief ProjectThe Salvation Army of Greater Philadelphia is a key partner in the Bucks Mont Katrina Relief Project, providing guidance and non-profit status to our fundraising efforts.

Learn more: www.877redkettle.org

In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, Calvary Church, Souderton, PA, has made a two-year commitment to aid relief efforts in the Gulf Coast:

www.calvarykatrinarelief.org

Katrina Logistics

NARI Trip, February 07 -- Residential -- Start Date: 2/11/2007

Based out of: Doylestown, PA Contact: Laurie Baker

Description: Skilled, "lightly skilled," and non skilled volunteers will be doing finishing work on several residential homes. For further information, please contact Marnie McAleer, at 215-654-0364, or marni.mcaleer@harthbuilders.com

Child care center dedication scheduled for March 13, 2007

The Hancock County Child Development Center building dedication is now scheduled for Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 11 a.m. in Bay St. Louis, Miss.

If the dedication ceremony is anything like the ground-breaking event held in April 2006, be prepared for an emotional and joyous occastion.The child development center is a gift from the Bucks Mont Katrina Relief Project to Hancock County, Miss., and will accommodate 124 children.

The March 13 ceremony will include a ribbon joining (no ribbon-cutting -- we're joining our efforts with the gracious people of Hancock County), music, reception, tours and treats.

The group's cornerstone project is a new 10,000-square-foot day-care center, the first public building constructed in Hancock County post-Katrina, which will be dedicated on March 13. Much of the $1.25 million cost of the day-care center is been offset by donated labor, materials and supplies from Bucks and Montgomery County residents and businesses.

The group is also helping to build a 5,266-square-foot animal rescue facility to serve an estimated 60 cats and 20 dogs, who like their human counterparts, were also made homeless by Katrina.

Organizers have started a program dubbed Adopt-a-Family, which for $20,000 and volunteer labor, is rebuilding 900-square-foot homes and furnishing them. So far eight houses have been completed and over the next two years organizers are hoping to build 30 to 35 homes, but need to raise $600,000 to $700,000 to do it.

12/3/06

Salvation Army honors Bucks Mont Katrina Relief Project with "Others Award"

Commissioner Israel L. Gaither, the national commander of The Salvation Army USA, was the featured speaker at The Salvation Army Greater Philadelphia Annual Luncheon. Making his first trip to Philadelphia, Commissioner Gaither inspired and challenged the more than 400 guests gathered in the Grand Ballroom of the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue.

During the presentation of the Others Award to the leaders of the Bucks-Mont Katrina Relief Project, the recipients were astonished when two officials from Hancock County, Mississippi - the community adopted by the project - walked onto the platform and participated in the presentation.

Emceed by WPVI-TV anchor Tamala Edwards, the luncheon also featured the presentation of the inaugural Doing the Most Good Community Leadership Awards to Erik Kolar and Michael O'Neill. After Captain Margaret Davis opened the event with a rousing vocal rendition of O Beautiful, Rev. Marguerite E, Handy gave the invocation. The benediction was pronounced by the Rev. W. Matthew Reed, from the Calvary Church of Souderton.

12/3 Adopt a Family Project

As residents of Bucks and Montgomery Counties, we're involved in several relief projects at once. See below.

Adopt a Family Restoring Families. Rebuilding our Neighbors’ Homes. BMKRP in conjunction with City Team Ministries and National Association of Remodeling Industry (NARI) has identified families in Hancock County who have fallen through the cracks and are receiving little or no help from government programs or from their insurance providers. Their homes are uninhabitable.

And they need help! There is an organization of builders, contractors, and re-modelers in our community which is part of a national association known as NARI. They have volunteered to send groups down to Hancock County, Mississippi, to rebuild homes. Our field workers in Mississippi have identified those families most in need of assistance and are methodically verifying their situations.

For each identified family, approximately $20,000 is needed for supplies to rebuild their home. NARI will donate the professional labor. With family, funding, and NARI in place, our field workers complete a detailed assessment of the rebuilding project. Then they coordinate getting the necessary materials and supplies to the jobsite for the NARI team’s arrival.

