CrossRoads Mission has risen above the flood and will reopen at its new location, 1006 Second St SW. The efforts to come back from the 2008 flood is detailed in an article published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette on February 28, 2009.
Rossiter, Molly. (February 28, 2009) "Faith & Values: A Mission Rebuilt." Cedar Rapids Gazette. pages 1B, 6B. Locate the story online by visiting http://www.gazetteonline.com
Rossiter tells of the mission's long road to recovery and its reemergence in the area that it serves. Now in a newly renovated building, the mission which once served over 350 clients, now has climbed back up to serving 300 with more expected as the mission moves back into the neighborhood the mission is serving. The Gazette article chronicles the rise out of the floodwaters and shines the light on this mission's work.
smc.
Showing posts with label Flood 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flood 2008. Show all posts
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Update - Flood Recovery
Slowly our Guests at the mission are finding their way to us in our temporary home at Hope Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids, and we are registering new Guests thrust into poverty by the flood. Each week, over the past two months, we have begun to see an increase in Guests needing help. The numbers are increasing faster than they did at our start up as a mission. The members of Hope Lutheran have been gracious hosts with a huge heart for Christian hospitality giving us temporary space to work from while we look for a new home for the mission.
We have looked at several buildings, and even placed an offer on one but, we have not found the right one to purchase or rent yet. We are still looking, and last Sunday began advertising our need for a commercial building in the local newspaper (trust me, we are not being too picky). It is our fervent prayer that we can locate a new home before winter arrives, and we can be running at full capacity. The Farmers Almanac, which has an accuracy rate of 80-85% on it's weather forecasts is predicting an early and extremely harsh winter. Our need is great to be prepared to provide those in poverty and those displaced by the epic flood of 2008 in Linn County with support services that the governmental agencies cannot provide.
The U. S. Congress went on vacation, our state elected officials have been immobilized not knowing what the federal folks are doing in terms of dollars they will send to Iowa for flood disaster relief, and the executive and legislative branches of our state government here in Iowa did not have a plan in place to even begin to respond to the natural disasters of the magnitude experienced in the State of Iowa during 2008. As a result a lot of decisions from the county and city elected officials have been delayed by silence from the federal and state government to date. As a result, flood victims frustration levels of indecision from governmental bodies has continued to grow. Some groups have begun to form informal coalitions, and begun to proceed forward preparing to open businesses, and especially, as winter is rapidly approaching, to make homes livable, or simply just walking away.
At the same time the volunteers and faith communities are ramping up to meet the needs here in Linn County. Our local political leadership asked United Way of East Central Iowa to form what has come to be called the Linn Area Long Term Recovery Coalition (LALTRC) to manage the long term recovery response. A sub-set of that group are the faith communities. At the local level we have formed Faithful Response which is a committee for all clergy and lay leaders from all the faith communities in the Linn County area, and chaired by Pastor Tom Carver (UMC). They have elected Brook Lukes, the director of Churches United, to be their representative to the LALTRC. Brooke meets weekly with LALTRC, and monthly there is an assembly of all those who choose to join Faithful Response.
CrossRoads Mission is involved with Faithful Response, and Pat Kane sits on the Wisdom Group that meets weekly with Brooke Lukes along with other leaders in faith communities throughout Linn County to support her. The process of LALTRC - Faithful Response - Faithful Response Wisdom Group in its first month has worked well for those in the faith communities who have chosen to be an active part of our long term recovery which is projected to be several years due to the significant loss we experienced. We in the faith community need to be present to have a positive impact on the human spiritual suffering, and present to relieve the human physical and emotional suffering, filling in the cracks where governments fail to provide support.
The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee is about half way through the assessment portion of the faith communities national and statewide response to the floods and tornadoes. This is the first step in long term recovery by the faith community. The assessments will provide a more accurate picture to follow on groups as to what is needed in everything from mental health to volunteers to donations, even to how many toilet bowls we will need as we rebuild.
Church World Service is currently doing assessments, training of local groups, and preparing to get publicity out to all the major faith communities at the national level. Pat Kane has been attending flood training this past week with other faith and non profit agencies to understand the magnitude of the interfaith groups that are beginning to put "boots on the ground" here in Linn County.
