Nechama - Jewish Response to Disaster

TF: Seth's email bounced, so I wrote to info@NECHAMA.org to see what they are doing.

August 2012, Isaac Update (from their main website):

NECHAMA’s field operations team is in Mississippi and headed to Jackson, MS. We have connected with our friends at the Salvation Army and plan to stage our equipment at their location during the remainder of the storm.

Later today, our Operations Manager Dan Hoeft plans to meet with two of NECHAMA’s other disaster response partners. First Dan will meet with regional representatives from AmeriCorps NCCC and then he will link up with a group from All Hands Volunteers.

NECHAMA received briefings from various nonprofit and government agencies as part of the daily Mississippi Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (MS VOAD) teleconference. We reported on our activities during the call and have begun to coordinate our field activities with both MS VOAD and LA VOAD.

As we know more we will post updates about our activity and any opportunities to volunteer.

Please give today to our Hurricane Isaac Response Fund. Your support will help bring comfort to those affected by the hurricane.

12/5/06 Update from DNN:

Nechama Jewish Disaster Response is still looking for
volunteers to fill up open work weeks in December and
early January down in the New Orleans region. They've
even created an excellent video slideshow of what
volunteers have done there, and it's very inspiring
(see website)

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Nechama ("comfort" in Hebrew), is the Jewish community's
disaster response organization. Based in Minneapolis,
since 1993 we have deployed hundreds of volunteers to help
communities clean-up after floods, tornados, and other
natural disasters. Our mission is based on the Jewish value
of 'Tikkun Olam' -- repairing the world through acts of
goodness. Our work also builds a sense of volunteer spirit
and good citizenship.

Street Address: c/o Operation Blessing, 300 Kensington Blvd.
City: Slidell State: LA
Zip Code: 70458
Contact person: Seth Gardner
Phone number: 763-732-0610
Best hours to call: 7:00 am - 10:00 pm, M-F, CST
E-mail Address: sgardner@nechama.org
Is E-Mail address read daily? Yes
Website address, if any: www.nechama.org

Speciality: House cleanup from Hurricane Katrina

Description of volunteer needs: House gutting, basic
sanitation needs in homes. All deployments have various
tasks connected to them. We don't want anyone engaging in
an activity that is beyond their physical capability. Some
examples of what Nechama does are chain sawing, removal
of fallen trees, pumping water out of basements, removing
contaminated effects from homes, tearing out drywall,
pressure washing and sanitizing walls and surfaces, cleaning
and pick-up of debris, or even just talking or lending moral
support to people that were affected by the disaster. Once
in the field, situations change very quickly. You may be
asked to assist in any number of different ways.

Skills volunteers are required to have: Be in decent physical
health

Useful Skills: Construction knowlege and skills

Tools or supplies volunteers should bring: Please call for
specifics

Will volunteers need to bring any money or material, such as
for housing: Please call for specifics

Length of time volunteer can help: 1 week or longer

Size of volunteer team: Ideal size is 15, max size is 25

Are individual volunteers welcome? Yes

Age restriction, if any: 14 to 17 years with adult supervision

Denomination/affiliation, if any: Jewish but all are welcome

If yes, must volunteer be a member: No

Any other restrictions: No

Housing provided for volunteers, if any: Yes

Meals provided for volunteers, if any: Yes

Any additional notes: "Hands-on" volunteers needed. The needs
haven't stopped and the work is just getting started. PLEASE
COME AND HELP! Starting 12/17/06 to January 13, 2007 for
volunteering. Call now to get signed up.

Approximate date the project started: Jun-04-2006
Estimated date the project will end: Jan-31-2007
Information Updated: Sep-27-2006