Presbytery of
Welcome! Thank you for your interest in becoming
involved in one of the largest volunteer effort ever to take place in the
Hurricane
Katrina was not an act of God; the act of God is what all of us are doing
now. Please take a moment to reflect on
the goals and objectives of your mission trip.
What do you hope to achieve? What
gifts do you bring to the churches and their people who suffered great loss in
this storm?
Without
mission the church has no reason to exist.
Through this experience, you will become more a part of the church’s
mission than ever before. Paul calls
upon us, in our lives and in
our
mission, to be imitators of Jesus Christ.
Although the church, like the human body, is
made
of many parts, it is Jesus who is the head.
In our dealings with those victims of
Hurricane
Katrina, we must imitate the traits that he exhibited during his mission to
earth - patience, humility, and love.
So, when you come to work along side of the people
of the
Several forms are included with this handbook. It is necessary that you complete the skill level
form and the group registration form and return to us at least three weeks prior to your arrival. All other forms may be brought with you when
you come. Thank you.
In
Christ’s service
George
T. Bates
Disaster
Recovery Coordinator
The
Presbytery of
ATTENTION PLEASE
As you are making plans for your mission team to come to the
Presbytery of MS to help with our disaster recovery efforts we have one request.
If a minister is traveling with you, please send us his/her contact
information. We are often in need of a minister to fill a pulpit or offer
Pastoral counseling.
We appreciate your help with this very much.
Please include the name of your church and the dates for your travel.
What is
a
Mission
Teams are made up of adults and youth representing various congregations and
organizations that commit to offering their time and talent to those in need.
The Presbytery of
Mississippi is coordinating mission trips to the
1) Recruit and organize your team This area is still a disaster zone. For
safety reasons:
*Children 14 to 15 years old are
invited to join
presbytery of
For every 14 or 15 year old there
must be at least one adult. the
individual registration form for
each 14 to 15 year old must be
completely filled out and faxed to
this office one month before arrival.
*For 16 to 17 year olds we require a ratio one adult for every four
youth.
* No one under 18 years old will
work up on a roof
There is plenty of work for everyone, and we want to make sure
everyone can safely participate. Please respect our concerns.
2) Determine the types of projects your Team is able to do.
See Skill Level Form page 8
What is your skill level? Do your have professionals in your
group – plumbers, electricians, contractors, carpenter?
3) Decide on a first and second choice of dates for your trip
Please plan ahead and give us plenty of lead-time to try and
accommodate your group. We have seven Presbyterian churches on the
our need are greater than our capacity to house volunteers.
4) Contact
the Presbytery of
Include the name of
your church or organization in the subject line.
Include host church
preference if any.
Include maximum team size.
We cannot schedule teams larger than 30.
Include Name of Team Leader and phone and e-mail contact
info.
Give first and second choice of dates. Include arrival and
exit dates.
If you contact the
Presbytery in subsequent e-mail, please ALWAYS INCLUDE THE NAME OF YOUR
CHURCH OR ORGANIZATION and DATES of YOUR TRIP, IN THE SUBJECT LINE.
5) Once
we receive this information, we will schedule your team at one of the host
locations.
6) Once
we assign you a host location we will send you information specific to your
host location. You will also receive all needed forms,
What do
Teams work with
the Site Manager responding to work orders from churches, their members and residents
of the community. Skills of volunteers on site, the weather, availability of
material and other factors play into the decision regarding the specific jobs
your team will be working on during your stay.Work orders include moving
debris, ripping out drywall, removing roofing shingles and carting them to the
curb, re-roofing houses, cutting trees, yard work, hanging drywall, mudding and
sanding drywall, painting, moving furniture, walking dogs at the Humane Society
and more.
Where will we stay? Each Team will be assigned to
a church in the Presbytery of Mississippi. Each church is able to house
volunteers. Dormitory space, showers, laundry facilities and kitchens are
available at each site.
Where will we eat?
Visiting
Teams are responsible for purchasing and preparing all of their meals. Refrigerator and freezer space is
available; however please refer to the individual site packet for information
pertaining to your host location. Each team will provide its own paper
products, as necessary.
Are there places to buy supplies?
