Friday, June 27, 2008

Clarksville crest level on the rise : News : KHQA

Clarksville crest level on the rise : News : KHQA:
"Clarkville mayor, Jo Anne Smiley said, ' Now as the National Guard needs to pull away and we have fewer and fewer of them, the residents have to take the responsibilities of monitoring the walls and the 80 pumps we have running throughout the city.

So the city's water levels must be going down right, not true. The newest crest prediction is at 37 feet 7 inches, higher than the last read of 36 feet. Mayor Smiley remains hopeful that the town will be able to maintain the levees without as much national guard help."
* Clarkville was the town that Americorp crews from St. Louis worked so long and hard on!

I highly recommend watching the video from KHQA. It shows what is happening at many of the small towns that have not made the national news. Some is good (people moving back in after being out for 2 weeks) and other news is bad (some levee breaks etc).

Thursday, June 26, 2008

BonaResponds to help flood victims

BonaResponds to help flood victims:
"Two BonaResponders are currently in Iowa working with Hands On. Recent graduates Mike Vieyra and Tessa Ocke arrived on June 22. Vieyra was impressed by the attitude and work ethic of the people who had so recently lost everything. “The Midwest attitude is to put your head down and get to work. The people here are very grateful for our help and are more than willing to work right along with you, which is not always the case in service trips,” he said.

Vieyra, a veteran of the group, also explained that the victims are not the only ones who benefit from the trip. “The physical work you do is important, but it’s not half of what makes these trips what they are. The people you meet—fellow volunteers, homeowners, as well as people from the local communities—truly make the trip the life-changing experience that it is,” he said."
From the SBU press release

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Video from Cedar Rapids

More evidence that your help is needed!

Preserving Palo... Flood Victims Rebuild | KCRG-TV9 Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Local News

Preserving Palo... Flood Victims Rebuild | KCRG-TV9 Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Local News:
"'It's kind of overwhelming, don't believe it's true,' said Ocke.

Ocke is part of the Hands on Disaster Response Group. Her traveling team knocks on doors looking for dirty work. By day's end, they're head to toe in mud, but the college graduate says she doesn't mind the mess.

'The best part is meeting the people, hearing their stories, they're so grateful and thankful,' said Ocke."
Be sure to watch the video! Tessa and Mike are both in it.

Report from Mike

Mike sent along the following:
"My first thought when we started seeing areas that had once been flooded less than a week ago was how impressive it was that the people had accomplished so much
so quickly. Dont get me wrong there is tons of work to still be done this is just the start but the people here are to a point that is similar to where New Orleans
residents were a year after the storm. The mid west attitude is to put your head down and get to work; people around here have never asked for help doing anything and they aren't about to start now. That is the mind set of a lot of people around town; although we have having no trouble finding work. There are some people that feel that they have lost everything and that their is no reason to do anything but demolish the house but we have been able to convince these people that with
some help from the volunteers we can get them on
their way toward moving back home.

So far on the trip we have been gutting peoples homes; which consists of tearing up floors, tearing down walls, moving possessions, mucking basements of the settled dirt and removing all the destroyed items and housing materials. Most of the homes in the area we are working in had their basements filled and about 2-3 feet of water in the first level.

The people here are very grateful of the help you are providing and are more than willing to work right along side you which is not always the case in service
trips. A perfect example was a man we helped today; we caught him off guard because we were at his door an hour after he had requested help. He was a "tough guy"; he
workedon his own cars he had a collection of guns and mounted animals to show for his skilled shooting. He was a man's man but when it came time for us to call
it a day he came to us in thanks and could not hold back the tears. He didn't know how he could repay us for the help and was incredibly grateful. These tears are
probably triggered by our help but it is something he has probably needed for the past week; he has lost his home and all his things; its an overwhelming
experience and it just feels great to know we could help.

There is more work here than can be handled by the residents and the volunteers we presently have. Hands On is constantly looking for more volunteers and has
projects lined up waiting to be filled. Please come help get these hard working people back into their homes.

