West Virginia devastated by flooding (UPDATED Aug. 1)

Note: A printable report on the flooding can be accessed by clicking here. Feel free to share with your congregations and friends through social media.

A website, WV Flood (click here), was created by volunteers in West Virginia to help with the relief effort during the current flooding throughout the state. This website has been created in an attempt to connect the dots between those donating and those who need to receive the donations. This site was created as a portal to give you access to all of the great information, events, drop-off locations, fundraisers and relief efforts happening in West Virginia.

A second website, WV Pastoral Care, designed to share information about services available in the area of emotional support and pastoral counseling, can be found here. Whether you are a pastor, clinician, a community resource guide or one who is seeking help, the intent of this site is to publish information about who we are and how we may be contacted.

SATURDAY, JULY 23

Disaster update: From response to recovery…

Imagine, you are the parent of a Little League player and she is doing really well in the game until she hits the ball, runs through first, rounds second and slides into third like a champ. And as she slides, another child steps into her path and disaster happens. There is a leg and an arm in need of immediate medical care. The arm belongs to your child and you suspect it will need surgery to repair. You rush to the hospital and do all the paperwork, and then you sit in emergency and… wait.

This is where we are in the disaster recovery process. The difficult waiting time between “disaster response” and disaster recovery. Most survivors have been moved to safe shelter, homes are being mucked out and are doing the very slow process of drying out. The supplies given by so many are being distributed and used — buckets, mops, bleach and so many other goods. But we are working on the transition from outside volunteer help to locally run long-term recovery oversight. We are in transition…. And so many people are waiting for homes to be rebuilt, for stable, every day, normal life to return.

Now is a critical time for us to pray.

We need to pray for the volunteers who have been working hard for four weeks answering immediate needs, listening to the stories, loving the people who have been knocked out by this sudden event.

We need to pray for the survivors, who struggle every day to make sense of this new situation, to make good choices, to rebuild, to toss away memories and possessions and to move into a new life arrangement.

We need to pray for the organizers of the disaster recovery… that they will be able to quickly streamline their work and allow best practices to arise and people to do the best with their best gifts.

We need to pray for the workers and volunteers to come… those who are just now planning to come and work to rebuild, those that God is preparing to move their hearts to come and give us their best gifts of service and goods.

Pray for all these and more that our state will not just recover but thrive in new ways.

It is also a critical time for us to consider our long-term plans as the community of faith. How are we going to be involved? What part do we want to play in the redevelopment of these committees? What skills and gifts has God placed within us to share in this time?

Let us pray together even as we prepare, plan and work toward long term recovery… actively waiting for God to show us the way.

THURSDAY, JULY 21

Many of you read the article about the flooding and the active and important work WVMAW has been doing on your behalf. If you have not, please click here! As usual the work of WVMAW is amazing and their flexibility in the face of this flooding has touched so many. Please support the work of WVMAW with your prayers, financial gifts and your participation.

We have also been operating a pastoral care center out of the First Presbyterian Church in White Sulphur Spring and the Volunteer Center in Rainelle. In White Sulphur, we knocked on the door of every home in the affected area. We are continuing to work on the same goal in Rainelle. We have been listening to the stories of the survivors, praying for their concerns and documenting needs so that others can rapidly respond.

We are starting to schedule volunteers for Aug. 1-13 in both White Sulphur and Rainelle. We are looking for compassionate lay people. You do not need to be ordained. You must be 21 or older, have had a tetanus shot and be willing to knock on doors and check to see what work has been accomplished, listen to the stories of the people you meet and to report your findings.

We do have housing available in both areas though it is cots and air conditioned tents in Rainelle and cots at the Catholic church in White Sulphur. Both places have showers. Food resources change daily. If you have an air mattress you will be very comfortable.

If you can give several days to the effort or even one, email Barbara Chalfant at missions@wvpresbytery.org.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20

From the WV flood Zone: Rainelle, WV

We desperately need building inspectors familiar with building code. WV folks are the easiest to update, but we will take them from all over the U.S. We will take them for a day — but we would like to keep them for a week or more at a time. They can be retired or active. Please email lewisburgvrc@gmail.com to help.

Also, we will have a checklist, but if you have a best practices checklist that you would recommend, we would love to see it. Please send to lewisburgvrc@gmail.com.

TUESDAY, JULY 12

Presbytery of West Virginia Work Camp: Important announcement!

Dear Friends,

Many of us had a busy schedule in the month of August and our sign-ups for the mission trip were low, so we have decided to redirect our energies to offer a flood recovery week through WVMAW in Greenbrier County on Oct. 16-22. All the costs will be the same as before — $300 for the week or $75 a day. Please mark this on your calendar and prayerfully consider if you are able to serve.

