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Situation Report — West Virginia
September, 2006
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Give now!
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A 2005 team worked in the rafters of this building. Photo: WVMAW |
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Volunteers have been helping in West Virginia since severe flooding affected the area in 2001. Over the years, volunteer workteams have participated in home repair and reconstruction, deconstruction, playground restoration, parks cleanup, stream bank stabilization, and vacation Bible schools, among other things. Following is a report on the value of volunteers during 2006. |
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Report from West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy & Workcamps, Inc. (WVMAW)
West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps is grateful for the covenant that has been formed with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, The Synod of the Trinity, and the Presbytery of West Virginia in order to cooperate and carry out workcamp ministry in West Virginia in 2006. This summer has been an extremely busy one at all three of our mission locations.
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Volunteer Management
Of the 38 work teams on the 2006 schedule, 32 have already come. These teams represent 104 work days to date. Repairs have been made to 15 homes, representing 21 people. Work has also been done at six rural Presbyterian churches, representing a total of 185 members.
The work has consisted of repairs to flood damaged homes, creek bank restoration to save a drive way, demolition, reconstruction and renovation to include walls and flooring, construction of porches, electrical and plumbing work, roofing, wheel chair ramps, and gallons and gallons of fresh paint.
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Richmond Korean Presbyterian Church served in West Virginia soon after the flooding response began. Photo submitted by Timothy Kim |
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It is remarkable how poverty compounds disaster. Much of the work that we are called to do is repairing far more than damage caused by an outside influence. The disaster is also that poverty has led to the instability, rot, destabilization, and extreme wear on many homes in Southern West Virginia. Much of the work that we are called to do is to make repairs that can secure the homes against further disaster from unpredictable weather and floods. Often the challenge is to find a place to stop working when it is obvious that there is much more that could be done.
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Summer Workcamps
Gilbert, West Virginia
Of the 20 groups scheduled for Gilbert this year, 16 of them have already come. Harry Drake, who has been with WVMAW since 2002, is the site supervisor for Mingo County.
Work in Gilbert is currently being finished for Bernice, an over 70 widow whose house was flooded in 2004. Bernice has a FEMA camper in her front yard to use for bathroom facilities. It started out as a job to replace a bedroom and bathroom that had been destroyed by the flood, but one thing led to another, and this project has taken most of the summer. The groups that have volunteered this year have removed two rooms from her house that were destroyed by water and creating unsafe conditions: the walls were warping and mold was growing, and the roof threatened to cave in. The groups dug trenches to redirect water that seeped from the mountain so it would go into the creek instead of under her home. Volunteer workers replaced her bathroom, rebuilt a bedroom, and replaced the floors that have warped from the flood water. Her electricity has been updated so that it is now safe. Her home has been insulated, has new sheet rock, and a new tin roof.
Just when the house was nearly finished, Bernice fell and broke her hip. So the mission crew stepped in and tore out the new bathroom wall, and widened all of the doors so they are wheel chair accessible. When the wheel chair ramp is in place, Bernice’s house will be officially declared complete. Bernice has been overwhelmed at the new look of her house and the kindness of the volunteers who have taken the time to get to know her.
The volunteers have also helped Mr. B move from his FEMA camper into his renovated mobile home. His former home was destroyed by the flooding of 2004, and he was able to purchase a gutted mobile home with his FEMA funding. WVMAW has helped build walls, flooring, kitchen, and has re-plumbed and re-wired his new home. He said goodbye to the FEMA trailer at the end of May.
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A volunteer team works on the creek stabilization project. Photo: WVMAW
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Montgomery, West Virginia
Montgomery hosted 10 groups in eight weeks of workcamps. One more group will be coming in November. Work was completed on seven residences and two churches. |
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Tim Stewart has finished his third summer staffing the Montgomery mission center. Tim’s challenge is that the Montgomery location can house up to 32 workers, so this location generally gets the larger groups. These groups must be divided into smaller work teams and guided to more than one location for work.
One home that two teams worked on was a house purchased by a local church congregation to give to a family of four from New Orleans. The church had raised the money to renovate a house, and had completed all but the front porch. WVMAW built the porch, and the family is to move into the house by fall.
Mrs. S from Page, West Virginia, did not realize she was eligible for assistance after the floods of 2004 had destabilized her floors. WVMAW teams replaced her bathroom, and put on a new roof that had been leaking.
Diana and her teen-aged son lived in a house located at the top of a steep hill. She had applied for home repairs to other work camp ministries, but her house was considered too extensive and too dangerous for work groups to attempt to repair. Tim and several mission teams took on this challenge, and were able to repair damage to outside walls, replace insulation and build inside walls, replace ceiling, stabilize flooring, replace two porches, and replace rotted siding. Diana has not been shown much grace in her life, and has been touched by the grace that has been shown to her in the teams of workers who made her house safe, warm and dry.
Mrs. T lived near Diana at the top of the steep hill. She is 82 years old and not able to pay for repairs that water damage had caused in her kitchen and bathroom. Work teams renovated the kitchen and bath, and spent time listening to her stories.
Mrs. P, a cancer victim, had no means to have her bathroom flooring replaced. As often happens when the floor is opened, plumbing turns out to be a major issue. The work team replaced Mrs. P’s bathroom, and their ministry actually helped to pay for new fixtures. Although Mrs. P had mostly been far too sick from chemo treatments to spend much time with the work group, she was able to drag out on the last day and clap her hands in her new bathroom. In fact, she insisted they take her picture (fully clothed) sitting on her new toilet!