Being able to make these purchases locally supports the local economy and creates jobs. Our field workers will provide living and eating arrangements for the NARI volunteers, so all they need to do is show up with tools in hand! With the project surveyed, the materials on site, and a team of professional builders, a family’s home can be rebuilt in just one week!

Here is how your Church can help.

1. Rebuild a family’s home by contributing all or a portion of the needed $20,000. This is a great opportunity to partner with local churches in your denomination or community.

2. Help restore the family by becoming the family’s support team:

· Pray for them

· Send a team to support the family and workers while building is in progress.

· Write letters of encouragement

· Get to know the family - send birthday cards e.g.

· Help them celebrate Christmas and other holidays

· Help them with all the “things” that need to go into a home after it’s rebuilt. · Identify their personal needs, i.e. baseball gloves, bikes, laptops, etc.

· Become their friends.

· Walk along side the family in their time of great need.

These are just a few of many possible ways to support our brothers and sisters on the Gulf Coast as they continue the struggle of rebuilding and restoring. Hurricane Katrina has taught us that we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.

Please help rebuild their homes and restore their families. Many hands can lift a heavy load. Together, we can lift up the community of Hancock County, MS. Please join us.

Contact info:

Rev. Wayne Lynch, Religious Organizations Task Force Committee Chair

wklynch5@verizon.net 267-987-4258

(C) Rev. Matt Reed, Religious Organizations Task Force Trip Coordinator

mreed@calvary-church.com 215-723-0963

(O) Mary Lee Reiff, Religious Organizations Task Force Secretary

mlreiff@aol.com 215-348-9293

(H) Rich Timmons, Adopt a Family Coordinator 215-340-9090 ext 111 (O) rt@timmonsandcompany.com

7/7 A THANK YOU

Connie,

Thanks SOOO much for everything!

Words can't express my utmost gratitude and appreciation for the trip and your help with our community. Through all of the heartache, we have been blessed to have met so many wonderful people that have truly touched our hearts.

As we drove home today along the beach I told my husband that it really is different when you are away from this area and you get back home to see the devastation again is just unbelievable.

It was so great to get away for a few days.

Thanks again for everything and please know that you ALL are welcome to stay with us anytime!

With much love,

Natalie

6/27

Day Care Center Wish List, June 2006 Dear friends: Here are items and services we will need to finish the job of building a new day care center for our friends in Hancock County:

Masons to join Thompson team Fulfilled Money for masonry materials $15,000
Carpenters to install doors, windows, folding partitions and accessories (Perea Team)
Plastic laminate counters for lay-in sinks $10,000
Metal building insulation (approximately 10,500 S.F. 6”) donated EIFS or stucco contractor for a small job $10,000
Caulking Contractor $2,500
Waterproofing contractor $3,500
Exterior Windows $35,000
Interior glazing $5,000
Painting contractors (we have the paint) $6,000
VCT about 8500 S.F. donated
Cove Base about 2600 linear feet donated
Bath accessories $2,000
Toilet partitions $2,500
Folding Partitions $20,000
Wall guards $5,000
Ground mounted flag pole $3,500
York HVAC equipment, 4 and 5 ton split systems $20,000
Electrical fixtures, etc. $30,000

7/2

Happy 4th to all of you!

I just returned from the airport and thought it best to capture the moment. Before I begin, I want to congratulate Collette McBratney for the outstanding interview she gave this morning on WXTU about the Bucks Mont Katrina Project. I set the clock so I would not miss it. It was superb!! Thanks Collette on behalf of all of us involved in the project and especially the education committee.

It has been a very special week. Natalie and Tuck Skinner and their two daughters Kamden age 4 and Keeley age 2 arrived from Bay St. Louis. Natalie teaches Dance and has a state championship team. In addition, Gina and Troy Pepperman and their 2 year old son, John David, arrived the same day. Gina teaches computers at the middle school.

