2008 Flood Response Update

A recent news article from the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program at PC(USA), [PDA-RIN] Iowa Clean-up Needs, states that PDA is sending volunteer work teams from across the U.S. to help in multi-day trips and relief efforts of recent storms and floods in Iowa.

Locally, Iowa volunteer opportunities for one-day trips are available by contacting the following site coordinators:

• Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area - Contact Richard Tiegs Asst. to Assoc. for Communications is the Volunteer Coordinator at Presbytery of East Iowa. He can be reached at the PEIA office number 800-957-4389. Churches accepting overnight work teams are Westminster Presbyterian in Cedar Rapids, Christ Church in Cedar Rapids, and Christian Ed. Dir. Heather Woodin, 319-354-52534(h) 319-338-7523(cell) is the volunteer coordinator at Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City. They are about ready to start housing volunteers and are leading the housing preparation.


• Cedar Falls/Waterloo and Parkersburg area - Contact Kaylene Hoskins with North Central Iowa Presbytery at 800-383-3617.


• Des Moines area - Contact United Way or call 2-1-1 (This Wednesday, July 2, there is need for volunteers to clean up in public locations such as flooded city parks in Des Moines. Volunteers will report first to the Volunteer Reception Center at 1111 9th St. in Des Moines to receive identification, additional health and safety training and the volunteer location assignment.)

Volunteers must be current on tetanus vaccinations, 18-years or older. Minors must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian.

Immediate needs:

• Prayers for victims and workers


• Cleanup Bucket Kits (the Presbytery will help get these dispersed where they are needed) How to assemble and package Clean-up Buckets.


• CROSS Ministries in Des Moines needs cleaning supplies. They recently depleted their supply to families of low income households who have experienced flooded basements. (supplies needed include: bleach, buckets, floor cleaner, laundry soap, etc.) Contact the Cottage Grove Avenue Presbyterian Church at 515-279-8877 or rjvictor@msn.com.


• Monetary donations are now needed. Send checks payable to Des Moines Presbytery, in the memo section write, "2008 Flood Relief" indicated where you would like the funds to go, tornado, flood, a specific presbytery, etc., and mail checks to the Presbytery of Des Moines, 2400 86th St., Ste. 20, Urbandale, IA 50322. (100% of donations sent to this Presbytery will be used for its intended purpose indicated by the giver. All administrative costs will be absorbed by the Iowa presbyteries.)

Long-term, volunteer work teams will be needed into 2010. So far, the following churches in our Presbytery are planning to send volunteer work teams: Westminster Presbyterian Church in Des Moines, Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Indianola, Lenox United and Sharpsburg Presbyterian churches, Community United Presbyterian Church in Hartford and Heartland Presbyterian Church in Clive.

In addition, Highland Park Presbyterian Church and Park Avenue Presbyterian Church in Des Moines have offered up distribution services of cleaning kit buckets to those affected by floods waters in the Greater Des Moines area. Covenant Presbyterian Church in West Des Moines was able to send 30 buckets!

If your church is planning to take people for one- or multiple-day trips to the affected areas, please contact the Presbytery office with the dates and locations.

Thanks to everyone, our ministry in the midst of chaos, makes a difference where there is no hope.

2008 Flood Relief Update

The PC(USA) Presbyterian Disaster Assistance volunteer team has been in the Des Moines Presbytery office now since Monday, June 16. The three representatives have taken their assessment and will be establishing their headquarters in Iowa City starting Thursday, June 19. There they will meet with East Iowa Presbytery’s Disaster Response Task Force to set in motion their response plan for Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area, where the need is the greatest.

Thank you to all who have called and e-mailed offering help. We truly appreciate knowing that we are in your prayers. At this time we are unaware of any of our Des Moines Presbytery churches that have been affected by the floods or tornadoes. If you know of an issue, please contact our office immediately at 515-276-4991 or pbydesmoines@qwestoffice.net.

Do you need help?
If you need help or are in touch with church members or others that need immediate assistance with clean up, housing, replacement of necessary household items, contact one of the following:

• The United Way of Central Iowa, http://www.unitedway.com/ or call 2-1-1


• The Iowa Concerns Hotline, 800-447-1985


• Department of Human Services, http://www.dhs.iowa.gov/ or 877-937-3663


• Federal Assistance Hotline, 800-462-9029


• Federal Emergency Management Agency, http://www.fema.gov/ or 800-621-3362

What can you do to help?
Financial Contributions
Church sessions are encouraged to prayerfully consider asking for funds from their congregations. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has available both a postcard and a bulletin insert at the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance web site. Use these to contact your church members for financial help.

If you would like to donate directly to the flood relief effort, you can mail checks to:

Presbytery of Des Moines
Attn: 2008 Flood Relief
2400 86th St., Ste. 20
Des Moines, IA 50322-4306
Memo line should include “2008 Flood Relief”

Or

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Individual Remittance Processing
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
Memo line should include special account info–North America Disaster Response & Relief (DR000162)

The PDA designated account supplements the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering to enable a significant response to communities impacted by the heavily-active 2008 season of tornadoes, storms, and floods in the United States. Donations can be made online as well.

Individuals can also donate financial contributions for flood relief to the American Red Cross Central Iowa Chapter, or the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation. Checks may be made payable Greater Des Moines Community Foundation (or GDMCF) with a memo of: 2008 Flood Relief & Recovery Fund.

