Mission Trip Team Orientation

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Mission TripTeam Orientation

• Kansas East Conference UMC
• and
• Church of the Resurrection

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Thank You
for your commitment to helping those in need
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Where are we working?

• Joplin, MO
• Reading, KS
• Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and surrounding areas
  of Waveland, Perlington, Kiln, Clarmont Harbor
• Gulfport, MS
• Picayune, MS
• Dulac, LA
• New Orleans, LA
• Houston / Galveston, TX
• Iowa
• Tennessee
• Kansas
• Oklahoma
• Arkansas
• Missouri

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Always keep in mind

• The Community Must Own Its Own Issues (we are
  there to help)!

Please do not make promises.. Refer additional
requests for help to the local coordinators
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What is UMCOR?

• UMCOR is United Methodist Committee on Relief
• UMCORs goal is to provide relief and
  rehabilitation for the entire person-physical,
  social, and psychological-in a distress
  situation.
• UMCOR forms partnerships with other religious and
  secular organizations in order to pool resources
  and avoid duplicating efforts.
• UMCOR provides long-term recovery as well as
  immediate relief.

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Important Note about UMCOR

• The designation UMCOR is exclusively reserved for
  its staff and National Volunteer Mentors.
• Volunteer Teams are known as United Methodists
  in Disaster Response.
• You also might hear the term VIM (Volunteers
  in Mission) Team

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How do we know where to work?

• Work sites are chosen for your team based on the
  needs in the area and the skills of the team.
  Housing availability for teams is also a deciding
  factor.
• Each work site has a site director and volunteer
  office staff who schedule teams and make sure the
  materials are on site for use.
• The site director is an important part of the
  ecumenical relief effort.
• The site director will make the decision about
  where teams can work.

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How do we establish priorities?

• The KS East conference works within United
  Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) guidelines.
• Our priorities include elderly, people in
  poverty, borderline poverty, women and children,
  physically psychologically or emotionally
  disabled, illiterate or non-English speaking.

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Why cant we just go in and help without guidance?

• The process, while slow, will ensure that there
  are enough funds to help those who really need
  it.
• These processes are an ecumenical process where
  organizations will pool their resources to
  provide the help communities need

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What are the health concerns?

• Up-to-date tetanus shot within the last five
  years
• Hepatitis A vaccination recommended, the first of
  the series at least three weeks in advance of
  your departure.
• Keep all open wounds or cuts bandaged and apply
  anti-biotic ointment daily due to the risk of
  staff infection.
• Wear protective mask when on the job site as
  there still is an abundance of black mold on some
  work sites.

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Safety Awareness Protect Yourself While
Helping Others
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Protect Yourself

• Disaster sites can be hazardous and dangerous
• Walking over and handling debris that is unstable
  can cause cuts, scrapes, bruises, sprains, etc.
• Work boots with thick soles are required in
  tornado or flood area. Steel toe/shank non-slip
  footwear are preferred.
• Jeans (no shorts) are required, and long sleeved
  shirts are recommended help protect legs and arms
  from cuts and debris.
• Use Leather gloves when handling debris
• Nails will go through cloth gloves
• Avoid contact with stagnant water
• Wash and sanitize immediately if exposed
• Use Ear Plugs for noisy environments

!When in doubt, contact your Team Leader!
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Protect Yourself

• Always look up know what is above you (tree
  limbs, loose boards, other workers)
• Use pry bars and other appropriate tools to
  separate debris. Pulling hard on boards or limbs
  is a common cause of falls and injuries.

!When in doubt, contact your Team Leader!
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Hazard Eye Injuries

• Use safety glasses with side shields as a
  minimum.
• Consider safety goggles for protection from fine
  dust particles or for use over regular
  prescription eye glasses.
• Use only protective eyewear that has an ANSI Z87
  mark on the lenses or frames.

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Hazard Heat Stress/Heat Stroke is a Killer

• Drink lots of water.
• Know the signs of heat-related illnesses.
• Monitor yourself and coworkers, use the
  buddy-system.
• Block out direct sun or other heat sources.
• Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting
  clothes.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks, or heavy meals.
• Get medical help for symptoms such as altered
  vital signs, confusion, profuse sweating,
  excessive fatigue.
• Take shelter in shaded areas.

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Hydration is Critical!

• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Drink before youre thirsty. Drink sports drinks,
  instead of water, if you can.

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Hazard Sunburn

• Prevent overexposing skin and eyes to sunlight
  and wind.
• Use sunscreen and lip balm.
• Use protective eyewear.
• Limit exposure.

Sunburn reduces responder readiness and increases
the likelihood of skin cancer.
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Hazard Inhalation of Dust Containing Asbestos,
Silica and Other Toxins
N-95 Respirator

• Jobs Affected
• Debris removal and dumping
• Demolition
• Sheetrock finishing
• To protect yourself, Wear NIOSH-approved
  respirators.
• An N-95 or greater respirator is acceptable for
  most activities, including silica and Portland
  cement dust.
• Surgical masks should not be used because they do
  not provide adequate protection.
• If in doubt about respirators, see your Team
  Leader.

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Hazard Mold/Fungi
Exposure to mold and other fungi can cause
wheezing and severe nasal, eye and skin
irritation.

• Avoid breathing dust (fungal spores) generated by
  wet building materials.
• Use an N-95 NIOSH-approved disposable respirator
  as a minimum.
• Wear long gloves that reach the middle of your
  forearm.
• Avoid touching mold or moldy items with your bare
  hands.

