FOIA Number: 2013-0661-F (3) FOIA MARKER This is not a textual record. This is used as an administrative marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff. Collection/Record Group: Clinton Presidential Records Subgroup/Office of Origin: Arnericorps Series/Staff Member: General Files Subseries: OA/ID Number: 24233 FolderID: Folder Title: Emergency Projects: Virgin Islands Stack: Row: Section: Shelf: s 66 1 3 Position: 1 - AGENCY RENEWALS NON-RENEWALS SUPERVISOR STATE FOREST SERVICE Jason Hansen Dave Johnson WA - Cheri Ude Dave Johnson WA Dina Kountoupes Joan McCloud VT Daniel Noonan Mindy Martin OR ~ NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE ' - Tim Craddock ~ j.-, I WV Sammy Bousley IL Anna Gomes .,,,..... r I Leon Martinez NM V 1 Abby Gage ft'. 6 'rd'- SC l~ Mark Van Ramsey SD Ryan Webster Larry Miles KS RURAL ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Jim Luvanos CA John Glenn WA Charolet Merdith MS Margaret Peters AR AmeriCorps Virgin Islands Recovery Accomplishments 1. Florence Phillips- Mandal: the first outdoor job; lots of debris and nowhere to put it; built some stairs 2. Clarence Calistro- Hospital Ground: cleaned debris and garbage from a local FEMA worker's grandmother's house; cut trees with carpenter's saw! 3. Ricardo Williams- Tutu: cleaned-up trash and debris around house and helped construct temporary roof to hold tarp 4. Rastafarian Community- Bordeaux Farm: assisted Mennonite Disaster Service in construction of 9 tent platforms 5. Mariann Batiste- Tutu Valley: the first roof removal; a wonderful and appreciative person; we figured out that a large crew gets more done than a small crew??! 6. Emergency response- Dorothea: Bill, along with a FEMA-CR person, helped a homeless person move their belongings from the road side to a more secure place 7. Bernadette Gonsalves- Wintberg: general debris removal from around the house and a very disgusting referigerator 8. Terry and Italia Brunn- Wintberg: general debris clean-up for a nice couple- Jimmy ramrods for the Seamsters Union. 9. Sean Penn- Coki Point: lots of debris and Scott gets taken to the cleaners 10. Herman Charles- Lower John Dunko: removal of hanging insulation and damaged ceiling; installation of tarp 11. Viola Liburd- Lower John Dunko: same as Herman Charles, but on a smaller scale 12. Vivian Queeman- Mahogany Estate: the notorious PVC adventure, directed by Jimmy, with Scott playing the gopher; removed pile of rubble 13. Beatrice Crime- Contant: three cement block walls that had fallen were removed making it safe to walk again 14. Patricia Thomas- Contant: removed small amount of garbage and realized our limitations concerning going onto and fixing roofs 15. Mary Jackson- Contant: removed damaged ceiling tiles and taught us that we can't staple into metal or glass? 16. Lutheran School- King Quarter: assisted Lutheran's in removing debris from school 17. Louis Guerrard- Mandal: removed sheet metal from field 18. Rastafarian Community- Bordeaux: Charlet takes stoves and other goodies to the Rastas, with Brad from FEMA-CR 19. Olivia Maduro- Hospital Ground: removed sheet metal and other debris from the gut in front of her house; Tim sliced his forearm, and Richard tried walking on nails 20. Robby La Place- Mandal: the trailer; the mess; the stench; Vontese wishes she had ten hands; Ana smiles on the front page; Dan is promoted to project leader; the lunch; Jimmy tests the strength of his shin; twisted steel; hellacious pile of everything stable and moving; scorpions, tarantulas, and skeletons 21. Edna Calhvood- Tutu Valley: another day another roof removed at record rate; a real sheety day 22. Jocelyn Monsanto- Tutu Valley: Tutu Valley, must be another roof; a very twisted roof and a couple of trees; John earns trip to FEMA Medical Unit with sculpted wrist 23. Muriel Brewley- Tutu High rise: Scott demonstrates the use of a Coleman stove and lantern; did anybody see his eyebrows? 