WVMAW is a long-term recovery agency working in partnership with the Presbytery of West Virginia. This means that after the first responders go home, we will be there working with families in need for years to come. WVMAW is booking long-term recovery teams now and would like to give our people in WV the opportunity to respond to their own neighbors. Please let us know interest by Aug. 1.

For a registration form, click here.

If interested, contact Robin Ray, pastorrobin@bridgeportpresbyterian.com.

MONDAY, JULY 11

Disaster need…

Do you have a stash of manual wheelchairs, walkers, canes and other durable goods that could be working to help make life easier for a person in need? Do you have the especially-large-size ones? We could use them. The Appalachian Center for Independent Living has a list of flood survivors who have need of these durable goods. Please check your closet. Just remember, if you would not be happy allowing your beloved grandmother to use the equipment, do not donate it for someone else’s grandmother or child. Just call (304) 881-2708 to find out just where your supplies need to go!

SUNDAY, JULY 10

We still need assistance with pastoral care needs. Barbara Chalfant is currently scheduling pastoral care help for July 11-23. Contact her if you have several days that you can come and help or can just give one day. The day begins at 9 a.m. with prayer and closes at 5 p.m. with prayer. Please contact Barbara at Missions@wvpresbytery.org for more information. The need is critical.

THURSDAY, JULY 7

Disaster Reflections from the Flood Zone

I have not been writing. Those who know me well have wondered aloud. “Are you OK? We have not seen many stories about what you are seeing in the flood zone.”

It is true… I love a good story. I love passing it on. But this, this disaster, this sudden shift has taken me more time to process, to sort out in my head and to find words to convey the story, the experience, the soul deep change that I have been privileged to walked along side in these communities.

Its story, for 12 days, has lived in my heart, speaking few words but flooding my mind with pictures, smells and emotions. So many effected, so many homes destroyed, so many safe after unimaginable hours of fear and terror. Some gone all too soon.

In the water’s wake there is confusion, then the community begins to show its true colors. People run to the need, they pull neighbors to safety, they rush to share supplies, dry space, food, resources, strength. People find new family in the face of strangers who spend from dawn to dusk shoveling mud, tearing out wet carpet, catching fish in the basement and sharing meals cooked on the only grill on the block to make it through the flood.

God is there…

There was a young man who drove up from N.C. just to work mucking out basements. He joined a crew that was part local guys, part out of towners… after five days in basements hip deep in water, mud, muck and unspeakable filth, he was spent. That evening, well after when other crews had stopped working, his crew was called out of a basement by an older black woman who lived next door. She and her sister had fired up the grill and cooked a mammoth batch of burgers and hot dogs. They quickly began feeding the crew. This one young man grabbed a bottle of water and poured it over his hands to try to get the worst of the muck off before eating. Then the woman called out, “Son, come sit here” she said. He sat on the steps of her home and there she addressed his hands with water, soap and a clean towel. She cleaned each finger like an attentive preschool teacher after a finger painting activity.

The young man stared at her and then at his hands…  brown, gray and green mud disappeared and clean white freckled skin emerged.

As the young man told the story of his experience tears slid down his face. He said, “I remembered the story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples and all I could think was, ‘This is Jesus, this is Jesus.'”

He was right. This is Jesus….  In the woman, in the young man, exposed in this flood.

Jesus was and is there… is here.

I have seen more Jesus in the last 12 days that I ever imagined. I am honored to be able to work for and with the church.  It is alive and well and hard at work in WV. Our Pastors, educators, elders, members and friends have acted generously, and with purpose, and are committed to the long haul.  Why? Because Jesus is here. Jesus is calling. Love is happening here.

Be a part of it.

Ask yourself… how is God calling you to be the hands and heart of Jesus here? Then respond with confidence. Jesus is here!

Blessings,
Barbara Chalfant
Associate for Mission
Presbytery of West Virginia

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6

So far… 5,900 people have registered with FEMA as being affected by the flood and needing help. If you know anything about West Virginians this is astounding! They NEVER ask for help. This is huge!
The very best way to help is to send money to organizations you trust to do their best with the funds.

DO NOT send more supplies… we are still working on logistics here and have full-to-the-brim warehouses and folks who need supplies but the people who need them most are not yet ready to accept them. So hold your supplies where they are for a week or two.

Thanks! Will update as we go…

MONDAY, JULY 4

VOLUNTEER UPDATE

SUNDAY, JULY 3

Thank you!

Thank you for being the connectional church in the very best ways. For praying for the flood survivors, for giving what you have to fill trucks full of much needed goods, for working in your own community to make a difference, for offering to send teams of people to help, for lending your pastors and volunteers to help and for being in partnership with the Presbytery so that others can work on your behalf. It has been a long and eventful week.

