Volunteers In Mission Make A Real Difference

You are Invited to Join

Monson, MA: We expect weekend trips to the Monson, MA area will begin shortly. The "Clean Up" phase is being organized. Volunteers will have to drive to the Monson area. Soon, we will have a list of any tools that workers will need to bring. We are hoping that overnight arrangements will be available making it possible to work more than one day per trip. The United Methodist Leadership Team is working along with the FEMA staff, and we are assured that there is much work to be done.

UPDATE: We had three men, two from OUMC and one from Chatham UMC, who spent four days working in Springfield, MA with about 1,000 other volunteers from October 2nd - 5th. Deteriorated siding was removed and replaced, re-hung a side entrance door, fabricated and installed a door saddle, milled and cut moldings to length and trimmed a door frame to prepare for installation of a storm door. They had a great time and felt the trip and the work they were able to do were well worth it. Accommodations were provided by a couple from the Westfield UMC where Pastor Skip served for ten years before coming to Cape Cod. Congratulations for work well done and thank you!  

New Orleans: 

We are now getting ready for the next trip which will be held from Feb. 12-18, 2012. The Epworth Project is able to accommodate up to 40 people each week. Our goal for February 2012 would be at least 30 volunteers, and this invitation is the beginning of our recruitment process. Our experience over the past six years makes it clear that anyone wishing to participate will be able to find work to do that would fit their abilities, skills, and interests.

We would urge anyone reading this invitation to take it to heart, and to share it with family members, neighbors, and friends. You do not have to be a member of Orleans United Methodist Church... all you need is a desire to make a real difference in the lives of those persons who need to have homes and lives put back together again. It's been six years since Katrina damaged the New Orleans area, and we still have families not yet back into their homes. Read this invitation with care, and understand it, as having been written for YOU. If you have questions which need answers, get in touch with Mary Ann and/or Skip Danforth  . They have been leading Volunteer Teams to the Gulf Coast since right after Katrina, and a total of ten members from our church have been at least once to the Gulf Coast.

UPDATE from Joe M. 

I joined Skip and Mary Anne Danforth and Barbara S. for the 2nd week of their tour in Slidell, La. Oct. 30 to Nov 5. There were about 25 other participants from around New England and a group from North Carolina who stayed at the Epworth Project facility on the grounds of the Eldersgate Methodist Church in Slidell. The Epworth Project was recently set up to continue the work of UMCOR which started their mission just after Hurricane Katrina in Aug 2005 thru 2010. Skip and Mary Anne have been instrumental in organizing and leading New England Methodists and other volunteers to serve the recovery efforts annually since 2005. The disaster response stats to the New Orleans area are substantial:

As of April 2011:

• Volunteers hosted : 93,188
• Volunteer teams hosted: 10,177
• Volunteer Man Hours: 3,727,000
• Volunteer in-kind value: $69,891,000
• Clients assisted : 105,521
• Homes repaired: 21,681
• Economic impact: $90,126,000

I was with a work team doing interior painting over newly installed drywall and installation of tiles in several rooms. Our group was supervised by Glenn Hawthorne , a former paid staff member for many years , now a volunteer case manager for Epworth Project. His talents in providing leadership and training us in how-to do- the job skills, coordinating tools and materials on site and advising the client owner in her choices and decisions were all key to a successful week for all involved. It was very rewarding to experience the joy and appreciation of the owner as the work progressed. The sharing of the work effort and fellowship of all the participants was outstanding and one could readily perceive the happiness of serving together.

The Louisiana United Methodist Disaster Recovery, Inc operate in partnership with 21 faith based denominations, nine long term recovery organizations, 11 civic groups, 14 local non-profit organizations and numerous federal, state and local govt. agencies. Together they have hosted volunteers from all 50 states and 31 foreign countries.

The Epworth Project in Slidell is led by Dale Kimball, Ken Ward , and Glenn Hawthorne and Suzanne. Their collective enthusiasm, knowledge, and dedication, combined with Skip and Mary Anne’s constant support, spirit and leadership made for an unforgettable week in Southern Louisiana.

Mission History: 

Members of our church have been making trips to Louisiana since February 2005. We'd like to let all know just what this can mean to those who go, and the real difference it makes in the lives of persons who live in the Greater New Orleans area. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the arm of the United Methodist Church which coordinates this ministry, decided to do as much as they could as fast as they could, and they established this program to work on behalf of "The Least, Last, and Lost." 80% of the homes of these families were repaired and or rebuilt by volunteers. The "LLL" are people whose homes were rendered uninhabitable, and who had no financial resources or physical ability to repair them. The US Government initially estimated that the recovery process would take 11 years, and so the need and the work continues. UMCOR has been utilizing a 5 year volunteer program of the UMC, but the funding for this work has ended, as other demands in the U.S. and elsewhere need to be served.

UMCOR, under the leadership of Dale Kimble and his able staff, having made a commitment to finish the task, have now put into place a new ministry known as, "The Epworth Project." This program will be housed in Slidell, Louisiana, and most of the work will be continued to be done in Greater New Orleans.

There are up to 40 volunteers each week, and anyone interested is asked to get in touch with either of us. There will be funds available in The Mission, Outreach and Advocacy budget to help with expenses. Volunteers are responsible for their travel to and from New Orleans, and there are other expenses which each team member is asked to provide. We also invite others within the church and community, who are unable to volunteer, to make contributions as their part of this Mission Ministry.

-Skip and Mary Ann Danforth