Catholic Charities Flood Response and Lutheran Disaster Response will begin working with local agencies in Case Advocacy as soon as the assessments have been completed. Case plans will be developed as to the kinds of support each family unit requires, and they will have an advocate to help walk them through the maze of recovery. The United Methodist Committee on Relief, Presbyterian Disaster Response, as well as others currently have "boots on the ground" here in Linn County. As we enter September 2008 we will begin to see the faith communities response to our disaster swell in dollars, in-kind donations, and volunteers as we move into Spring 2009.
The largest and greatest need now and in the future will be housing volunteers who come into Linn County to help us finish the clean up and begin the rebuilding process. In a recent conversation with Pastor Michael Stadie who currently is the Lutheran Disaster Response Coordinator for Lutheran Services in Iowa, Chair of the Iowa Disaster Human Resources Committee's Long Term Recovery Committee has told us that a volunteer center (to house, feed, and provide shower facilities) will not be built in this area like they were in Katrina. The national funds are not available for this $1million plus venture. This means we need to get serious about housing these high value volunteers in our churches, schools, and homes. We need to become creative in how we can accommodate those willing to help us rebuild our communities. The old paradigms we use that block our participation in housing volunteers, for whatever reason, need to be broken. Then we need to develop new paradigms which allow us to open our buildings and homes in faith to those that are willing to enter our communities and restore us spiritually, mentally, physically.
Yours in Christ,
Pat Kane, Diaconal Minister
We have looked at several buildings, and even placed an offer on one but, we have not found the right one to purchase or rent yet. We are still looking, and last Sunday began advertising our need for a commercial building in the local newspaper (trust me, we are not being too picky). It is our fervent prayer that we can locate a new home before winter arrives, and we can be running at full capacity. The Farmers Almanac, which has an accuracy rate of 80-85% on it's weather forecasts is predicting an early and extremely harsh winter. Our need is great to be prepared to provide those in poverty and those displaced by the epic flood of 2008 in Linn County with support services that the governmental agencies cannot provide.
The U. S. Congress went on vacation, our state elected officials have been immobilized not knowing what the federal folks are doing in terms of dollars they will send to Iowa for flood disaster relief, and the executive and legislative branches of our state government here in Iowa did not have a plan in place to even begin to respond to the natural disasters of the magnitude experienced in the State of Iowa during 2008. As a result a lot of decisions from the county and city elected officials have been delayed by silence from the federal and state government to date. As a result, flood victims frustration levels of indecision from governmental bodies has continued to grow. Some groups have begun to form informal coalitions, and begun to proceed forward preparing to open businesses, and especially, as winter is rapidly approaching, to make homes livable, or simply just walking away.
At the same time the volunteers and faith communities are ramping up to meet the needs here in Linn County. Our local political leadership asked United Way of East Central Iowa to form what has come to be called the Linn Area Long Term Recovery Coalition (LALTRC) to manage the long term recovery response. A sub-set of that group are the faith communities. At the local level we have formed Faithful Response which is a committee for all clergy and lay leaders from all the faith communities in the Linn County area, and chaired by Pastor Tom Carver (UMC). They have elected Brook Lukes, the director of Churches United, to be their representative to the LALTRC. Brooke meets weekly with LALTRC, and monthly there is an assembly of all those who choose to join Faithful Response.
CrossRoads Mission is involved with Faithful Response, and Pat Kane sits on the Wisdom Group that meets weekly with Brooke Lukes along with other leaders in faith communities throughout Linn County to support her. The process of LALTRC - Faithful Response - Faithful Response Wisdom Group in its first month has worked well for those in the faith communities who have chosen to be an active part of our long term recovery which is projected to be several years due to the significant loss we experienced. We in the faith community need to be present to have a positive impact on the human spiritual suffering, and present to relieve the human physical and emotional suffering, filling in the cracks where governments fail to provide support.
The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee is about half way through the assessment portion of the faith communities national and statewide response to the floods and tornadoes. This is the first step in long term recovery by the faith community. The assessments will provide a more accurate picture to follow on groups as to what is needed in everything from mental health to volunteers to donations, even to how many toilet bowls we will need as we rebuild.
Church World Service is currently doing assessments, training of local groups, and preparing to get publicity out to all the major faith communities at the national level. Pat Kane has been attending flood training this past week with other faith and non profit agencies to understand the magnitude of the interfaith groups that are beginning to put "boots on the ground" here in Linn County.