As many of you know the Presbytery of WV is active throughout the year in long-term disaster recovery through WVMAW (WVMAW.org). Rev. Joan Stewart, the director of WVMAW, has been working to make sure the teams of workers who were already here working to repair damage from previous events were, where possible, directed to emergency needs. She and her team will be working find and open new host sites for incoming relief teams and work teams. If you have a church facility within 30 minutes’ drive of the flooding areas and have access to showers and would like to share your facility please contact Joan at WVMAW (joanandtim.stewart@gmail.com). We hope to begin scheduling additional teams after July 10.

We also have staff and volunteers who are a part of our presence in WVVOAD (WV Voluntary Organizations Assisting in Disaster). These people have been working to make sure that Presbyterians are an organized and helpful part of our state response. As our emergency response we were asked to be a part of providing pastoral care in the heart of the disaster. Of 5 pastoral care centers opened in the first week, we staffed three. As the needs shifted we have chosen to shift and to center a home base office in the White Sulphur Spring Presbyterian church while servicing a wider area. At this moment there are 6 pastoral care centers staffed by 5 denominations. We have been receiving help from Presbyterian pastors and educators from WV, PA, VA, NC, OH and KY. They have been walking the streets in the flood zone, listening to stories, fielding questions about where to find help, supporting local pastors, and working to help volunteer workers process the devastation, loss and pain that they are encountering as they work.

We are continuing to schedule pastoral care workers, probably for the next three weeks. We are also scheduling musicians for evening music.

We are looking for several volunteers to assist in our White Sulphur Springs Office. We need people who are comfortable with a computer, who can answer the phone and help us keep organized. Know someone? Contact me, Barbara Chalfant at missions@wvpresbytery.org.

It is difficult to put into words just what it is like in those zones. There are so many stories, smells, experiences, and moments of tears, laughter and holiness. Over the next days I will work to get you some of the stories so that you can better know what God is doing as we hold hands with the people of WV in this new and challenging way.

For now, here are just two….

One week ago we ask for a car… within 24 hours we had several offers and the picture says it all!  Here she is with her new car donated by two Presbyterians in Martinsville, VA! Connectional church at it’s best!

From First Presbyterian Church of Williamstown & Waverly-Bethel Presbyterian Church …..

We have a van load of items that we will be dropping off at Camden on Gauley today (Thursday). We have items coming in from church members and others in the community. A member from the Presbyterian Church in Hanover, OH saw our post and also is collecting supplies and will drop off at Camden on Gauley today. We are still collecting items. Another church member plans to deliver to Bergoo, WV, tomorrow (on Friday). She has a contact there. We will continue to collect supplies and Craig Butler may do a drop off later this weekend or next week.

Again, thank you for being the church… a church that does not stay in holy sanctuaries but walks about in the world carrying the love of God to those who most need it.

FRIDAY, JULY 1

CRITICAL NEED: We need your help… We need four pastors to volunteer in White Sulphur Springs this Sunday after church through Wednesday. Volunteers will have a bed, restroom and shower facilities at the Catholic church/rectory. This is critical. Please email Barbara Chalfant at missions@wvpresbytery.org.

THURSDAY, JUNE 30

Many of you are receiving calls that ask the question: “How can I help answer the call in WV?”

The answers have been updated as the organization of the response has settled into place. Here is what we recommend:

1. PRAY: Keep praying. Amazing things are happening. A significant amount of prayer is supporting the work here on the ground. It is the air we breathe and the power we need to keep working.
2. DONATE SUPPLIES: If you have things to donate please, unless you have a person on the ground who tells you to bring items directly to them, do not self-deploy trucks full of goods to the disaster zone. We are ending up with supplies in the wrong places. Instead call (304) 881-2708. They know what is needed, when, where and why.
3. VOLUNTEER AT HOME: Keep up your volunteer hours in your own congregations. What you do for others in your home church releases other people to go to the flood zone to work. It is a chain reaction. The more you can support the work of your home church, the more they can support the work of the larger church. So sign up to wash dishes, cook meals, teach church school, substitute in the nursery and work at your local food pantry or habitat. What you do someone else will not have to accomplish.
4. DONATE MONEY: Send a check to Presbytery of WV, 520 2nd Ave., South Charleston, WV, 25303. Write “for flood relief” in the memo. Or send a check to WVMAW to the same address. Either way it goes directly to the flood relief effort. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has also set up an account for donations here. Please give!
5. VOLUNTEER IN WV: If you want to volunteer, call (304) 859-3748. They are coordinating all volunteers. If you have a group that would like to come as a team to help, WVMAW (http://wvmaw.org/) is coordinating all our teams. They will be taking reservations starting on July 10. Please don’t flood them with messages till then as they are working on getting new housing sites and other details up and running so they can host trips. Their number is (304) 846-2294.
6. PASTORAL CARE: We are still scheduling pastoral care teams in several locations. We are suggestion people come for a four-day stay (Sunday-Wednesday, Wednesday-Saturday or Friday-Monday). There is a 9 a.m. meeting each morning and then deployment. We have some housing. To schedule, email Barbara Chalfant at missions@wvpresbytery.org or call the presbytery office at (304) 744-7634.
7. MUSICIANS: We are currently working to schedule musicians to lead singing or to play for the people of White Sulphur Springs in the dining tent. It is a very small space but music makes a difference. It is a new thing we are trying. It may or may not work long-term but right now it is amazing how much difference it makes. To volunteer for a night or two, email Barbara Chalfant at missions@wvpresbytery.org or call the presbytery office at (304) 744-7634.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29

