| In September 2008, six CUCC members joined a 20-person team on its fourth week-long mission trip to the Gulf coast area of the United States to help with the rebuilding effort after Hurricane Katrina. These mission trips to Gulfport, Mississippi have been sponsored by two United Methodist congregations in Virginia. The mission work is coordinated by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), a nonprofit humanitarian aid organization that is working in more than 80 countries to provide relief to people suffering from civil or natural disasters. |  |
Mike Miller, a member of one of the congregations that call themselves Singers Glen Charge in Rockingham County Virginia, led this year’s mission team. Most of the volunteers were members of the sponsoring congregations, Donovan Memorial United Methodist Church and Mike’s church, Cherry Grove United Methodist Church. In 2008, the team included 11 members and three generations of the Miller clan. Six of them are members of CUCC. The team was rounded out with volunteers from Ohio, a few of whom had participated in previous Singers Glen mission trips. Mike writes: I feel very blessed to have been a part of these teams. These men and women do jobs on these trips that absolutely amaze me. God has blessed us with so much talent, even some we didn’t know we had. As I work on and haul materials to the different jobs, I see team members dry walling, roofing, insulating, concreting, and doing things they have never done at home. To see 20 people travel, work and live together for a week, get along and not complain (too much) and be one big happy “family” is truly a blessing.
Mike dubbed the 2008 team the “AWWW” team for “Awesome Workers Work Wonders.” Nearly four years after Hurricane Katrina, many residents of the Gulf coast are still living in desperate conditions. Some have been unable to return to their homes since the hurricane. Others continue to live in homes that have sustained serious damage from the hurricane's winds and storm surges, as well as tornadoes that spun off the hurricane. The tornadoes ripped off roofs, causing devastating water damage from the torrential rains during the storm. Because repairs have not been undertaken or the original repairs were inadequate, rainstorms have continued to damage these properties in the years since the hurricane. For many homeowners, the houses are uninhabitable during rainy weather. These houses must have the roof repaired and then the interior gutted to the 2 x 4 studs by removing damaged ceilings, drywall, insulation, and flooring. Only then can the interior be fully refinished to its original condition, thus enabling the homeowner to move back into the home on a permanent basis. During the 2008 trip, one homeowner was fortunate to have her home undergo this complete transformation in one week. Volunteers on these mission trips participate in a full spectrum of construction and renovation projects [photos]. Some volunteers are experienced in the construction trades whereas others have little to no experience. In the end, everyone pitches in to repair and replace roofing plywood and shingles, install and mud new drywall in preparation for painting, rebuild subflooring and replace floor coverings, install insulation in exterior walls and attics, paint or stain exterior siding, lay concrete, build access ramps for the disabled, install heating/AC systems and water heaters, replace windows and doors, and install new plumbing and electrical systems. If physically able, the homeowner participates in the construction work, often in addition to completing a full day at his or her regular job. Funds provided by the sponsoring congregations are used to purchase construction materials and supplies, which supplement the UMCOR inventory as necessary. Over the years, mission trip volunteers have come to know residents in the Gulfport, MS area. On return visits, residents welcome the team into their homes with open arms. Some of these homes have been fully refurbished while others still require substantial repairs. Some residents, who have received assistance in prior years, offer to help their neighbors by volunteering with the Singers Glen team during its annual visit. Over the years, accommodations and meals for volunteers have been provided by Gateway United Methodist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi. The dorm-style accommodations are basic but, due to the concreting efforts of the 2008 team, 2009 teams can enjoy new accommodations that feature air conditioning! During a mission trip in September 2009, a number of the CUCC volunteers returned to the Gulfport area to continue the much-needed rebuilding efforts. The United Church of Christ has a ministry similar to UMCOR's in Gulfport called the Back Bay Mission, which is based in Biloxi, MS. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has church-based mission stations in Gulfport and in a number of locations in Louisiana. |