Catholic Charities Flood Response and Lutheran Disaster Response will begin working with local agencies in Case Advocacy as soon as the assessments have been completed. Case plans will be developed as to the kinds of support each family unit requires, and they will have an advocate to help walk them through the maze of recovery. The United Methodist Committee on Relief, Presbyterian Disaster Response, as well as others currently have "boots on the ground" here in Linn County. As we enter September 2008 we will begin to see the faith communities response to our disaster swell in dollars, in-kind donations, and volunteers as we move into Spring 2009.
The largest and greatest need now and in the future will be housing volunteers who come into Linn County to help us finish the clean up and begin the rebuilding process. In a recent conversation with Pastor Michael Stadie who currently is the Lutheran Disaster Response Coordinator for Lutheran Services in Iowa, Chair of the Iowa Disaster Human Resources Committee's Long Term Recovery Committee has told us that a volunteer center (to house, feed, and provide shower facilities) will not be built in this area like they were in Katrina. The national funds are not available for this $1million plus venture. This means we need to get serious about housing these high value volunteers in our churches, schools, and homes. We need to become creative in how we can accommodate those willing to help us rebuild our communities. The old paradigms we use that block our participation in housing volunteers, for whatever reason, need to be broken. Then we need to develop new paradigms which allow us to open our buildings and homes in faith to those that are willing to enter our communities and restore us spiritually, mentally, physically.
Yours in Christ,
Pat Kane, Diaconal Minister
Monday, July 14, 2008
Interested in Volunteering - Flood Clean-up
If you want to volunteer in the Linn County/Cedar Rapids, Iowa flood zones call: 319-540-4810.
If you need volunteers to help you or someone you know call: 319-540-4815.
If you need volunteers to help you or someone you know call: 319-540-4815.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Progress in Mission & Cedar Christian Church Clean-up
Volunteers in support of CrossRoads Mission joined the congregation at Cedar Christian Church on Saturday and Sunday (June 21st & 22) in clean up efforts. The mission area was completely cleaned out including the drywall. Now the only thing remains is some tear out left in the kitchen area, and removal of the carpet in the lower level of the church. We are truly grateful, and very blessed, to have all the Christian volunteers come forward to help the congregation at Cedar Christian Church reach its goal of restoring their buildings following the flood.
On Wednesday after our van is repaired, we plan to move some things from our office at Cedar Christian Church that were above the flood line and are salvageable, to our temporary office, at Hope Lutheran Church. The work is light as most of our possessions were located in the lower level of the church.
The only thing that I saw salvaged from the mission and I now have in my possession, are the brass candlesticks and the altar cross from the altar. To the best of my knowledge, all else was lost.
As we are now in the process of helping flood victims, we ask for your generous donations to alleviate human suffering. You are in our prayers as our community begins to turn toward recovery which is now estimated to be a 10 year process.
Yours in Christ,
Pat Kane, Diaconal Minister
CrossRoads Mission
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Serve the City - An Interfaith Diasaster Recovery Committee
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
June 18, 2008
Good evening all,
Well I am back at the "coffee bar" to access the Internet. Photos of the total destruction of our current location can be found on our web site at www.crossroads-mission.com after midnight tonight (June 18, 2008), as well as a donation page which we pray you will stop by for at least a short visit. The donation page is new, and a classmate of mine from seminary sent the first donation from Pennsylvania. Her prayers and donation were received with great thanksgiving.
My membership on the Interfaith Disaster Recovery Committee on behalf of the Synod and Lutheran Disaster Response for the Cedar Rapids/Linn County area is ramping up quickly. When we begin as a community to leave the rescue stage and enter the long-term recovery stage (3+ years), this committee is preparing to coordinate the local, state-wide, and national faith communities to provide disaster response. The Linn County Evangelical Association (aka Serve The City), Churches United, and Linn County Inter-Religious Council are coming together locally to work with local, state and national leaders in donations, volunteers, and other kinds of assistance to help those affected by the flood. Among others, Lutheran Disaster Response, Pastor Mike Stadie, was on the ground in Benton, Linn, and Johnson Counties yesterday to survey the damage and talk with local leadership, and community leaders where appropriate.