So I don't forget to tell you Gina's 8th grade students worked on a special project. Pearson publishers gave them a seminar on how to write a book. The students then took pictures and wrote all about Katrina. Pearson is publishing it as a coffee table book and it is due out in August. It is the school's way of trying to raise funds to help them get back on their feet. I told them to let me know when it is ready and we will see that they sell. They will be on the market through bookstores also. I also have a video made by the children that might help us get a benefit started this Fall. They need school equipment!!!

The week was packed. They arrived the night of June 27. Christine Yardley and her husband hosted the Skinner family in their home and the Byers hosted the Pepperman family in their guest house. Carol Boyd, the educational partner to Gina Pepperman, took the family under her wing when the Byers had to leave to go out of town. The welcome extended to each family by the Yardley's, Byers, the Boyds and Shelley Rosen exceeds the definition of hospitality. (I was in 2 days of workshops in King of Prussia).

The next morning each family picked up their donated rental cars. The family of Anne Biggs, Katrina Relief Project member, paid for the car rentals ( approximately $250). Each family was then given $100 cash donated by Christine Yardley's parents ($200 total) to pay for their gas and tolls for the duration of their stay.

Immediately after they received their cars, Natalie and Gina went to David Witchell's Spa in Newtown for a "Day of Beauty." The day included manicures, pedicures, facials, hair styling, and massages. The package was $300 per person if purchased and David donated both of them for a total of $600.

While in Newtown, Guy Mitchell provided lunch at the Temperance House to Natalie and Gina as well as two hosts. at no cost. They almost missed it due to a communication mix-up, but all worked out in the end.

While the ladies were getting beautiful, Christine Yardley took the Dads and kids, along with her own children, to the Philadelphia Zoo. The Dads enjoyed it as much as the kids.

The evening of the 27th, Christine Yardley and Shelley Rosen babysat so the two couples could have a romantic dinner for two and a movie afterward. Both the dinner and theater tickets were donated in the Quakertown area.

On the 28th, both families headed to Hershey. They linked up with people from Pittsburgh who also helped them from Waynesboro College. The weather was good and so was their day.

On the 29th, they enjoyed a day at Sesame Place which included Dinner with the characters. I think it is debatable who enjoyed it more...parents or children :o) In addition to the special dinner, Elmo had a warm greeting for the children!

On the 30th, the day began with a visit to Byers Choice escorted by Carol Boyd. Bob and Joyce Byers wanted Gina and Natalie to have a special gift to take home to remember their stay in Bucks County. They were thrilled and very appreciative.

Then it was my turn. I gathered up the families and along with Christine Yardley we headed to Philly. The parents had 2 requests the historical area and Geno' s steaks. We saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall and Betsy Ross' house. We saw where Ben is buried but time escaped too quickly. We also checked out a Taste of Philly, while saving the biggest part of our appetites for South Philly. Tuck and Natalie saw a segment on the Food Channel and wanted to see Geno's for themselves. I assure you when we got there it was more than just "seeing." In fact the guys ate one from Geno's and one from Pat's to compare. To add to the ambience a bride and groom arrived and ate one right there on the sidewalk just like everyone else. Tuck purchased his Geno tee shirt to make the memories last longer.

We ended the day with a car tour of Philly showing them the Art Museum, Boat House Row, the theater area, the sports complex, the museum area, and South Street. We circled City Hall several times for pictures of Billy Penn. Christine Yardley and I were the drivers.

In addition to the people already mentioned I owe a very special thanks to some wonderful people who helped me make the week what it was.

Let me begin with Mark Schweiker, President of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and his secretary Chris, who helped me network with the Franklin Institute and Hershey Park.

I will also be writing a thank you note Dr. Windt, CEO of the Franklin Institute who not only provided 27 complimentary museum passes, but matched the same in complimentary IMAX tickets, flight simulator tickets, and sky ride tickets. They will be used for the group arriving on July 16 as well.