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Ladder Safety

• Select the right ladder
• Dont work around power lines with a metal ladder
• Make sure in good repair
• Set up extension ladder correctly
• Climb cautiously

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Hazard Animals and Insects

• To protect yourself from mosquitoes
• Use screens on dwellings.
• Wear long pants, socks, and long- sleeved
  shirts.
• Use insect repellents that contain DEET or
  Picaridin.
• Fire Ants
• Gnats
• Avons Skin So Soft
• Vanilla flavored lotions

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Other Protective Measures

• Sanitation and Personal Hygiene
• Always wash your hands
• Use hand sanitizers frequently
• Exercise good housekeeping
• Keep work boots outside living quarters
• Only drink from proven potable water sources

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Hazard Traumatic Stress

• Pace yourself - This is a marathon, not a sprint.
• Watch out for each other - co-workers may not
  notice a hazard nearby or behind.
• Make sure that you drink plenty of fluids such as
  water, sports drink, and juices.
• Whenever possible, take breaks away from the work
  area. Eat and drink in the cleanest area
  available.

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Safety Summary
The hazards and issues are dynamic and require
vigilance and flexibility. The key to a safe
response is attention to the safety issues of
your work environment. The physical hazards are
similar to any construction or demolition site.
The health hazards include the hazards
associated with the environment.
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Safe and Sacred Spaces

• The Church of the Resurrection in its Policy for
  the Protection of Minors and Developmentally
  Disabled Adults vows to take seriously the
  importance of providing a safe environment where
  all people can participate freely and safely in
  the life of the church and intend to maintain a
  sanctuary or "safe place" for all to grow in
  faith and maturity.
• For team member protection, as well as those we
  are serving
• Ensure adults are never in 11 situations with
  minors or developmentally disabled adults.
  Within team or between the team and those we
  are serving.
• We might be in individual homes
• Driving for errands
• Showers etc.

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Group Dynamics

• Stages of Team Formation
• Form
• Storm
• Norm
• Perform
• Mission trips often stretch team members out of
  our comfort zones
• Different people deal with stress in different
  ways
• We will de-brief at the end of each day to
  discuss how the day went, how people are feeling,
  share stories, work through conflict, etc.

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What can we expect?

• The unexpected!
• Flexibility is a key component of a Mission Trip.
  Be adaptable, sensitive and patient.
• Each teams experience is similar, but unique.

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Missions GridThere are many people and groups
involved in a mission trip
Pre Trip During Trip Post Trip
Senders Church/Conference Missions Staff Invitations Coordination Prayer Coordinate Blogs Prayer Collect evaluations Improve processes Planning next trips
Goers Leader Team Members Prayer Training Work Prayer Work Devotionals De Brief Re entry Complete evaluations
Hosts On Site Staff / Church Homeowners Coordination Insight Coordination Lodging Evaluations Prayer
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To and Fro

• Teams car pool to their destination and back

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Where do we stay ??It depends
Churches Schools
Camps
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What is provided for Overnight teams?

• A place to sleep.
• Sometimes includes Air mattresses, Cots, Bunk
  beds...
• Showers
• Kitchen
• Mens and Womens restroom facility
• Coordinators / Logistics
• Tools? (Depending on the site)

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What is a typical work day?

• The day begins early, about 700 AM with
  breakfast (usually cereal and toast).
• At 730 we have a short devotion and meeting.
• Work begins at 800 and goes till noon when teams
  stop for lunch. The work ends for the day around
  500.
• Dinner is 600 700.
• Evening debrief and devotions start around 730
  PM and usually last about an hour.

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What kind of work will we do?
The work is varied depending on a teams skills,
and may include
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We do what we are asked to do!

• We are there to help our site coordinators, host
  coordinators, and homeowners with whatever we are
  asked to do.
• There are systems and guidelines in place, and we
  work to follow them.
• And sometimes we dont always know Why

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What do we need to bring?
A detailed packing list and recommended tools
list will be provided, and include

• Sleeping bag and pillow
• Towel and washcloth
• Old work clothing
• Leather and plastic gloves
• Personal hygiene items
• Towels and washcloths
• Heavy work shoes/ rubber boots

• Insect/gnat repellant
• Any personal hand tools that you like
• Gel hand sanitizer
• Water bottle/ jug/ cooler
• Change of clothing for after work
• Safety goggles
• Mold rated dust masks

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What much will it cost?

• Budget is determined by adding fuel costs or
  transportation costs, food for travel days, and a
  suggested 10 - 15 per person per day donation
  to work site.
• A 7 day trip costs an average of 200 per person.
• A long weekend costs less than 100 per person.
• Day trips share the gas, and pay for meals.
  Generally around 25 per person.

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What will we experience when dealing with
disaster survivors?

• Disaster Survivors are in a grieving process that
  includes denial, depression, anger, and finally
  acceptance. They must go through this process in
  order to heal. We must be willing to take the
  time to listen to their stories, this takes
  priority over any job that needs to be done.
• Listening is the most important resource that our
  teams provide!

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Other than labor and materials, what do our teams
offer?

• Our teams offer
• Hope for the future
• A powerful witness to the world
• A church presence out in the communities where we
  work
• Caring people who are willing to listen to the
  stories
• People who bring the story back and share it with
  others who might join teams

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Final thoughts

• The church is present in the community before,
  during and after a disaster. Other people and
  agencies come and go, but through you, God is
  present in powerful witness.

A generous man prospers he who refreshes others
will himself be refreshed. Proverbs 1125