December 27, 2006
Our second reconstruction group from California arrived safe and sound in Pass Christian. Jim at Restoration Point put them straight to work on Florence's house. Florence is a long-time resident of Pass Christian who is confined to a wheelchair. Jim says our group has helped bring this project very close to "move in" day. This will be the first time Florence has had her home wheelchair accessible. Restoration Point has tried very hard to make sure that all aspects or this reconstruction are accessible and safe for a person with disabilities.
Thank you Robert and his group from California and thank you Restoration Point for all your hard work. Here are a few pictures of Florence, Jim of Restoration Point, the California group of volunteers and Florence's house.
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HOLIDAY GREETINGS AND HUGS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED UNITED PEACE RELIEF
THROUGH THE YEAR!
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Update - November 13, 2006
The United Peace Relief group from the Ukiah area arrived safe and sound in Pass Christian last Thursday and went straight to work. They will be working with Restoration Point until next Thursday. Good job Wendy! Mike and Carol joined them on Saturday coming in from Florida. Restoration Point welcomed us with comfortable housing and good food! Gordon Soderberg of New Orleans Voices for Peace and Nikki Jackson came over from Slidell to help. Nikki and Carol were able to finish closing the United Peace Relief free clinic and Laura of City Action Partnership was able to find a home for all the donated supplies at a small, rural clinic in Angie, MS. Thank you Laura! Gordon filmed the crew working on additional housing for volunteers scheduled for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring breaks. This weekend was a perfect example of the power of networking and collaboration between organizations working together in the gulf coast and New Orleans areas.
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October
23, 2006
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October
22, 2006
United
Peace Relief makes the news in Ukiah regarding our current
reconstruction project in Pass Christian, MS. Wendy will be
leaving California for Mississippi on the November 7 with a
group of contractors, carpenters and other volunteers.
Below is the article that appeared in the paper regarding
the trip. We could use even more volunteers. Can you meet
us in Pass Christian for this project. We will put you to
work for sure. E-mail info@unitedpeacerelief.org
if you would
like to be a part of the group.
Hurricane Recovery: Ukiah group
helping to rebuild homes
By KATIE MINTZ The Daily
Journal
Article Last Updated:10/20/2006 08:50:38 AM PDT
In
November, local carpenter Wendy Jackson will steer an old
Tioga by Fleetweed RV close to 2,500 miles from Mendocino
County to coastal Pass Christian, Miss., where a front lawn
is "mud that's encrusted with chunks of plastic, weird
shreds of trees and branches, parts of sofas, old cups and
saucers" and houses swamped by Hurricane Katrina more than
a year ago are still in disrepair. There, Jackson, a board
member of Ukiah-based nonprofit United Peace Relief, and
other volunteers will continue disaster relief and
rebuilding efforts, assisting in the construction of three
new homes.
United Peace Relief, according to board member Steve
Scalmanini, was formed after a few local Samaritans
traveled to Covington, La., with the Mendocino County
chapter of Veterans for Peace immediately following
Hurricane Katrina's wrath in August 2005. After their
return, they knew their work was far from done. "We got
there a week after it hit," Polly Lynn, also a United Peace
Relief board member, said. "You just couldn't see the end
of anything because it was so disastrous."
According to Jackson, 280 miles of coastline in the Gulf of
Mexico -- or about the distance from Fort Bragg to Santa
Cruz -- were decimated. "Pass Christian was basically
flattened," Lynn said of why it was chosen as a focus of
the group's support. Pass Christian had zippo. They had
nothing," Scalmanini added. United Peace Relief, which also
is currently providing relief to Hurricane John-blasted
Mulege in Mexico's Baja Peninsula, has operated a health
clinic in Pass Christian since Katrina hit and has made a
few other rebuilding trips, which volunteer Bob Dress said
made a difference, and were genuinely appreciated despite
their relative shortness.
"After over a year of these efforts, the need is still
great. You're just not hearing about it in the news
anymore," Lynn said. On the upcoming trip, which is set for
Nov. 7-18, Jackson said she will likely focus on adding
roofs, siding and windows to homes that have already been
framed by another service organization. United Peace Relief
is still looking for volunteers who would like to help on
the trip. "I'd like more skilled people to go with me and
unskilled people too," Jackson said. "The more volunteers
the better. I've been making calls to plumbers and
electricians that I know -- fellow carpenters. If somebody
can make the trip, it's really worth doing."
