Region I Annual Meeting Reports

The Region I meetings were held in Lowville, New York on October 3 and 4, 2008. Excerpts from the Unit reports are below. For the entire report, you may download the document from the Region I page.

Unit Reports from the Region I meetings.

Florida – Ivan Kaufman. ERT training in Miami in Spanish. Sarasota Unit donated tarps, chain saw, generator to the Unit/church there for first response. Also hosted the South Bay winter project. This project renovated 3 houses at the request of an organization in Florida to give Region I volunteers an opportunity to serve during the winter months. Moved trailer and equipment all to one place.  17 volunteers helped put a new roof on a barn September.  Would like to have another ERT in Sarasota. Will be doing some investigation along east coast counties as per Jerry Klassen’s request. 

North Carolina – Phil Troyer – no disasters.  Want to set up an ERT training.  Had a Unit meeting in September.  Phil has a trailer that can be used in first response with a little more planning.

 
East Virginia – Joe Blumber – home had a fire (had been an MDS binational client.  Volunteers cleaned out the house.  In March county called with a trailer fire with much smoke and heat damage.  Investigated and recommended trailer be replaced.  That was not possible.  Agreed to re-sheetrock it and had cabinets donated.  It is almost finished. Had an ERT training.  Had a meeting afterwards with a smaller group planning out how far this team and a possible trailer could go (3-4 hours away).  Would use own trucks and tools for now.  Ray asked if they could go to S Caroline and Georgia after some storms there.  Now want to get a trailer ready if possible.  Sent a number of volunteers from various churches to the South Bay project in winter- helped build the Unit. 

Eastern PA – Titus Hunsburger – last Oct-Nov Kevin King asked whether this Unit would test out “call to arms” program helping military families with home repairs if needed.  A home of a former marine in a wheelchair was given as a case.  Sent a group of volunteers to do the drywalling one Saturday (in Philadelphia).  Discussed it after and decided this wasn’t for MDS.  In the bigger city permits are needed for so many things and it makes work and progress tough.  Did send some groups to the Gulf to binational projects.
 
New York– Melvin Roes – finished the Conklin project and 2 homes were finished and families moved in.  A church in the Bronx needed a new roof and called MDS for help.  Had a quote for $75,000.  MDS found a different method of roofing for them costing $800-$1000 and the church said they could handle the funding and work to do that.  Two house fires in the Unit.  One is on hold and the other one is underway and in progress and being built.  Have two ERT teams and continue to work at setting them up better to be ready to go.  Was another house fire – house already built and a barn fire.  

Shenandoah Valley Unit– read by Ray from Bernard Martin – main activity of the year was supporting and running the South Bay FL project and also supplying equipment. 8 groups went for this Unit to the project during the winter.  Leadership was provided by this Unit.  Waiting for permits were the biggest drawback.  4 groups went to the Gulf.  5 people went to the ERT training in E Virginia.  Have also had people a few days on local Habitat for Humanity projects near home.

Lancaster PA Unit– read by Wilmer for Tim High – Two day clean up at Conestoga Mennonite church after a fire,  built a ERT trailer and found drivers that would be ready to take it, fixed/built fences in Montana after wildfires, helped build an office trailer for RV projects, Six youth groups went to the Gulf in the summer, Storm Aid helped organize corn silage exchange for the old order Amish who had bad hail damage to their crops

Central PA Unit - Ray Zimmerman – 20 years ago helped clean up after a barn fire for a family, last year the sister of that man got corn silage, then last Nov a request came for central Unit’s address for a donation.  The farmer was killed (that had had the barn fire) and $1300 was sent to the MDS Unit. Now another barn fire with cattle and much hay lost.  The money from the widow is going to help this family now.  And so goes touching lives and how that spreads.