Next, I will be thanking Mr. S. J. Newkam, CEO of Hershey Park and Mr. Bill Simpson, Director of Entertainment for 27 complimentary passes to Hershey Park.

Another special thanks goes to Jennifer Walkenbach, Director of Human Resources at Sesame Place, who made arrangements for 14 complimentary admission tickets and 14 dinners with the characters.

The Philadelphia Zoo admissions were also complimentary.

We listened to many stories over the past few days of recovery. While recovery has begun, the emotional devastation is still apparent. While at Byers Choice, Natalie asked Carol to take her to the Employee Wall of Fame so she could see the picture of the woman who made Christmas for her family. Even the men showed tears during some of the stories I heard.

As we approached the Delta drop off at the airport, my daughter Erin, a Guidance Counselor at William Tennent High school, told them not to get out since she had something she wanted to share with Gina and Troy. Natalie and Tuck went to the airport with Christine. At that Erin told them that she prepared something that would assure them that we were with them even in the distance. At that Erin played Faith Hill's, Mississippi Girl, and Erin's Mom cried as she hugged them and said good bye.

We now get ready for the next group arriving on July 16. To provide the same for the next group, your donations would be greatly appreciated.

Best wishes!
Connie

FUTURE
We want to--
· Optimize web site www.bucksmontkatrinaproject.org.
· Ensure Child Development Center moves from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting!
· Maximize marketing and fundraising related to magnetic ribbon design.
· Review landscape site plan and offer as sponsorship opportunities.
· Schedule onsite visits as needed. Identify need for teams to help with rebuilding.
· Reinforce partnership with The Salvation Army.
· Partner with Fred Beans Family of Dealerships on the Daycare Center Furnishings Project. Raised from generous employees is $76,085.
· Cultivate additional community and media relationships.
· Promote and provide Animal Shelter building plan.
· Review possible site and plan for a city park.
· Produce a PR/Marketing DVD.
· Educate, inform, and communicate with existing and new project supporters.
· Maintain communication/contact with key MS contacts.
· Determine best way to promote National Model.
· Revisit each sub-team, goals, and momentum plans.

Educator to Educator Partnership Program
In response to the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina, community leaders in the Bucks/Montgomery County, PA region formed the Katrina Relief Project. The communities of Bay St. Louis/Waveland, Hancock County, Mississippi were adopted to become the focus of volunteer efforts. This relief project is successfully offering direct assistance and financial support to our neighbors in Mississippi since its inception.

As the education branch of this project, we'd like to invite you to join with us in our effort to forge one-on-one relationships with the educators in our adopted communities. We can connect to other educators as no others can. We are looking for interested teachers, principals, and other educators, either active or retired, who are interested in being partnered with an educator from our target area.

Partnering ideas may include, but are not limited to:
· Ongoing e-mail or phone contact
· Sharing lessons, books, poems, instructional materials, comfort items, manipulatives
· Class to class contact
· Establish Pen-Pal Relationship
· Service learning opportunities Orientation sessions are planned to assist volunteers in this effort.

Educator to Educator Program in Need of Middle School Teachers
7/3
In addition, the Educator to Educator is picking up momentum. We need middle school teachers to help. We also need high school special education teachers. The two K-3 buildings are in fairly good shape with partners. Heckman Elementary School, in Neshaminy School District adopted Waveland Elementary. Individual teachers adopted the other school, teacher by teacher.

The high school librarians county wide adopted the librarian at Bay High and provided all of the special requests she had between them all. The PTO at Sol Feinstein Elem. School, in Council Rock, heard about the endeavors of the librarians and sent me a check for $1,000 for educational needs.

We paid for the new Bay High Volleyball uniforms in the amount of $2250. Peddler's Village gave me a donation of $1650. The Southeast Regional Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance teachers gave me $500 and the Bucks County Technical High School students gave $100.

We held two orientation meetings and I will be contacting them via email to give added support to the volunteers.

We need middle school teachers. We still have 14 middle level teachers without partners. Word of mouth is slow.