24. James Webster- Bovoni: Mr. and Mrs. Webster were on hand to direct the debris removal and sorting; they wanted to save alot of things; quickly completed. 25. Trinita Hodge- Frydenhoj: removed debris and sorted wood for a local FEMA person whose house was destroyed except for the bathroom 26. Olivia Maduro- Hospital Ground: Dan, John and Ryan rebuilt the railings on this wood bridge; it is a good one, and a definite improvement 27. St. Thomas Livestock Association- Bonne Esperance: lead by ramrod Tim, sheetmetal and other debris is removed from this non-profit's field; discovered we need monkeys in our tool bag to get sheetmetal out of trees 28. Webb Alick- Estate Tutu: Ana and Mark help Lutherans remove debris and clean home 29. Ernesto and Ester Van ter Pool- Old Tutu: another assist to Lutherans for debris removal and clean-up by Ana and Mark 30. Murphy Smith- Queen Quarter: "Scott we need 4 flatheaded screwdrivers!!!!" application of crowbars negates this previous plea; hardheaded AmeriCorps members beatdown and shred an entire roof; Tim gets his arm in way of sheetmetal again. 31. Lillian Lopez- Queen Quarter: removal of fallen branches and a dead sheetmetal fence and a well-deserved short day 32. Marva Ritter- Tutu Valley: more debris and another roof; all done not enough tools! 33. George De Werd- Hull: a fine old man in a sad situation; a beautiful house that has suffered alot from Marilyn; removed debris, trash and Will done did what he did; we avoided the pool; for $50 Dan would have been challenged to jump into the slimy soup, but alas! Dan wasn't there. 34. Judith Goodling- Anna's Retreat: a Lutheran assist debris and damaged possession removal by the Ana and Mark Show. 35. Stove Demo- St. John: Cheri lends a hand to a small group of elderly folks on the small island. 36. USDA Food distribution- St. Thomas: help in the ~arehouse 37. Food Stamp work- St. Croix: Yontese and Yvette wow 'cm on St. Croix and help the USDA finish up their operations there 38. Food Stamp work- St. Thomas: everyone got a shot at this as it went from day one to last day; assistance was given to USDA personnel in the certification and distribution process at up to 5 locations 39. Sarah Matthews: Tutu Valley: quick work on a contact made by us removing part of a roof and clearing a path from the front yard to the backyard 40. Joe Potter- Tutu: yet another Mark and Ryan relief effort removing damaged furniture with Lutheran help 41. The Hills- Tutu: its getting boring but Mark and Ryan assist the Lutherans in removal of debris and damaged belongings 42. Leroy Boyce- Litton's Fancy: dancing on the roof by Tim, Jimmy, Ryan and Abby; reinforcing the roof and re-application of our special off-white tarp to stop major leaking; return trip on one of the primo jobs of the tour- building a two-story staircase; cudos to Cherie, Ryan, Tim and Mark 43. Molly Mills- Mafolie: lots of debris from around the house; took two days and 3 dump trucks to clear it out; one of those days with a VERY SMALL CREW!!! 44. Stove Demo- Donoe: Charlet and Dina show some scared folk how to use a Coleman stove and lantern 45. Stove Demo- Oswald Harris Court: more stove and lantern by the gas appliance queens 46. USDA- ESF 11- Special Project: Cherie hangs in the DFO doing a few reports for USDA folk 47. Earl Bedford- Bordeaux: the first of many tent platforms and tent assembly by our crack tent crew of John, Dina and Dan with a one day assist by Sammy and Will; there are very few flat spots on this island! 