Grocery stores
(Winn-Dixie, Sav-A-Center, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, etc.) and building supply
stores (Home Depot, Lowe’s, 84 Lumber, etc.) are open and fully stocked. Food,
paper goods, cleaning supplies can all be purchased locally.
Other important
information
Presbytery of
Disaster Relief Office
This
request will be waived if it causes a hardship for anyone.
Things you need to do before coming to the
Mississippi Gulf Coast
· One
month before arrival Fax the following forms to the Disaster Recovery Office
Fax Number
228-604-2425
1. Group Liability Waver (must be notarized)
2. Group Registration Form
3. Skill Level Form
4. Team leader with
contact information, name of sponsoring church/organization. Include all contact information on all
communications sent to the Disaster Recovery Office.
All other forms can be turned upon arrival.
· Have the
members fill out the individual liability waiver (must be notarized)
· Assign team members responsibility for a morning or evening devotion
· Plan for evening debriefing times to allow your group a chance to talk about their experiences
· Plans for evening time with other groups for sharing and fellowship
·
Pray for the
Things your
Your team will need to
assess the skill levels of the team members and bring tools and equipment
commensurate with their skills. Examples
of work are found at the bottom of the group registration form:
·
Tools for
specialized work
·
Bring a
well-stocked first aid kit
·
Proof of
medical/accident insurance for each team member, to be presented to the Site
Manger upon your arrival
·
Refer to the
individual site information packet for any additions to the above
Personal Packing List
Meals and Facility Upkeep
Please
identify these persons in you communication before arrival.
Each
team is to select one or two persons
to become a part of the facility management team. This team will be responsible
for preparing meals and the upkeep of the facility each day.
Chores each day
include:
Mopping—all areas used by teams
Vacuum—all areas used by teams
Take trash out daily
Clean grounds daily
It
is likely that your team will be scheduled at a facility hosting other
teams. Each team is responsible for
their food; however we cannot have five or six teams in the kitchen cooking at
one time. Therefore we ask that each
team have funds available to purchase food as needed. The facility management team will be
responsible for the purchase of food and preparing the food.
We
suggest you have cereal, breakfast bars and fruit for breakfast.
For
lunch we suggest sandwiches. Lunch can
be at the church or at the work site.
Dinner
is usually your hot meal for the day. We
have frozen food available which our Presbyterian Women have prepared for teams
being hosted by our Presbytery and will share it as long as it lasts.
If your team plans to eat
out, be sure the Facility Management Team is aware of this in advance
THE PRESBYTERY OF
Disaster Recovery Office
Evacuation Plan: 2006 Hurricane
Season
I. Introduction
Another long and active hurricane season is predicted for 2006. Due to
higher than normal water temperatures in the
II. Hurricane Awareness
A. All
leaders of volunteer groups will stay abreast of current weather
information
prior to the date of the group’s trip.
If any tropical
weather
system (depression, storm, hurricane) is approaching the
Gulf of
will
assume no responsibility for the safety of your group.
B. Site
managers will stay abreast of local weather conditions. They will be prepared to respond immediately
to the directions of the Presbytery Disaster Recovery Office (DRO) and/or local
civil defense/law enforcement agencies.
III. Evacuation
Implementation (to take effect when a
tropical storm or hurricane enters The Gulf of Mexico)
A. Upon instructions from the DRO to
evacuate, all volunteer groups will be the first to leave. If traffic flow permits, they are instructed
to return to their homes. If this is not possible due to congested traffic
flow, they are instructed to proceed north out of the danger zone to a public
shelter or to a Presbyterian Church, which has agreed to shelter volunteers.
B. Following the weather event, volunteers
may return to the
their
homes. If the area was affected, they should not return unless
specifically
permitted to do so by the DRO.
C.
Site managers,
first and foremost, are to see to the safety of all volunteers
at their site. At the time of
evacuation, they will order volunteers in a firm
but
friendly manner to follow instructions as outlined in Section III.A.
of this
document. The Presbytery of Mississippi
will assume no
responsibility
or liability for any volunteer who willfully refuses to
evacuate
as ordered.
D.