In May, Jackson said, she helped rebuild the house of a
couple who only received $20,000 from their hurricane
insurance. They did not have flood insurance. "It's
important to keep the ball rolling down there," Jackson
said. "The people that are on the ground there need to know
that volunteers are going to keep coming. It's important
for their morale."
United Peace Relief is operated on donations, both monetary
and material, including the generous donations of the old
RV and two others, and medical supplies, which are used by
Executive Director Lynn Meadows, also a physician's
assistant. These, along with countless volunteer hours, are
continuing to make a difference in an area that is still
struggling, board members say.
"It's really grassroots people, just the common man, coming
out and making a difference in every way that they
possibly can," Lynn said.
For more information about volunteering with or donating to
United Peace Relief, visit http://www.unitedpeacerelief.org
or call Polly Lynn at 463-2848.
Katie Mintz can be reached at udjkm@pacific.net. Courtesy
The Daily Journal Photo by Isaac Eckel
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October
15, 2006
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR RECONSTRUCTION
We
have had a request from two organizations in the gulf
region for volunteers to join their reconstruction project.
Can you help? If you can't help with these particular
projects, both oganizations can use volunteers at any time.
Zion Traveler Baptist Church in Phoenix, Louisiana in
conjunction with Hillcrest Covenent Church are having two
weeks of a special reconstruction project, October 30 and
November 7. Check out the Volunteer page on this site for
details and a link to the project details.
Restoration Point has a five-year plan for reconstruction
in Pass Christian, Mississippi. A group of United Peace
Relief volunteers will be in "The Pass" from November 7 to
November 18 and could use some extra help. E-mail
info@unitedpeacerelief.org
for more
information or to volunteer on this project.
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October 15,
2006
We have a special request from
Zion Travelers Baptist Church in Phoenix, Louisiana. All
Christmas decorations were lost in the flood. This church
has a strong tradition of lights and decorating the church
at Christmas. If you can help this community replenish
their Christmas decorations and lights, mail them to Zion
Travelers Baptist Church, 174 Thomas Lane, Brainwaith, LA
70040.
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September
21, 2006
Lynn
and Deborah have returned from Mulege, Mexico where they
traveled after Hurricane John. They were welcomed by this
small community which was devastated by winds and
floodwaters. For Lynn's account of our work there, go to
the Journal page.
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September
15, 2006
Three RV's have
been donated for mobile disaster response vehicles. One is
located in Florida, one in California and the third in the
Gulf Coast. The vehicles have been remodeled to be self
sufficient with soup kitchen and first aid. We are planning
to outfit each unit with satellite internet capability.
Unfortunately, funds are not available for this project
right now. If you would like to help us complete this goal,
please visit the Donate page. Also, if you have a
connection to help us acquire this equipment,
e-mail info@unitedpeacerelief.org.
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September
1, 2006
Pass
Christian, Mississippi now has a permanent clinic with a
physician on the premises. Therefore, we have closed the
United Peace Relief free clinic and will be focusing our
efforts on reconstruction. We have enjoyed staffing and
working in this free clinic and are thrilled they now have
a permanent physician in town. This beautiful community has
not seen the last of United Peace Relief -- reconstruction
is next on the agenda!
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United Peace Relief (UPR)
volunteers continue to give service in the gulf region
doing reconstruction, medical and social work. UPR has been
given the IRS classification of a 501(c)(3) non-profit
corporation which will help us grow and continue our
disaster relief efforts. We continue to identify existing
opportunities for volunteers throughout the Gulf Coast and
get the word out to potential volunteers. Some estimate
that 70% of the reconstruction will be done by volunteers
and will take 3 to 5 years. There are many locations and
varied opportunities; now the task is to get the word out
and keep the volunteers coming. Please visit our
Volunteer page to read about these
opportunities.
Also, please don't forget -- We need your support in order
to continue and expand our work. Visit the
Donate and Store pages and help support United Peace
relief financially.
Thank you for your support,
P. O. Box 486
Ukiah, CA 95482
info@unitedpeacerelief.org