48. Olive Patrick- Bordeaux: tent crew number 2 offers their first rendition of the tent platform while attempting to prove that the platform can be flipped like a pancake; well.. .. you know those pancakes that you flip and they kind of hit the edge? 49. Charles Hughes- Bovoni: a good cleaning of this m~n's apartment and a ride to get him certified for Food Stamps; he had only been out of his apartment once since Marilyn; great job by Yvette, Cherie and Will 50. Fidelia Francis- Nadir: where have you heard this before: Ana and Mark help Lutherans clean-up debris and trash 51. Konger Gade Parsonage- King Quarter: Mark replants 260 year- old date palm tree "Markie Palmseed" 52. Frederick Lutheran Church- King Quarter: Ana and Mark continue their Lutheran ways and chop down a Royal Palm that is obstructing traffic- proving that what Ana and Mark giveth, A and M take away- the earth remains in balance 53. Bluebeard Hill Church- King Quarter: removal of branches from around a church as A and M near the conclusion of their religious quests 54. Reformation Lutheran Church- Tutu; set-up and construction of platforms to aid church activities as the assist to our Lutheran friends continues to turn toward a focus away from specific hurricane recovery for needy individuals; it takes us a while longer to wake-up 55. Reuben Wheatley- Havensight: a small amount of debris and some branches; referred by letter to FEMA 56. Mary Moorhead- an emergency movement of personal belongings for an evicted person; Mark creases the loaner van 57. Calvin Wheatley- Crown and Hawk: a mostly destroyed house; we cleared the property around the house and filled 2 large dumpsters over parts of three days; Calvin lavished gifts upon our members 58. Margaret Charles- St. John: removed 6 dumptruck loads from home and yard in 3 and 1/2 hours 59. I. Daniels- St. John: removed debris into dumptruck; how did these St. John 's people come up with one of them? sure could have used them earlier 60. Lutheran assist: the straws that broke the camels back, or certainly thumped his or her hump; we help clean-up an old place to house volunteers; and then help clean-up another place where some of them stay; Scott and Bill finally see the light that several members have been shining into their bleary eyes; 61. Clement Aubin- Contant: the clean-up crew ofCharlet, Ana and Sammy clean walls and other parts of the house, remove some debris and off er moral support; with an assist by Joycelyn of Community Relations 62. Miriam Waters- Sa van: the clean-up crew of C, A and Shelp this elderly blind woman spruce up her house 63. Ethel Hamm- Savan: another Coleman Stove demo 64. Roberto Francis- Bordeaux: the tent with the most spectacular view constructed by the loving hands of Dina, John and Dan- in the wrong place! but all was not lost, Francis will move it. 65. Nathaniel Meyers- Bordeaux: injury and sickness strikes tent crew #1 leaving only 3; this does not stop Dan, John and Dina; they forge on building one platform for every three names they collect of people needing their own tent condo 66. Leslie Payton- Fortuna: Tim, Jimmy and Jason construct a tent platform on a site where Tim had to remove some animal's feces with a decorator plastic cup before the Senator would proceed with the project; tent is for a Public Defender who is trying a major murder case 67. Warren Williams- Bordeaux: a tent platform by Dan, Dina and John (DDJ) 68. Dolly Penn- St. John: heroic work cleaning the very modest digs of this woman; all furniture was removed, simple shelving was built, and garbage was hauled away; with help from FEMA-CR, she was given a new small referigerator and clean linen. 69. Olive Greaves- St. John: removed debris to curbside on the small island 70. Sylvestor Hamilton- Bordeaux: tent platform and truly nice man by Tim, Jason and Jimmy (T JJ) 71.Alphonso- Bordeaux: tent crew #,1 (DDJ) steeps themselves in tent platform construction techniques 72. Clarence Cipio- St. John: removed two truck loads of debris from around St. Ursulas Church 73. Earl Forbes- Bordeaux: DDJ construct a high flying platform; the rock was a nice touch. 