From the Presbytery of West Virginia:

Many of you are receiving calls that ask the question: “How can I help answer the call in West Virginia?”

SUNDAY, JUNE 26

We have news from Stephen Baldwin at Ronceverte…

Photo courtesy of West Virginia Department of Transportation

Several members of RPC had their homes destroyed in floods. We are hosting a WVMAW group. We are sending out a cleanup team from church to help neighbors. Our church & manse had minimal water damage. We are changing scope of remaining summer workcamp groups to do flood relief. We are having worship this week as a community prayer service. We delivered many truck/van loads of supplies to area shelters for victims of flooding. We need supplies (paper products, cleaning supplies, diapers, formula) or funds to buy supplies. We need prayers. We need more volunteers for cleanup. 

Nancy Bulla reported…

I have spent last two days at the Methodist Church in White Sulphur Springs – removed most of those people to Rhema in Fairlea. Stewart Farley and I are in communication with each other. There are many helping and taking shifts. Rupert has had a very tough time. Caldwell is fairly wiped out. No roads. There are people who saw houses hit the bridge in White Sulphur Springs and explode- we saw cars carried by raging water; one had five people in it screaming for help.

Please pray for all those who have seen too much and who are fiercely moving forward even in the face of this tragedy.

We have a team of PDA members here on the ground in WV and another team that will land on Monday afternoon. We have pastors and educators calling and emailing in from NC, VA, KY and beyond offering to come and listen, pray and walk with those in crisis. It a gift to be a part of such a wonderful connectional church!

FRIDAY, JUNE 24

As you know WV is in the middle of a disaster. Many of you have already begun to pray and to consider just how you might help our brothers, sisters and neighbors in need.

There are a couple of specific needs we have currently and will work to keep you informed of other needs as they arise.

1.  If you have pastoral care training… we have a critical need for pastoral care in White Sulphur Springs and in Richwood and Alderson. We have Presbyterian Disaster Assistance National Team members on the way to help. However there is so much to do that we are currently scheduling shifts. If you can spare a day or two or three and would be willing to be a part of our schedule, please email Barbara Chalfant at missions@wvpresbytery.org and she will call you to give you more information and to get you working!

2.  If you have done assessments before we need you. We are putting one volunteer with a highly trained volunteer/professional and will be doing property assessments as soon as the water recedes. We will be scheduling volunteers for the next week. If you would like to volunteer, please email Barbara Chalfant at missions@wvpresbytery.org.

3.  We need a car. We have a congregation whose beloved church secretary lost her car in the flood. Literally… lost the car… it floated away. We need a car to borrow for a couple of weeks. But we need it as soon as possible. Got one? Contact Steve Hopta 1-304-320-1572.

4.  There is a volunteer registry for individuals and groups through Volunteer WV. For a direct link, click here.

5.  You can always, always give money. We are going to need an extraordinary amount! Donations may be sent to the Presbytery of WV, 520 Second Ave., South Charleston, WV 25303. This will help us cover the cost of pastoral care and assessment volunteers and will go to WVMAW who is our long-term recovery arm of our ministry. WVMAW is already at work! For more information about WVMAW, click here.

6. Pray: The Governor has declared 44 of our 55 counties disaster areas. The heaviest damage at this point has been sustained in Clay, Nicholas, Fayette, Greenbrier and Kanawha. Several vital food pantries have been damaged or destroyed. Shelters and emergency centers are up and running or about to be opened as close as we can get to the need. Water, clean-up kits, shower and wash trucks and all other supplies are being directed through WVVOAD. Our own WVMAW is at work with chainsaws, mops and buckets in homes they had hoped to be finished repairing!