Willits Pastor, Member Headed to
Fourth Mississippi Relief Effort

Willits -- August 29, 2006

The Rev. Cheri Pierre and member Gayle Holz of Willits UMC are planning their fourth trip to Van Cleave, Mississippi, in October to help with cleanup efforts in the wake of last year's Hurricane Katrina.

They, and eight others from Willits UMC who went on some of the earlier trips, were part of larger contingencies from UMVIM [United Methodist Volunteers in Mission] teams from the California-Nevada Annual Conference. Half of the Willits folks were retired or students on break, and the other half were people taking time off work. All say they found the trips rewarding, and the appreciation expressed by the people of Van Cleave heartwarming.

On the first trip last September, 10 days after Katrina hit, the Cal-Nev group spent five days. They returned again in November and April. Volunteers would pay for their own airplane tickets, and share in car rentals -- spending about $500 a person per trip. They were hosted at the Van Cleave UMC with free mattresses or cots, showers, and three meals a day. They would work in homes, stripping them of damage and installing new sheet rock -- all while wearing respirators against the stench, and protective clothing and gloves. George Carter, retired pastor at Willits who has made several UMVIM trips, has said after each one: "You couldn't pay me to do this work" -- underscoring the much different motivation of volunteers.

Rev. Pierre received regrets from others in Willits unable to make the trips. But many of those who had to stay home for family and business nevertheless sent donations.

Louisiana Volunteer Team Coordinator, the Rev. Connie Thomas, reports that the number of volunteers coming to the region has been declining over the past two months. She is hoping that more churches send volunteers to assist. “For the great majority of these hurricane survivors, the volunteer effort will be the only way they will see their homes rebuilt. There are thousands who will receive little or no insurance monies. Many of the survivors are senior citizens on fixed incomes and those living in poverty. The volunteer effort that the churches are providing is literally a God-send.”