D'Iberville Volunteer Foundation

FROM DNN BLOG 8/16/07

Hi, D'iberville Volunteer Foundation volunteers!

As we approach the 2nd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Ed
and I would like to thank each of you for your continued
support and caring for the recovery of the citizens of our
town. With your help, we have completed the rehabbing of
more than 650 properties and have 215 in progress and new
ones come in almost weekly. We have built or are completing
24 new stick-built homes that our Mennonnite and Amish partners
(CAM) and ROAR and teams from New Jersey, Maine, Ohio, and
Kentucky framed for us! We continue to work each week on the
homes as well as providing counseling, advocacy, food, and
spiritual support to citizens weary with the recovery process.
They are still smiling and keeping on...it's just with more effort!

We would like to let you know about our Fall 2007 Blitz planned
for September through November. This is the "Have a Heart, Give
a Hand, Bring Them Home for Christmas" focus to complete the rehab
homes so that our citizens can celebrate this Chrismas in their
homes rather than in FEMA trailers and campers! We hope you will
return to help us make this a reality for the residents of
D'Iberville!

We also want to let you know about our Spring 2008 Blitz that is
planned for February through April 2008. This is the "Leading the
Way, Building with Strength, Making Them Safe before the Storms"
focus to finish the new homes we will begin in the fall and winter
and finish any damaged homes that come into the system during the
winter and spring so that they are in substantial strucures prior
to the beginning of the third hurricane season post-Katrina!

We will be open and working in December and January as we check
and reassess to make sure no citizen falls through any cracks!
We'll also be meeting holiday and other needs as well as continuing
the construction and reconstruction work!

If God blesses us with no tropical storms or hurricanes this season,
we plan to finish our work May 31, 2008. We will plan the "Come Home
and Celebrate" event in June, 2008!

We would not be where we are now without each of you and your
contributions! We hope to have time with many of you this next
few months as you return to help us complete God's plan for
D'Iberville's recovery!

In His Love and with our gratitude and prayers,

Irene and Ed
D'Iberville Volunteers Foundation

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UPDATE emailed 4/8/07 from facility:

-Medical Clinic is no longer operated by this facility
-Capacity for volunteer housing = 150
-Project will run through 8/08
-They have a forklift to receive pallets

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The Mission of the D'Iberville Volunteers Foundation

Our mission is to provide for the redevelopment and
rebuilding of D'Iberville, Mississippi, and to assist
in the provision for future growth and cultural
enhancement of the citizens of D'Iberville, Mississippi,
by providing for the education of the citizens in the
history and culture of D'Iberville. In addition, the
foundation seeks to assist in provision for the health
and welfare of the citizens of D'Iberville.

The City is composed primarily of middle to lower income
households. It is a diversified community with a
Euro-American, African-American, Vietnamese and Hispanic
population. There are no similar programs in the area.
The only barriers to service are monetary. The devastation
caused by Hurricane Katrina created a financial need of
exorbitant proportions that have been exacerbated by the
lack of insurance responsibility.

The primary goal is to establish a program to provide
rebuilding assistance to the City's 8,000 residents
devastated by Hurricane Katrina. A secondary goal is to
establish fundraising projects to assist the Foundation
in offsetting its non-profit endeavors. This effort was
begun in September immediately following Hurricane Katrina
with the establishment of emergency services. Over the next
6 months the process moved forward with the assessment of
damages, repair and rebuilding and the establishment and
running of a Volunteer Village to house and feed volunteers
from outside the Gulf Coast area. Daily reports are
generated of work completed and in progress. Every 90 days
an assessment is taken of the reconstruction needs and
reconstruction progress of the entire City.

Of the 1906 homes that have been assessed or are being
reassessed in D'berville, approximately 1250 have been
damaged and more than 370 have been totally destroyed.
As of May 1, 2006, 410 D'berville homes are in the process
of being repaired or rebuilt and 405 have been completed.
It is anticipated that this reconstruction project will
require a 3 to 5 year time frame. Our objectives are measured
by the number of homes worked and repaired and the number of
families assisted and returned to their homes.

=====================================================
Post from July Blog at www.reelrelief.com

Tuesday, July 31, 2007
D’Iberville Volunteers Foundation, Inc.

As of July 31, 2007, more than 6,000 volunteers, individuals and families, have come from
44 states, 5 foreign countries, and more than 400 churches to D’Iberville, Mississippi,
through the D’Iberville Volunteers Foundation to assist in the recovery process.

The volunteers have come to D’Iberville an average of three times to assist in the restoration and recovery of this Hurricane Katrina-ravaged community. The volunteers have invested more than 300,000 hours or 150 person years of effort.

Irene McIntosh, Ph.D., President Ed Cake, Ph.D., Vice-President
Director of Volunteers & Services Assoc. Director of Volunteers & Services

Cell Phone: 228-326-5468 Cell Phone: 228-324-9292

D’Iberville Volunteers Foundation, Inc.
11322 Lamey Bridge Road
D’Iberville, MS 39540
Office Phone: 228-396-1930
E-mail: dvolteam@yahoo.com
Website: www.dvolteam.org

Plans are in the works for a Fall Build Blitz! If you are ready to improve your life as you improve the lives of others, plan to come to D'Iberville to help.

(old note)
The group focuses on D'Iberville residents only. No
income distinction.

7/5: moving into building, versus just rebuilding.

This site can take institutional sized food shipments.

To donate building supply donations, contact the Interfaith
Task Force Warehouse. The warehouse acts as a staging area
for the volunteer groups. Contact info to follow.

Old Info:

Focus is shifting to repair of homes and then rebuilding.
Ramping up for system whereby volunteers to repairs and
rebuilding under supevision of volunteer contractors with
proper insurance. Using donated materials and some
insurance-purchased items.

Not listing address at this time because they believe they
will be moving in next few weeks. Call Irene for info in
meantime.

Still operating:

Medical clinic, Monday thru Saturday, 9a-6p.Have been doanted
double-wide trailer.

Kitchen, serving breakfast and lunch, and providing frozen
meals for dinner.

Volunteer camp, with beds (in air-conditioned, heated tents),
18 hot showers, and a mess hall in the old concession stand
for residents and volunteers.

Plan to close down POD. Eventually will ask that donations
be sent directly to addresses of those who need donated
household goods.

Irene keeps a database tracking all citizens of D'Iberville
and their status. Tami told me 70% are in trailer (about 10%
of which have had leaks or other problems). Remaining 30% are
in hotels, a few in tents, or staying with others.