Serve The City has performed in a stellar manner as they have effected rescue efforts on behalf of faith communities locally. If anyone wants to volunteer now, we recommend they call Serve The City at 319-378-0337 and sign up as individuals.
Once we enter the relief and recovery phase of this flood, the communication link will shift to Churches United very quickly on behalf of the local Interfaith Disaster Recovery Committee. Churches United is asking each faith community in the area to provide them with one or two E-mail contacts who will respond on behalf of each faith community as they begin an assessment of known assets available from the individual churches, mosque, temple, etc. You can contact Churches United at churchesunited@yahoo.com
Download an individual assessment tool that Churches United are asking all faith community members to complete, if possible, and return to Churches United. You will notice they are using assessment tools that have recently been used and are not trying to re-invent the wheel. People of faith will be coming to town, and will need places to stay when they are here to help us. In response to this, Churches United is expanding its staff, computer capacity, and telephone capacity to meet this new role during this disaster. They will need financial support to fulfill this task.
When all faith communities locally are tied into this new system by E-mail, you will receive rapid notice of needs for time, talent, treasure, hospitality, etc. You can E-mail Churches United as well to offer your donations. This will be a huge interfaith recovery effort on behalf of our respective faith communities for those most impacted by the flood. It will take a long time to accomplish, and we must pray for patience as we work through this to bring wholeness in community.
We appreciate your prayers and continued patience as we continue to work with Cedar Christian Church on upcoming clean up efforts and will keep you posted as information becomes available.
Yours in Christ,
Pat Kane, Diaconal Minister
CrossRoads Mission
"AN ECUMENICAL MINISTRY OF DISCIPLESHIP TO OUR NEIGHBORS!"
June 18, 2008
Good evening all,
Well I am back at the "coffee bar" to access the Internet. Photos of the total destruction of our current location can be found on our web site at www.crossroads-mission.com after midnight tonight (June 18, 2008), as well as a donation page which we pray you will stop by for at least a short visit. The donation page is new, and a classmate of mine from seminary sent the first donation from Pennsylvania. Her prayers and donation were received with great thanksgiving.
My membership on the Interfaith Disaster Recovery Committee on behalf of the Synod and Lutheran Disaster Response for the Cedar Rapids/Linn County area is ramping up quickly. When we begin as a community to leave the rescue stage and enter the long-term recovery stage (3+ years), this committee is preparing to coordinate the local, state-wide, and national faith communities to provide disaster response. The Linn County Evangelical Association (aka Serve The City), Churches United, and Linn County Inter-Religious Council are coming together locally to work with local, state and national leaders in donations, volunteers, and other kinds of assistance to help those affected by the flood. Among others, Lutheran Disaster Response, Pastor Mike Stadie, was on the ground in Benton, Linn, and Johnson Counties yesterday to survey the damage and talk with local leadership, and community leaders where appropriate.
Serve The City has performed in a stellar manner as they have effected rescue efforts on behalf of faith communities locally. If anyone wants to volunteer now, we recommend they call Serve The City at 319-378-0337 and sign up as individuals.
Once we enter the relief and recovery phase of this flood, the communication link will shift to Churches United very quickly on behalf of the local Interfaith Disaster Recovery Committee. Churches United is asking each faith community in the area to provide them with one or two E-mail contacts who will respond on behalf of each faith community as they begin an assessment of known assets available from the individual churches, mosque, temple, etc. You can contact Churches United at churchesunited@yahoo.com
Download an individual assessment tool that Churches United are asking all faith community members to complete, if possible, and return to Churches United. You will notice they are using assessment tools that have recently been used and are not trying to re-invent the wheel. People of faith will be coming to town, and will need places to stay when they are here to help us. In response to this, Churches United is expanding its staff, computer capacity, and telephone capacity to meet this new role during this disaster. They will need financial support to fulfill this task.
When all faith communities locally are tied into this new system by E-mail, you will receive rapid notice of needs for time, talent, treasure, hospitality, etc. You can E-mail Churches United as well to offer your donations. This will be a huge interfaith recovery effort on behalf of our respective faith communities for those most impacted by the flood. It will take a long time to accomplish, and we must pray for patience as we work through this to bring wholeness in community.
We appreciate your prayers and continued patience as we continue to work with Cedar Christian Church on upcoming clean up efforts and will keep you posted as information becomes available.
