It is not official yet, but...

Just got off the phone with Randy from Randy's Rangers. As you may know, the Rangers have largely gone into hibernation waiting for the next disaster to respond to after serving in Pass Christian MS for two years.

Rather than having all of his tools and resources sit idle, we spoke of the synergies we could have operating with BonaResponds and other groups around the country.

So the current plan is to split his tools etc with us and a group from North Carolina on the condition that in the event of a disaster we would each be able to use the items (so for instance, we go to NC to help, the tools are already there, they come up here and the tools are here).

The handover will happen during our Local Service Weekend (April 24-26). In addition we are going to try and get groups that worked with the Rangers to come for a reunion and a work weekend.

Obviously this will take work on our part. SO PLEASE step up and agree to help organize the handover as well as the local service weekend--for instance, we need a place to have people sleep, shower, etc. , need to get more organized in the storage facility, need to contact all of the groups who might want to come in April, etc etc.


That said it is VERY exciting and a great opportunity to leverage what we do to make the largest impact possible.

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

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

Another new video!

Amanda put together a great collection of pictures and music from her time in Pass Christian over spring break. You will like it!

A look around at all the camps-Randy's Rangers

We will try something a bit different today, each site submitted their own reports on who the work is going. We'll start off with A report from Randy's by Emily:

Emily – After responding to the disaster in Alabama, I assumed Mississippi would be nearly the same. As an early responder in Alabama, I witnessed the utter devastation and destruction the tornado left behind. Whole trees ripped from the ground, roots included, with green splattered all over the neighborhood decorated Enterprise, Ala. -- the lush scenery was still apparent of what had been.

The community pulled itself together; each neighbor helping the other remove debris or save what was left from a house that was once a home. Neighbors drove around continuously all day, offering food and water to workers and volunteers. Southern hospitality certainly shone through the darkness of the disaster.

The scene is quite different in Pass Christian, Miss. More than a year and a half later, the scene in Mississippi is quite bleak. As I look up and down the street here at Randy’s Rangers, everything simply looks dead. The greenery is far and few – a rare find. Trees are resting anywhere and everywhere, twisted and turned, brittle and unmoved since Katrina winds and water knocked them down. I can see only the naked foundations of houses and nothing else.

Some home owners have moved into trailers, in hopes of rebuilding their homes, which is where we come in. There are no neighbors driving around. It just seems deserted. It’s depressing and I feel for the people who once inhabited these houses, many of which are now up for sale. I wonder who lived here – were they married, did they have kids, did anyone die in the storm, etc.? All that is left are the empty shells of these residents. It seems like the situation is hopeless; how can 20 college kids make a difference? As the days go on, I begin to slowly understand how much we do matter when someone thanks us or emails a school official out of gratitude. It will continue to be a slow process. I only hope that the rest of the nation will realize that a year and a half later, Mississippi still needs help—the disaster is not over, yet and so many people are reliving it everyday when they step outside their trailer door and look out to nothing where their homes once stood.