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Colcord, West Virginia
The Marge Booth Ministry officially began this year, with three weeks scheduled for this location. We added two more for the summer, and have since added three more weeks for the fall.
Jim and Katrine Anderson, from PDA, volunteered to serve as construction site supervisors for three weeks in July. They have had many years of experience in WV working with Marge Booth and with WVMAW. We are blessed to have them return to help us get the Marge Booth ministry started. They have agreed to return in October to host another group that will be coming then. |
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One of the over 30 teams that served in 2005. Photo: Frank Mansell, Jr. |
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Dr. Eric Lohe from Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Carmel, Indiana, served as the site supervisor for a group in June. Since he was my former pastor and mentor in mission ministry, I was able to convince the Board of WVMAW that he would be a competent site supervisor for this location. He will return next summer to host two weeks at Colcord.
Harry Drake hosted one group in Colcord, and will host three groups there in September and October. The Colcord ministry has grown from the original planned three weeks to a total of nine for 2006. So far work has been done on five residences and three churches.
The Orgas Presbyterian Church, located 20 miles from Colcord, applied to the Presbytery of West Virginia Finance and Development committee for a grant to make extensive repairs for damage caused by age, flooding of pipes in the church, and termites. In their application they indicated that they were only asking for funds for materials, and by faith believed that God would provide the workers. I was excited to contact them about how God might provide some of the workers. In four working days the first mission crew made enough difference in the repairs to the inside front of the church that the congregation celebrated as if they were in a brand new sanctuary. Furthermore, some of the team got on the roof and took down the partially rotted “T” that was on top of the church, and built a cross to match the one in older pictures. Elder Howard, who supervised the work team, was overwhelmed. He said he kept singing the hymn, “What a Friend we have in Jesus” while the hammers and saws did their job. He said because of Jesus we have friends that connect us all around, and God surely provides more than we ask or expect.
The Orgas Church will hopefully celebrate completion of renovations this fall after a few more skilled groups pass through. Members of the WVMAW Board will surely be there to celebrate with them. |
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Summer Intern
Josh Huddleston, a rising sophomore at WVU Institute of Technology and a member of the Montgomery Presbyterian Church has finished his second summer as the mission intern for WVMAW. Most of his summer was spent at the Montgomery location working with the larger groups. When the groups were divided into smaller work teams, Josh was able to lead the teams, provide supplies, materials and instruction, and assist in supervising. Josh also went to the Colcord location to carry supplies and guide those leaders in unfamiliar territory.
Josh had the opportunity to meet folks from all around the United States. He has learned construction skills as well as leadership skills. But most important, Josh has learned about mission ministry as a way of life. He has struggled with issues of grace and judgment, of giving and entitlement, and even of prejudice and arrogance toward him from folks from different places. These summers have been a significant part of his faith journey, and a way for him to put his faith into action. |
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Gifts in Abundance
These are just a few of the stories of lives that have been touched by the workers who gave their vacation time to come to West Virginia and bring their gifts for mission ministry. One thing that is profoundly true in mission is that although people come here thinking they will be bringing something, they find that they take back more than they bring.
One group in particular has been working with WVMAW for many years. They have always had strong, dynamic leaders who brought construction skills, devotion skills and musical skills that made their week of mission very powerful. This year due to unforeseen circumstances, their leader was not able to come. He sent the #2 man in his stead, also a powerful leader in his own right. However, the day after they arrived, the leader’s father-in-law died, and he had to return home. The group floundered. They thought that perhaps they should also leave. Tim Stewart put his foot down. Having known them from years past he assured them that their leadership was within them and he was barring the door. Indeed, their leadership WAS within them. Will, only 21, but who had learned at the feet of their leader, was suddenly the construction leader. By the end of the week he was exhausted and wanted to change his name, but was proud that he had stood up to the challenge. Kristen was in school majoring in youth ministry, with future plans for seminary. Although only 19, Kristen stood up to the challenge of being a leader, and by the end of the week felt affirmed in her calling to ministry. It was an unforgettable week for all of the group that found strength in prayer, community, and working together. It was also an unforgettable week for Tim, who was able to stand behind them with quiet guidance, pushing ever so gently to help them find their calling.
This church has now offered to partner with WVMAW in support — financially, spiritually, and physically — so that the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ can continue for both WVMAW and for their mission team. |
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WVMAW Involvement in the Community
Beginning in September, I will join the executive board of Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). Working with other agencies throughout West Virginia, WVMAW will continue to be involved in long term recovery programs and available in disaster recovery.
Implementation of the plans for the Wastewater Treatment Coalition are moving forward slowly. However, a major step forward will be in place by October. A town at the headwaters of one of the streams will have a wastewater treatment system, becoming one of the poster communities for educating other towns in McDowell County. Also a VISTA worker will soon be hired to help with education and research for bringing more towns into implementation of the wastewater treatment plan.
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Summary
Although the busiest part of the 2006 season, with all of its excitement, is now behind us, we are gearing up for an exciting 2007. There are already 13 groups on the calendar. Many of these are repeat groups. However, some of them are brand new, referred to us through the PDA Web site. Furthermore, a good number of our groups are from Pennsylvania, referred to us through the Synod of the Trinity. We are indeed grateful for the partnership we share with all of you that endorse this ministry.
In Christ's Service,
Joan Stewart
Executive Director, WVMAW
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