Yours in Christ,
Pat Kane, Diaconal Minister
CrossRoads Mission
"AN ECUMENICAL MINISTRY OF DISCIPLESHIP TO OUR NEIGHBORS!"
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
2008 Flood - Mission Damaged
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
June 16, 2008
Good evening everyone,
This is my first opportunity to get to my E-mail since power was turned off in downtown Cedar Rapids. I have wireless E-mail at home, and the antenna-modem is located downtown. Without power I do not have Internet access. The mission is unfortunately under water as well, so my office there is useless. I am currently sitting in a coffee bar with my laptop using their wireless Internet connection. All of our volunteers personal residences to the best of my knowledge, including my personal residence, was not affected by the flood. For that we are thankful to our Lord and Savior.
We are blessed that in loss of the mission to the community and the guests we serve, there was only one death and no major injuries. There is nothing lost that cannot be replaced with the help and support of the community.
We have not been allowed into the flood area to enter Cedar Christian Church to survey the damage, and take photographs. When we can, we will post them on the web site and notify everyone.
We are keeping all of the flood victims in our prayers, attending disaster relief meetings as we turn our thoughts to long term recovery which is estimated to be 3+ years, and beginning to think about rebuilding the mission. We will need financial donations, in-kind donations, volunteers, among our anticipated many needs. After we have been able to enter the mission and survey the damage, we will also begin to develop our needs list for recovery and will post it on the web site as well. What is certain, the folks we support in poverty are going to need us far worse now than before the flood.
As you make stewardship decisions about the gifts God has blessed you with, we pray that you will be generous with CrossRoads Mission in time, talent, and treasure to get us up and running again. As we hold you up in prayer, please keep us in your prayers.
The ministry at CrossRoads Mission has been asked by our Bishop and Lutheran Disaster Relief to take a lead in the long-term disaster relief efforts for Cedar Rapids/Linn County. I may be looking for some donated office space outside the flood zone yet near the mission, with an Internet connection, until we can have the mission back on line again. Thoughts and suggestions are welcomed.
Yours in Christ,
Pat Kane, Diaconal Minister
CrossRoads Mission
526 - 3rd Ave., SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: 319-365-0707
Cell: 319-981-1273
Fax: 866-702-8991
June 16, 2008
Good evening everyone,
This is my first opportunity to get to my E-mail since power was turned off in downtown Cedar Rapids. I have wireless E-mail at home, and the antenna-modem is located downtown. Without power I do not have Internet access. The mission is unfortunately under water as well, so my office there is useless. I am currently sitting in a coffee bar with my laptop using their wireless Internet connection. All of our volunteers personal residences to the best of my knowledge, including my personal residence, was not affected by the flood. For that we are thankful to our Lord and Savior.
We are blessed that in loss of the mission to the community and the guests we serve, there was only one death and no major injuries. There is nothing lost that cannot be replaced with the help and support of the community.
We have not been allowed into the flood area to enter Cedar Christian Church to survey the damage, and take photographs. When we can, we will post them on the web site and notify everyone.
We are keeping all of the flood victims in our prayers, attending disaster relief meetings as we turn our thoughts to long term recovery which is estimated to be 3+ years, and beginning to think about rebuilding the mission. We will need financial donations, in-kind donations, volunteers, among our anticipated many needs. After we have been able to enter the mission and survey the damage, we will also begin to develop our needs list for recovery and will post it on the web site as well. What is certain, the folks we support in poverty are going to need us far worse now than before the flood.
As you make stewardship decisions about the gifts God has blessed you with, we pray that you will be generous with CrossRoads Mission in time, talent, and treasure to get us up and running again. As we hold you up in prayer, please keep us in your prayers.
The ministry at CrossRoads Mission has been asked by our Bishop and Lutheran Disaster Relief to take a lead in the long-term disaster relief efforts for Cedar Rapids/Linn County. I may be looking for some donated office space outside the flood zone yet near the mission, with an Internet connection, until we can have the mission back on line again. Thoughts and suggestions are welcomed.
Yours in Christ,
Pat Kane, Diaconal Minister
CrossRoads Mission
526 - 3rd Ave., SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: 319-365-0707
Cell: 319-981-1273
Fax: 866-702-8991
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