Apply now!
GROUP or INDIVIDUAL (circle one)
Your Name(s): K-3__ 4-5__ 6-8__ 9-12__

Email Address:
Name of School/School District:
In Bucks/Montgomery County PA submit to:
Dean Roberts,
email: dor4stef@verizon.net
4 Stefwalt Road
Hatboro, PA 19040

Questions: Please contact Connie Rinker 215-852-4439 or email: crinker209@aol.com.

Eight Days of Hope

www.eightdaysofhope.com

3/13 - 8 Days of Hope IV will be announced March 26th!

1/10
News from Camp Gulfside
In December, Camp Gulfside was honored to host the group 8 Days of Hope. The Tupelo, Miss., group of volunteers started with one guy, Steve Tybor, who every Christmas went to Central America to do mission work.
After listening to a Christian Family radio station in Tupelo that sent out a call for help, he felt led to work at home in Mississippi this year.
The group rotates volunteers in and out every day and to date has sent a total of 600 people who have worked on approximately 141 homes, including nine for Camp Gulfside. This is their third trip to our area.
Our camp was to house 10 but as things progressed we gratefully ended up housing approximately 25 volunteers per night for the eight-day time frame.
The group was awesome; not only did they work jobs, they sent over people to clean the camp before they left and helped with every chore that needed to be done.
We are sincerely grateful to 8 Days of Hope for all they accomplished in such a short time and welcome them back to Camp Gulfside on their eight days of hope.
- Debbie Strickland
Strickland of Waveland is the Western Coast regional coordinator
.
11/7
The event is coming upon us quicker than we think. We are just five weeks away from our third missions trip to the gulf coast.

If you haven't volunteered yet I encourage you to do so. Logistically we need to plan for food, lodging and other items. As of today we have roughly 100 people signed up for this event.

In the flesh that is disappointing to me yet I know that America has heard and seen enough of Hurricane Katrina for quite some time. Most probably feel that the coast is doing great in its recovery.

Let me encourage you that the statement you just read is wrong. The need is still great and will be for years! 85% of all of the homeowners are still not in their homes. Many of these people are still living in trailers, fifteen months after the hurricane!

I urge you to please consider coming to the coast with us for at least three days. If you have been with us before you know how fulfilling it is for your soul to see people smile who haven't smiled in a long time. I know that God is going use us in a mighty way regardless if there is 100 or 500.

If you can't make it please consider using our brochures and flyers to promote this event in your church. Pleas email me back if you would like one of these tools.

Please reread 1st Peter 4:10. Let us all use the gifts God has given us to bless and serve the gulf coast!

May God bless you!

Stephen Tybor III
Update - 10/3
8 Days of Hope III will be December 15th - 22nd!
Yes, we are going back to the gulf coast!

http://www.eightdaysofhope.com/ has all of the information. Volunteers are being accepted!

Please take the time to look at the pictures posted on the site. If you have one or two pictures you would like to share please don't hesitate to forward them to us so we can possibly include them on the site. When sending the pictures please give us any information about the volunteers and the site they were working on. We would love to post a couple hundred pictures on the site!

Also, we are working on two videos for the website and are hoping that they will be on our site in the next two weeks. You will be able to download this for your use or to help promote 8 Days of Hope.

The leadership of 8 Days of Hope has been blessed by AFA/AFR once again. We recently have been given office space in Tupelo Ms. where we will be staffing with two part time people. One being Peggy Hodges. We will be setting up our own phone lines and equipping the office.

God has blessed us with so much. We have been good stewards of the dollars God has blessed us with. Any dollars donated to 8 Days of Hope I and 8 Days of Hope II paid for the logistics of the events with our main expense being the building materials. Yet we believe that God wants us to extend our ministry. We would like to build an organization that can respond to any national disaster in 30 days. Imagine an earthquake in California, a hurricane in Tampa or a forest fire in Colorado. We believe that God is calling us to be READY to use the gifts he has blessed us with in order to serve and love His people. We could be at any of those areas within a short time period with the network of people that God has brought together.