74. Byron Evans- Bordeaux: delivery of tent and platform materials 75. Keith Brown- Bordeaux: DDJ complete the other half of the Forbes- Brown dual platforms overlooking a rapidly recovering farm 76. Heraldo Richards- Bordeaux: Tim, Cherie and Jason build their first tent platform 77. Blanca Sandin- Havensight: the recovery crew clears off the first floor of this once beautiful home; Mrs. Sandin offers her car to Sammy and others to show her gratitude. 78. Bayside Inn- Bolongo Bay: on two separate days our recovery crew helps this small business that has helped us so much; general clean-up, painting, landscaping; thanks to Carol and Brad!! 79. Dead cat- Bordeaux: a rather bloated feline is put to rest in a shallow unmarked grave; we think it was mostly dead at the time; fresh air blows through Bordeaux once again; Scott doesn't smell too good however 80. Fitzroy Libord- Bordeaux: two tent platforms by DDJ and TJJ; the dog-fighting Rastafarian 81. Austin Todman- Smith Bay: a-final assist to the Lutherans for a family that had half of its trailer destroyed; Bill and CR-Dorothy score a dumptruck from the National Guard; Cherie becomea a truckdriver 82. John Ludvig- Bordeaux: tent platform material delivery 83. Jose Belardo- Bordeaux: tent platform material delivery in the dark by two zombies 84. Charles Leonard- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivecy 85. Dawn Knight- Bordeaux: tent only delivery 86. William- Bordeaux: TJJ construct a tent platform 87. Phil Pott- Fortuna: tent platform material delivery 88. Derrick Hodge- Fortuna: tent platform material delivery 89. Nevon Larson- Bordeaux: tent platform material delivery with an assist by Nathaniel 90. Jawini- Bordeaux: tent delivery only 91. Family #1/Tabernacle- Bordeaux: tent delivery 92. Sylvestor Grant- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 93. Jane Doe- Bordeaux: DDJ build an extension onto a Mennonite constructed tent platform to move tent and avoid the potential of falling rocks; their last work project 94. Denise Petersen- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 95. Clyde Paris- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 96. Timothy Turnbull- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 97. Family #2/Tabernacle- Bordeaux: tent delivery 98. Family #3/Tabernacle- Bordeaux: tent delivery 99. William White- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 100. Jean Chance- Bordeaux: tent delivery 101. The Tire Incident- Fortuna: what a miserable day! Mark and Scott wait for lumber that never shows and get a flat tire which takes several attempts to replace with a spare because the the jack isn't long enough to raise the truck high enough to get the flat off; the spare is finally put on only to find out that tlie other front tire is flat; The T JJ crew rescues us with a trip to the tire repair shop. V.I. Recovery AmeriCorps Members Dina Kountoupes 34 Robin Park Oberlin OH 44074 Tim Craddock PO Box 244 Barboursville WV 25504 304-743-1533 Jimmy Luevanos 1144 W. Iris St. Oxnard CA 93033 805-486-7927 Abby Gage PO Box 12 Cleveland SC 29635 803-836-5647 Ana Gomes PO Box 3928 Durango CO 81302 Charlet Meredith 702 Wood;~ Rd Jackson MS 39206 Mark Van Ravenswaay RRI Box 396, 407 4th St. Estelline SD 57234 609-873-2533 Ryan Webster 219 N. Kansas Oxford KS 67119 William Glenn 1126 S Stanley Ave. Los Angeles CA 90019 213-938-7398 Jason Hansen 448 Hastings Port Townsend WA 98368 360-385-3448 Cheri Ude PO Box 145 Clinton WA 98236 360-341-1630 Yvette Bocz 9604 Ruffner Ave. N. Hills CA 91343 818-895-6178 Sammy Bausley 7241 Union Chicago IL 60621 Margaret Peters 35176 Country Rd . Tyronza AR 72386 501-358-2317 John Glenn 3504 Wilderness DR. S.E. Olympia WA 98501 360-923-0720 Vontese Crawford . 