Insofar as
possible, site managers will routinely keep equipment indoors in a secure place
when it is not in use.
this will prevent
having to
secure equipment at the last minute as a storm approaches.
Tools
having high dollar value should be tagged for quick identification.
E. Site managers will maintain contact with
the civil defense office for
the county
in which they are located.
F. Each site manager will be responsible
for taking down and securing
tents and
collapsible buildings at their site, if any.
G. After all volunteers have evacuated and
all supplies and buildings have
been secured, all presbytery
staff will evacuate. Staff should be
prepared to drive vehicles owned by the
presbytery out of the danger zone, towing camper trailers and/or other trailers
owned by the presbytery. Unless
instructed to do otherwise, they will report to a staging area at
IV. Reentry Procedure
A. When advised by civil authorities that it
is safe to do so, all staff will
return to
their former locations and await instructions from the DRO.
* * * * *
Presbytery of
Assistant to the Disaster Recovery Coordinator: Linda
Bates
Office Administrator:
Ginny Stewart
Office: 228-604-2424
Fax: 228-604-2425
Email: presbyrecovery@bellsouth.net scheduling for teams Revised 9/14/2006
Presbytery
of
Please fax one month before arrival
FAX
228-604-2425
Sponsoring Church/Organization
____________________________ Arrival Date______
Exit Date ______ Host Site____________
Team Leader Contact Information
___________________________________________________________________
Level 1 Level
2 Level 3 Level
4 Level 5
Inexperienced Slightly
Experienced Moderately Experienced Very Experienced Professional
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Painting |
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Repair |
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Plumbing |
4 |
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Electrical
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Finishing
Drywaller |
5 |
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Framing |
1 |
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Tile Work |
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Finish Carpenter |
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Roofing |
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1 |
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Casework |
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After School Program Tues/Thurs
2:30-6:00PM |
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Other (fill in below) |
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Facility Upkeep Team: List
Names and contact information
Presbytery of
Sponsoring
Church/Organization_________________________________________________________________________
Team Leader Contact Information
_______________________________________________________________
Host Location ________________________ Arrival Date _______ Exit Date _______
To be completed by each team member ages 16 and older
Name:
__________________________________________________________________
Date Of Birth: ______________________ Age(Minimum 16)
_______________________
Address:
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Home #_____________________________Cell#________________________________
Email
Address____________________________________________________________
Emergency Contact
Information
Name____________________________________
Relationship_______________________________
Daytime #_________________________________
Evening #__________________________________
Cell #
__________________________________
Are you allergic to any food, environmental substances or
medications? ________
If yes, please
list__________________________________________________________
Do you have any medical conditions or physical limitations
the leaders should know about? ___________
If yes, please
list__________________________________________________________
Do you have particular knowledge, skills or experiences
relevant to this mission experience?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Insurance
Primary Medical Insurance
Carrier________________________Policy #____________
Secondary ________________________Policy#_____________
Signature_________________________________________Date___________________participant
Presbytery
of
Sponsoring
Church/Organization_________________________________________________________________________
Team Leader Contact Information
_______________________________________________________________
Host Location
________________________ Arrival Date
_______ Exit Date _______
Group Liability Waiver
Please fax one month before arrival
FAX
228-604-2425
We acknowledge that mission
team participants will engage projects coordinated by the Presbytery of
Mississippi Disaster Recovery Office at the mission team participants’ own
risk. We, on our own behalf, hereby
release, discharge and indemnify the Presbytery of Mississippi Disaster
Recovery Office, its ministers, elders, session members, volunteers, and
employees from all liabilities for damage, injury, or illness to the mission
participant or his/her property during his/her participation in or travel to or
from any mission project or related event.
We, the participating organization, agree to be responsible for any and
all expenses incurred by group participants for damage or accident to the
assigned site property. A consent form
for each participant has been signed
by him/her and by either or both parents
or legal guardians if the participant is under 18 years of age.
Participant waivers of
liability forms, Personal Information forms, and list of participants are
attached.