Volunteer Help
The Presbytery of Des Moines is working with the Iowa Disaster Resource Council, a group of faith traditions, non-profit relief agencies and government agencies which is working to set up a volunteer coordinator to which we will all refer people. One note from the Resource Council is: DO NOT SEND CLOTHES. There will be some specific clothing needs articulated, but right now clothes are not needed.

Currently, in the Des Moines area, volunteers are asked to register with the Iowa Governor’s Web site to get scheduled for placement.

If you want to volunteer and help immediately this weekend – contact the United Way Volunteer Relief Center by going online to register. Or go to the United Way Human Services Campus at 1111 9th St., Des Moines, to sign up. Residents without access to the Internet should call 2-1-1- to register their contact information.

If you are interested in sending a work team to help with the clean-up and have scheduled specific weeks your group is available, contact the national Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Call Center, 866-732-6121 or pdacallcenter@sbcglobal.net. They are handling all work team calls and will be keeping a database of available teams, dates and accommodations. You’ll eventually be plugged in to help at a future date in various locations throughout the midwest.

Other Contributions
Mucking out homes and businesses are the first step in returning lives to normal. To learn more about assembling clean-up buckets, go to the PC(USA) PDA Web site. Here are the items to include:

How to make a Clean-Up Bucket

• 1 — 5-gallon bucket with resealable lid
• 5 — scouring pads
• 7 — sponges, assorted sizes
• 1 — scrub brush
• 1 — pkg. cleaning towels (18 reusable, like Easy Wipes®)
• 1 — box dry laundry detergent, 50-78 oz.
• 1 — liquid concentrated household cleaner (like Lysol®), 12 oz.
• 1 — bottle liquid disinfectant dish soap (like Dawn®), 25 oz.
• 50 — clothespins
• Clothesline, two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.
• 5 — dust masks
• 2 pair — latex gloves (like Playtex®)
• 1 pair — work gloves
• 1 — 24-count roll heavy-duty trash bags (33-45 gallon)
• 1 — bottle insect repellant (drops or lotion, not aerosol), 6-14 oz.

Please purchase all liquids in plastic bottles. Put all items in the plastic bucket and pack securely. (Please call the church first for delivery specifications.)

Des Moines Presbytery Bucket Drop Off Sites:
Park Avenue Presbyterian Church
3120 S.W. 9th St.
Des Moines, IA 50315-2205
515-282-8309

Or

Highland Park Presbyterian Church
321 Euclid Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50313-4349
515-288-5703

East Iowa Presbytery Bucket Drop Off Sites:
First Presbyterian Church
2701 Rochester Avenue
Iowa City, IA 52245
319-351-2660

Or

First Presbyterian Church
802 12th Street
Marion, IA 52302
319-377-7309

PDA Responds to Floods and Storms in Iowa

Five items of importance for you to note:

1. Our General Presbyter Rev. Phil Barrett coordinated a conference call Friday morning, June 13, of ecumenical leaders and denominational disaster relief which has lead to an improvement in communication and coordination for Iowa disasters. A website is being set up that all faith communities will link to and provide information. More word on this will come later this week.

Also, our PC(USA) Presbyterian Disaster Assistant person in Iowa, Don Hampton (Indianola, Trinity United), informs us that the Iowa Disaster Resource Council, a group of faith traditions, non-profit relief agencies and government agencies is working to set up a volunteer coordinator to which we will all refer people. It is also possible that a PDA staffer will be coming to Des Moines to coordinate PDA work state-wide. The main thing to know is that we are working with our other faith tradition partners right now. Our biggest needs will come as the water recedes. This will be a long haul and require lots of volunteers. One note from the Resource Council is: DO NOT SEND CLOTHES. There will be some specific closing needs articulated, but right now clothes are not needed.

2. Also, the North Central Iowa Presbytery Office Disaster Assistance Coordinator Kaylene Hoskins is helping coordinate volunteer workers in Parkersburg with the F5 tornado cleanup. On Wednesday, June 11, the Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Indianola sent 11 volunteers to help with cleanup in the Parkersburg/New Hartford area. They reported that it will take a long time for recovery in the area. (See photos.)

3. Two documents for disaster assistance information to download and share:

• Homeland Security Emergency Management FEMA information flyer for home owners, renters, businesses, private non-profit org affected by sever storms, tornadoes and flooding.
• American Red Cross Disaster Services Recovery Information Flyer – The Storm has Passed… now what?

4. How can you help? The immediate need in Iowa is for buckets to help clean up after the floods. Learn how to build buckets at: www.pcusa.org/pda/response/usa/2008winterspringstormsfloods-index.htm. Send buckets to:

First Presbyterian Church
802 12th Street
Marion, IA 52303

First Presbyterian Church
2701 Rochester Avenue
Iowa City, IA 52245

5. Finally, if you are interested in contributing monies, contact your Presbytery Office for procedures on sending funds towards disaster aftermath in Iowa and surrounding states. In Des Moines, e-mail pbydesmoines@qwestoffice.net or call 515-276-4991. A bulletin insert is available at: www.pcusa.org/pda/resources/usfloodbulletin.pdf.

Reminder: Do not send clothing at this time.

Please share these pieces of information with whomever may need them! Thank you for your prayers!