The trip here and the physical work you do here is important but its not even half of what makes these trips what they are. The people you meet; fellow volunteers, home owners, as well as people from the community truly make the trip the life changing experience it is."

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

for press release

A few quotes I gave SBU for their press release:



We will be working in and around Cedar Rapids and a small community of Palo. According to Bill Driscoll HODR coordinator, Palo has 500 homes, 470 of which had flood damage. Which definitely shows the need for volunteers is there.

The work itself will vary, but there is work for everyone. Early in the process, much of the work will be hauling out debris from lower floors, gutting homes, etc. Later we will be doing more interior work from hanging drywall, painting, and even rough electrical work. There will definitely be work for everyone. We can always use people to cook and clean the camp, run errands, help organize work orders, and to be present and talk with the victims. But I really can not tell you what you will be doing with certainty since the work will change based on needs. Some of my best days doing this have been on those jobs that just popped up at the last second.


We will be staying in a church hall and showering at the local YMCA.

Hands On Disaster Response and BonaResponds have worked together in the past in Biloxi, Gassville Arkansas, and Newton COunty Missouri. Indeed, BonaResponds is largely modeled after HODR. This is the old Handson USA from Biloxi.

We also hope to be working with Randy's Rangers. This is a group we worked with in Pass Christian on at least four of our trips. Due to prior commitments they have not yet set up in Iowa, but we have been in contact and they expect to be there and running when we get to Iowa.


"The need for volunteers is definitely great. Being a bit closer than the Gulf, and with so many people off from school at this time of year, it seems like a perfect opportunity to help those in need."

"If you aren't sure, get off the fence and just come. You will be very glad you did. Personally, I can say I was unsure if I wanted to go to Missouri, or to Ohio, or to even Bradford, and each of these trips has been been very memorable and fun. As one of our leaders said this spring "sometimes you just have to be there. You are not sure what you will be doing, but you know you will be helping others. You know that your work will be appreciated. It is just something that is the right thing to do."

* HODR will be there for 30 days (barring another major disaster), so even if you can't go with us, definitely try and get out there. See HODR.org for more information.

lines of debris from homes

Some pictures from HODR

Comments from Mike and Bill



A few comments from the field


From Bill:
"We are currently set up in Palo, IA until July 22, 2008. The City of Palo is a small community of about 500 homes, 470 of which had flood damage. The people here are welcoming and highly motivated. This is a very warm community eager to get better organized and move forward in the recovery process."

Today crews gutted a house
From Mike:
"I encourage others to come to help the people that have been effected by the flooding in the midwest. The people here are hard working and determined to get their homes back together. The people here really need our help; helping them has a rewarding feeling because the people you are working with (home owners) are working hard right with you."

"We really need more volunteers out here. We have a lot of projects lined up that we might not be able to fulfill if we do not get more people to help. There people are deserving of our help."
and on the housing he added that HODR now is staying at a local church and showering at the YMCA.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Email announcement of BonaResponds Iowa trip

BonaResponds is going to Iowa and you can come!!!

BonaResponds is proud to announce a relief trip to
Iowa to help victims of the recent flooding. The trip
will be from July 7th or 8th (we will know by this
Thursday) to July 13th. We will be driving out (12 hours).
Thanks to a $500 donation and the generous use of
the University's vans, the cost of the trip will be
$100. This includes transportation and food (3 meals a
day) when working in Iowa. You can meet us there.
Ground transport can be arranged from Cedar Rapids'
Airport (CID).

We will be working in the Cedar Rapids area in
conjunction with Hands on Disaster Response (HODR.org) and
with Randy’s Rangers. Work will include clean up
(mucking), gutting interiors, mold abatement, much much
more. While details are still being worked out, we
expect to be working out of Palo, Iowa at the start.
Sleeping arrangements are up in the air, but expect to need
a sleeping bag. There will be internet access at
least on a daily basis.

We already have two BonaResponders out there (Mike and
Tessa) working with HODR and they will be giving us
updates as to what to expect.

