A Day in the Life of a Volunteer....

So what exactly are we doing all this time in Moore?  Well, here's a sample....

Basically, I (Dana) work in the office with Sandra, another long term volunteer.  We coordinate the calendar with Carlee (back in the home office in Michigan, when she isn't in Haiti), keep expenses straight (well, when we can gather up the receipts from the guys), interact with the homeowners as needed, greet new volunteers and explain the routine, and try to keep things scheduled and running as smoothly as possible.  

Kent's jobs are more varied.  He might be at City Hall getting permits, or picking up supplies at FEMA, or leading a crew out in the field, usually cutting down trees or picking up rocks and raking lots.  Since he's an early riser, he often sticks breakfast in the oven to heat up for the morning (the ladies have everything prepared, and bribe him with coffee!)  

So what do the regular volunteers do?  Basically, whatever is asked!  In Moore, it might be looking for personal items in a home before it's demolished, pulling out wires and metals to recycle, carrying trash to the curb and sorting it into appropriate piles, picking up cement chunks after a slab has been removed, or raking out a lot smoothly to ready it for new construction.  They might cut down trees, put up tarps, clean up mold, paint, or lay flooring.  (As a general rule, Poured Out leaves rebuilding to the local economy, but there were a couple of exceptions made to that in Moore in special situations.)  A volunteer might stay back and help clean up the church (someone has to do it!) or help with the donations that come in.  

Many people ask how they can help in disaster relief.  First, understand you don't have to be there in the first few days.  In fact, authorities usually don't want you there that fast!  They need time to get security and health protections established and recovery processes functioning.  There will be plenty for you to do in the following weeks.  

Find an organization to work through.  Don't just show up not knowing who you will be working with.  You probably will have trouble finding a place to stay, and are likely to get in trouble if you are out in the field, even with the best intentions, without some official sponsorship.  There are dozens and dozens of volunteer relief organizations that respond to disaster areas.  Most everyone is familiar with Samaritan's Purse, but there are many others that work in similar fashion.  Contact one of them to see how you can help.

Understand that most organizations won't let kids under 14 in the field (and that age needs a parent beside them.)  Please respect this.  It's a safety and liability issue.  We all want to encourage humanitarian endeavors with our children, but there's a time and place and generally disaster clean-up isn't it.  Additionally, often having children in the field actually slows up the process, and sometimes speed (before the next rain/storm begins) is needed.  

Be prepared to do whatever is needed, even if it doesn't seem like it would be directly helpful. There are reasons for how things have to be done; unfortunately, there's not always time to stop and explain those reasons.  Trust your leaders, and ask questions at more convenient times.  If you don't like the answers, find a different organization to work with.  

Expect to have to replace or repair a tire (or two).  And if you don't - lucky!

Know that you might have to pay your way with an organization.  With Poured Out it's $25/day/person. For that you get two meals, a cot or mat to sleep on in dormitory style surroundings with total strangers, and a shower - probably cold.  Actually here, $10 goes directly to the church to offset utility and wear and tear expenses, while the rest is used for food and supplies.

Donations - the best, easiest, quickest solution is money.  But a word of caution on monetary donations - check out the agency first.  Too often a large percentage of your money goes for business expenses, not victim relief.  (Full disclosure - no one in Poured Out receives a salary - all donations go to disaster relief.  The full time staff all raise their own missionary support.)  A good alternative is a gift card. Yes, paper towels, gloves and cleaning supplies ARE always needed, but perhaps what this person needs most is his/her blood pressure medicine refilled or their tools replaced so they can resume work.  A gift card will help with that where you couldn't, and you know it gets into a family's hands.

In Moore a typical day would look like this,,,
5:45ish  Someone plugs in the coffee and puts the morning breakfast in the oven
6:30 Dorm lights come on - there are only 3 bathrooms so the rush and line ups begin
7:00 or 7:15 Breakfast
7:45ish Morning group devotions followed by daily work team division and assignments
8:00ish  Load tools and teams and go to the assigned work site
During the work day people take breaks and eat lunch at their convenience.  If necessary because of weather or health issues people may return to the church.
5:00 (could be earlier or much later) pick up tools and clean up to return to church; hit the shower trailer!
6:30 ish Supper and review of the day
7:30ish Tool and equipment repair and prep - free time to get to know others and share experiences
9:00 Steve's movie of the night
Whenever you are tired - bed

Every day a couple of people stayed back to help with cleaning the building.  Additionally, there were some extra tasks on Saturday to prepare for evening church and church Sunday morning.

They key to a satisfying volunteer experience is to come expecting to help with whatever tasks the leaders have for you.  If you come with a list of things YOU want to accomplish you probably will go away disappointed.   If you come with an open heart to be helpful you will find those opportunities abundant.

If you have interest or questions about helping with a disaster response, feel free to contact Kent or Dana for more information.