Volunteers in Mission
ALTOONA DISTRICT
“VOLUNTEER IN MISSION” TRIP
GREENSBURG, KS
SEPTEMBER 20 – 28, 2008
22 team members + 2 “Part Time” from KS*
Total Man hours: 802
Work Sites: 18
Average of 35 hours per person
* Ron Hoover’s brother Dean and sister, Ila
Trinity United Methodist Church Sends Two “Volunteer In Mission” Volunteers to Greensburg, KS
One of the strongest tornadoes on record destroyed 95% of the homes in Greensburg, KS on May 4, 2007 and resulted in 22 deaths. The tornado tore a 1.7-mile swath from the southwest to the northeast, turned northwest and then stopped and reversed it path back through the town of 1,400 persons. Homes, schools, churches, businesses, government buildings and the water tower were destroyed in an 8-minute period of time. If not for the storm-safe shelters in the basements of homes and next to the homes, hundreds of persons could have lost their lives. Two city managers were able to cut the natural gas and electricity minutes before the tornado did its devastation.
The FUJITA scale goes from F-1 to F-5. The town of Greensburg was hit with a F-5. An F-5 has wind speeds of 261 to 318 mph and is defined as “Devastating; Incredible; Total devastation; frame homes disintegrate; foundations left bare; cars and trucks carried for ½ mile or more; considerable damage to steel reinforced structures.
Since then, thousands of persons have worked in Greensburg, helping to rebuild the town. Currently, about 25% of the homes have been rebuilt. Volunteers have helped the residents repair homes on the town fringe or have helped to build new homes. Porti-potties can be found at most intersections today.
The Altoona District “Volunteer In Mission” (VIM) teams have traveled the 1,500-miles to Greensburg on three disaster relief trips. On September 20, 2008 twenty two folks from the Altoona and Williamsport Districts traveled four days and worked for five days, working with the Mennonite Housing Rehabilitation Services, Inc., a non-profit group that has started 21 homes to date with a goal of 25 homes total. Joel Fowler and Mike Galbraith of Trinity worked on the team. Work consisted of interior framing, underlayment and linoleum flooring, cabinet and door installation, staining, painting, caulking, insulating and work in the Mennonite “lumber yard” where lumber was pre-cut, stacked and banded for eight new homes. When a group of ten homes is completed, all ten home owners can move into their homes. Home owner and the VIM team member hours count toward the “sweat equity hours” for each home and help to reduce the cost of the home that is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The VIM team members agreed “We are going back again in the Spring of 2009 for our 4th trip.”
Click here to view the photos from the Altoona/Williamsport Volunteers in Mission Trip to Greensburg, KS - September 2008
Mike Galbraith and Joell Fowler took part in the work team.
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October 2008 Gulfport, MS Trip