Reserve a spot as soon as possible. Like all
BonaResponds events, this is open to all. Alumni, faculty,
students, staff, and community members. Trip is open to
all over 18 (16 with parental supervision. (you will
need steel-toed boots, proof of insurance, an up to
date tetanus shot, and a good attitude. :)

For more information see out blog:
http://BonaResponds.blogspot.com

and website:
http://BonaResponds.org

Space is limited so email BonaResponds@sbu.edu to
reserve a spot as soon as possible. It will be the best
week you have this summer!

If you can not go, but would like to donate money,
food, or supplies, please email us. Also feel OBLIGATED
to send this email on to others. The more help we
get, the more people we can help!

Want to go, but can't go that week? See HODR.org.
They will gladly accept volunteers!

Video from Palo

A video of from Palo Iowa on the flooding.

Official Notice board announcemnet

The following was just released to the Notice board:

BonaResponds Iowa!

BonaResponds is going to Iowa and you can come!!!

BonaResponds is proud to announce a relief trip to Iowa to help victims of the recent flooding. The trip will be from July 7th or 8th (we will know by Thursday) to July 13th. We will be driving out (12 hours). Thanks to a $500 donation and the generous use of the University’s vans, the cost of the trip will be $100. This includes transportation and food (3 meals a day) when working in Iowa.

We will be working in the Cedar Rapids area in conjunction with Hands on Disaster Response (HODR.org) and with Randy’s Rangers. Work will include clean up (mucking), gutting interiors, mold abatement, much much more. While details are still beig worked out, we expect to be working out of Palo Iowa at the start.

We already have two BonaResponders out there and they will be giving us updates as to what to expect.

Reserve a spot as soon as possible. Trip is open to all over 18. (you will need steel toed boots, proof of insurance, an up to date tetanus shot, and a good attitude. :)

For more information see out blog:
http://BonaResponds.blogspot.com
and website:
http://BonaResponds.org

Friday, June 20, 2008

Announcing the BonaResponds' Iowa/Missouri flood trip

Update on the Midwest flooding. It looks like BonaResponds will be arranging a trip to help the flooded communities along the Mississippi river in Iowa, Illinois, or Missouri. Details are still being worked out. We will be working with HODR and/or Randy's Rangers.

The best coverage seems to be from MSNBC. Here is a link with many many videos and a great interactive map. Be sure to see the "organizing the volunteers" section. Many (most) of the pictures are of the Americorps crew we worked with in Neosho.

The probable dates are July 7-13th. Cost of the trip should be $100 or less for the week. We can pick people up along the route. Food on site will be included.

Mike and Tess are going out tomorrow and will have regular updates.


View Larger Map

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Looking into going to help with flooding

To answer the question that everyone has, yes we are looking into going to Iowa (or ??) to help clean up after the flooding.

Here is a video from yesterday of some of the flooding.



We will likely be working with HODR again. The best guess as to when will be immediately after the 4th of July. But this is very tentative.

Friday, June 06, 2008

Nice article on HODR

As most of you know, BonaResponds is modeled after Hands On Disaster Response. This is a nice acrticle on them from The Carlisle Mosquito:
"Since the first relief effort in Thailand, the same model was adopted in all of HODR’s operations.... Once a decision is made to help in a national or international disaster, the operations director will be sent onsite to evaluate the situation. He assesses the critical tasks in hand, and estimates resources and the duration needed to complete these tasks. The tasks could be as complex as rebuilding homes and reconstructing dams, or as basic as stuffing backpacks with school supplies for kids. The operations director also secures a home for volunteers to stay in and makes sure there are computers with Internet access, allowing the volunteers to stay connected with their loved ones back home."

Monday, June 02, 2008

Video from Newton County by Bill

Bill Drsicoll put together the following short clip on volunteering with HODR in Missouri. If you have a day to a week or a month, highly recommend you get out and help.


Katrina volunteers slow to trickle - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Katrina volunteers slow to trickle - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
"Gulf Coast communities need a bigger labor force. Camp shelters in Waveland were filled with 350 youth volunteers around spring break, said Betty Patecek, city of Waveland volunteer recruiter and camp advisor. They are nearly empty now."