We are asking for your help. If you feel called to help us set up our office and add two part time staff people would you consider donating to 8 Days of Hope as we expand this ministry? We will not use any dollars donated to 8 Days of Hope I and II for these positions. If you can please send a donation to 8 Days of Hope PO 3208 Tupelo Ms., 38803. In the memo section of your check please write "office."

If you live locally we are looking for your help this Saturday (Oct. 7th) for four hours from 8-12 am. We will be painting and cleaning this office before we move our furniture, desks and other items over the next week. Please email me back if you can help. If you are in the furniture business we could use some desks and other miscellaneous furniture items. We also could use some lights. Please email me back for more information.

This email was meant to encourage you to do three things:

1.) Volunteer for 8 Days of Hope III
2.) Urge you to become a financial supporter of 8 Days of Hope as an ongoing ministry.
3.) To come and help this Saturday or to donate furniture and office furniture.

BUT.......The most important thing we ask is PLEASE continue to pray for this ministry. God continues to open huge doors for us. It is not an accident or a coincidence that this is happening. It is for HIS glory!

Bless you!

See you on the coast!

Stephen Tybor III
Update 6/29
In June of 2006, over 1,140 volunteers from 37 states and three countries descended upon the gulf coast of Mississippi with the intentions of aiding as many people as possible in rebuilding of their homes still damaged by Hurricane Katrina. An eight day trip that was meant to be a one time trip in December of 2005 had literally doubled in size and tripled in man hours!

Two hundred and sixty projects were completed in two hundred and two homes. These homes were located in Gulfport, Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Pass Christian and Pascagoula.

Some of the highlights of this project include the following:
*4,150 pieces of sheetrock/drywall were installed
*700 squares of roofing shingles were installed
*15 homes were completely rewired because of the flood damage
*25 additional homes had some type of electrical work done
*Hundreds of rolls of insulation were installed
*Over 80 homes had extensive carpentry work done
*Many homes were gutted and cleaned
*17 homes were primed and painted

As one can see the volunteers showed up to work! In fact over 30,000 man hours were used during 8 Days of Hope II.

The stories of tears being shed, lives being touched and homeowners praying with the volunteers were endless. We realized on June 3 when we left that we came to bless yet we were the ones who were truly blessed! We came to encourage these towns and when we left we were encouraged by the resiliency, the determination and the joy that many of these homeowners exhibited. A special thank you to American Family Association/AFR and TGI Fridays.

American Family Radio has once again helped us get the word out. Without their support we know our volunteer numbers would be 15% of what they are. They have been a proud sponsor of 8 Days of Hope since day one!

TGI Fridays was kind enough to bring us lunch every day we were on the coast. They provided lunch for all 1,140 volunteers! They also donated $75,000 to 8 Days of Hope II. Without these monies we would only have accomplished half as much!

Many have asked when we are going back. We will publish the dates for 8 Days of Hope III by the end of July. Please refer back to this website for those dates.

Please do not look to man and what we accomplished during this second trip to the coast. In the first book of Peter 4:10, he tells us to use the gifts God has given us to minister to one another. 8 Days of Hope II used these verse as our call. Some people did this with a hammer and a paint brush while others did it with a smile and a listening ear. We all used our gifts that God has blessed us with. 8 Days of Hope continues to be His project and His ministry.
May God bless you and may God bless the Gulf Coast!
Steve Tybor III

Update May 15
Greetings!

We are about two weeks away and our numbers are growing. As of yesterday we are approaching 700 volunteers. God is good! That is slightly more than our first trip but with the requirement of a volunteer staying for a minimum three days we will actually be able to do about 30% more work. Get ready! Your going to be blessed beyond any beach trip you have been on in the past!

We will be doing most of our work in the Waveland, Bay St. Louis and Gulfport Ms. areas. We will be emailing you directions on where to check in along with some last minute instructions on May 23rd.

EightDaysOfHope@aol.com