We are covered by our own
insurance policy(ies) held by
Company
____________________________ Policy
number ________________________
Address __________________________________________________________________
This waiver is for the year of _____________________________
Team leader or contact
signature ________________________________ Date _________
Date of trip
________________________________________________________________
Sworn to before me this _____ day of _________ 200_
State of _______________________________________
County/City of __________________________________
Notary Public Signature ___________________________
My Term expires _________________________________ Notary Seal
Presbytery of
Sponsoring
Church/Organization_________________________________________________________________________
Team Leader Contact Information
_______________________________________________________________
Host Location
________________________ Arrival Date
_______ Exit Date _______
Individual Liability Waiver
Due at
Arrival
I, _______________________, will be participating in
Mission Team projects coordinated by the church. I understand that I will be participating in
these projects at my own risk. The
Presbytery of Mississippi Disaster Recovery Office, its ministers, elders,
session members, volunteers, and employees are not responsible in the event of
accident, injury, or illness. Further, I
grant the leaders of the Mission Team permission to authorize any emergency
medical procedures should that become necessary and to authorize treatment by a
licensed physician.
I agree to participate fully in the projects that are
planned as well as in the group activities and responsibilities. I understand that use of alcohol and drugs at
any time during the mission trip and tobacco within the facilities of the
assigned church are unacceptable. If I
fail to comply with these policies, I understand that I will be sent home
immediately at either my sponsoring groups, my family’s or my own expense.
We the undersigned, individual and/or as parents/guardians
of the above named mission team participant acknowledge that the above named
mission team participant will be participating in projects coordinated by the
Presbytery of Mississippi Disaster Recovery Office at his/her and my/our risk. I/we on my/our own behalf, hereby release,
discharge and indemnify the Presbytery of Mississippi Disaster Recovery Office,
its ministers, elders, session members, volunteers, and employees from all
liabilities for damage, injury, or illness to the mission participant or
his/her property during his/her participation in or travel to or from any
mission project or related event.
Further, I/we authorize the leaders of the mission team
on my/our behalf and at my/our account to take such measures and arrange for
such medical treatment by a licensed physician and hospital treatment as the
leaders of the mission team may deem advisable for the health and well-being of
the participant without the need for further consent or permission.
__________________________ Date __________
Signature of Participant
__________________________ Date __________
Signature of Parent/Guardian
(if participant is under 18
years old)
Sworn to before me this _____ day of _________ 200__
State of _______________________________
County/City of _________________________
Notary Public Signature ___________________________
My Term expires
______________________________ Notary
Seal
Presbytery of
Please fax one month before arrival
FAX
228-604-2425
This mission trip is
for the period__________________through____________________
Date Date
Name of sponsoring
organization_____________________________________________
Address of
sponsoring organization___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Email address of
sponsoring organization______________________________________
Contact person at
sponsoring organization______________________________________
Team leader
_____________________________________________________________
Telephone of team
leader__________________________________________________
Email of team
leader______________________________________________________
Number of males 18 and older on Mission Team______ Number of males under
16-17_____
Number of females 18
and older on Mission Team_____ Number
of females under 16-17____
Minimum age 16 years NO EXCEPTIONS
Total number of
(Adult males, females, males 16-17, females 16-17)
Presbytery of
Sponsoring
Church/Organization_________________________________________________________________________
Team Leader Contact Information
_______________________________________________________________
Host Location
________________________ Arrival Date
_______ Exit Date _______
AGES 14 AND 15 YEARS ONLY
Must be faxed one month before arrival
Name: ___________________________________________________________________
Date Of Birth: ______________________ Age(14 AND 15 YEARS
ONLY) ____________
Address:
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
NAME (Adult Partner) _____________________________________________________
Emergency Contact
Information
Name____________________________________
Relationship_______________________________
Daytime #_________________________________
Evening #__________________________________
Cell #
__________________________________
Are you allergic to any food, environmental substances or
medications? ________
If yes, please
list__________________________________________________________
Do you have any medical conditions or physical limitations
the leaders should know about? ___________
If yes, please
list__________________________________________________________
Do you have particular knowledge, skills or experiences
relevant to this mission experience? ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Insurance
Primary Medical Insurance
Carrier________________________Policy #____________
Secondary
________________________Policy#_____________
Signature_________________________________________Date___________________PARENT