UMCOR - ERT & VIM Team photos

ERT Presentation @ UMW general mtg. 11/16/11 (click on link to view presentation)

Below are pictures from UMCOR ERT and VIM teams (Nashville, TN; Sanford, NC; Haiti)

Nashville, TN ERT trip (May 18-21, 2010)

Letter to LRUMC from Michael & Cheryl Koogler

1st day on the job (May 19th) - morning spent @ Dodson Chapel UMC in Hermitage, TN

    Arriving At Dodson Chapel UMC                                      The Church Bus

Praying before we begin our work.                     Our 1st glimpse of the basement


Michael and Bob working on support.    The 2 support now in place holding up the sanctuary floor.

Don and Cheryl in the passing line. The side of the church we didn't attempt to clear for safety reasons.

We went door-to-door looking for folks to help; Condemned home
Look at the high water mark on this property.

      look at the high water marks on each of these, they were submerged!

                                      Day 2 - May 20th
spent at home of RJ and Cynthia - a couple identified in the door-to-door search

Outside view of Cynthia and RJ's home. Dry wall removed by RJ; now the floors

Lynn and Ken working on the top layer.               Floors in the living room almost done!


       Margot & Bill are almost finished.                  The debris piles grows and grows!


    Michael patients works on antiques.                Ah, lunch under the shaded porch. :)


RJ's bleach/water bottle waiting to be used.      Bill and Michael prying up floor boards.


         Cheryl & homeowner, Cynthia.                         Don watching the "CLAW"


    Homeowner, RJ, spraying his solution.         Michael successfully removed all drawers!

                                        Geese in RJ & Cynthia's back yard.

DAY 2 - Part II @ Steve's House...just down the street from Cynthia & RJ
                            (also found in door-to-door search)

Crawl space entrance under Steve's house. Bob, Margot, Steve, & Don with his truck.

    Cheryl after her time under the house.            Bob after his time under the house.


     Pile of saturated insulation - heavy!!           Loading up Don's truck to take to the road
                                                                          (took us 4 or 5 really full loads!)


    Stream below that rose 30+ feet               Watermark on trees - just enough to flood
                                                                the underneath and ruin HVAC and insulation

        Steve feeding the rescued cats on his patio: he has a lot more since the flood.

                                           Day 3 - May 21st
                               Spent at home of David and Betsy -
                 a couple identified by preacher @ Dodson's Chapel UMC


      Exterior of Betsy & David's house                       Homeowner's Betsy & David

Removing the drywall and floors Local volunteer, Carmen, lends a hand.

Bill and Ken removing sub floor. Michael using sawzaw to cut drywall.

What moldy insulation looks like! Looking thru LR into Den; drywall & floors gone.

    Bedroom stripped of walls and floor.               Bob and owner, David watch the claw.


     Margot coming up our team's ramp.               The claw has greatly reduced our pile!


     Betsy and her "Do It" man, Ken. :)                 Michael and Jay loading up the trailer.

                                The Nashville team in David & Betsy's back yard.
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                              Haiti VIM trip (Spring, 2011)


      One of the many colorful buses.                             Debris in Port-au-Prince

       Demolished Presidential Palace                      Open market amidst debris and water.


        Old Methodist church is Turoc                          Walls of new church going up.


    Local woman carries 2 full buckets                    Locals and VIM team fetch water


                 The bucket brigade                              Lynne and Ken passing blocks


    Sifting sand for paste block paste.                             Homemade ladder.


     Up on the makeshift scaffolding                        Taking a fruit break in the shade.


     Leveling - old school, low tech way.                        Dick speaks with local boys.


     Baltimore/Washington & local team.                       A scorching hot Haiti sunset.

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             Sanford, NC ERT trip (May 3 - 7, 2011)

      Letter to LRUMC Congregation from Cheryl Wagner-Koogler

                             Tuesday, May 3rd - day of arrival

Arriving in Sanford, NC

The main entrance and front of our host church, St. Luke UMC

Taking a look at our work site the day of arrival;

Looking across the street at what used to be a forest.

Driving thru the St. Andrew's district, just down the road from our worksite

Another seriously damaged house and car.

Sharing dinner with NC ERTs @ St. Luke's.

Wednesday, May 4th - 1st day of work - off to site @ 7:00

Our sign posted by the main road. Homeowner sisters, Gayle and Pat.

It rained, we got dirty! Dick, Roger, Donna, Bill Margot with her reliable chainsaw!

Jim, the chainsaw man! DC on his John Deere hauling a load.

Their street where it meets the main Cheryl using Margot's chainsaw. road; DC dropping a load for the county.

Jim and Bill in front of an uprooted tree stump. Dick waits to hook up a log to DC's tractor.

Ah, sun is out, and it's lunchtime! Cheryl, DC, Sandy, Pat, Gayle and Bill

Thursday, May 5th - 2nd day of work - off to site @ 7:30

Loading up/heading out bright and early! George, one of the St. Luke geese.

Driving past the front of Gayle's cabin. The area we cleared on Wednesday!

Four men hold the weight while 1 saws! Bill gives support so saw won't be caught.

Ah, breaktime water and snacks! Break's over...back to work on the big stuff

Loading up the tractor Cheryl, Suzanne and Margot haulin' wood!

Several support so as to control the fall. DC hauls a huge tree section out of there!

Views of the area from Pat & Raphael's house; south and westviews; close up from driveway to Gayle's cabin.

A lot done on day 2!!!

Friday, May 6th - 3rd and final day of work - off to site @ 7:00

View of the front from the left side. View of the front from the right side.

Jim working right; Bill from left. Clearing the debris; Judy, Dick, Sandy, Margot and Bill

Bill and Margot await the fall of a huge limb Left side cleared, working on the right
Judy, Jim, Roger, and Donna.

We've unearthed the front porch!!! Downed trees in the wisteria - a mess!

Cheryl found a bit of shade! Mess gone; view from the front door.

Front cleared; view from driveway. View from Pat and Raphael's house.

Bill sawed off a section of log that we all This is the other side.

signed and left for Gayle, Pat, and Raphael.

OUR TEAM

Back Row: Roger, Dick, Bill, Jim, Gayle, Raphael, Sandy
Front Row: Donna, Cheryl, Margot, Pat, Judy, and DC

Notice that we also tarped the roof 3 places before we left.