444 S . Kingsley Dr. #208 Los Angeles CA 90020 Alex Gonzalez 710 S. 7th St. Milwaukee WI 53205 Daniel Noonan 6710 Norview Ct. Springfield VA 22152 Project Leaders: Bill Fleeger 5590 Old Hwy 99 S. Ashland OR 97520 503-899-1812 (w) 503-482-3497 (h) Scott Burg1#in PO Box 346 Indianola WA 98342 360- 765-2228 . ,, Dengue Fever; Update lnform~lTon for Response Personnel Introduction: Dengue fever is common throughout the tropics. and is present every year in the Virgin Islands. This fact sheet will provide you with important health and safoty information while you are r&sponding to the aftermath of Hurricane Marilyn. J Cause: Dengue fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypll. l11e mosquito gets infected by biting a person who is sick with dengue. A tter about IO days the infected mosquito can pass the virus to a susceptible person when it feeds. Several other species of mosquito are common in the Virgin Islands but none can transmit dengue. ,,Jee/es acg_vr11 is a domestic species. doscly associared with human hahitation. It breeds in water in man-made containers, never in ponds or swamps. It is day-active. mainly biting in the afternoon and early morning. The other common mosquitoes in the Virgin Islands bite at dawn and dusk, or at night. Symptoms of dengue: Dengue usually begins with a sudden fever. followed by severe headache. joint and muscle pains. A characteristic rash may appear after a few days. Most patients recover within a week to ten days, but on rare occasions, the illness may be more severe, with spontaneous bleedin·g: shock and even death. There is no vaccine for dengue. Patients should seek medical care. Fever should be controlled with acetaminophen ('Tylenol") but NOT WITH ASPIRIN. as this may increase the risk of bleeding.. Seek medical care/advice if fever or other symptoms appear; Public Health. Service 1s providing medical care at various sites including the DFO. If symptoms appear after you return home. infonn your medical care provider of your travel to an endemic dengue area. Information may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Vector Borne Infectious Disease Dengue Branch in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The telephone number is (809) 766- 5181. Prevention: Space spraying (fogging) from vehicles or aircraft is not effective against Aedes aezypti. The mosquito is best controlled by eliminating its breeding receptacles or treating them with insecticide. Personal protection measures: • Use insect repellent containing DEET (be sure to rtr.ld the instructions): • Keep mosquitoes out ofliVlng/sleeping quarters; • Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts: • Eliminate all potential breeding receptacles in the area of your working/living area U. S. Public Health Service. Centers for Disease Control. San Juan Laboratories September 27, 1995 - ~1(1~2~~----t--~~-=-1-<~-- --- -------------------- -- --~- - NJ ~·W\~\01~~ .-- - - ~ - - - - _______ ___;;___ ___ _ --- _____ \--\"\-\,-·, sl 0\r ~ _____ ~..,v-1"'1c °'- ~ \C0cW\ 60- v'v i ) -- ~ Yv\ ~ -- - ---- 1\1 _61\_ ~VK ~ rA~1--- ~----- ---- ~\9 ~;\ To: Joel Berg USDA/AmeriCorps CC: Vassi Johr i Corporation for National Service Final Situation Report 11/18 Margaret Peters was the only AmeriCorps member working in the Food Stamps program this week. She assisted USDA personnel tracking down duplicate applications. FEMA project work continued this week with two days spent on St. John. We stopped accepting referrals for FEMA Community Relations project work last Saturday. We have 6 outstanding project referrals we were unable to contact or did not have t ime to complete. We are returning these projects to Community Relations for possible referral to other organizations. However, we know of no other groups providing the types of service we performed. We continued with VOLAG tent erection projects for the Rastafarian Community. For every tent platform we constructed we were approached by several other individuals in need. Scott organized people in the Rastafarian community to build platforms for themselves and their neighbors. We arranged to have lumber delivered to a central location in the community where we could then distribute it to individual project locations . This will allow the people in the community to help each other after ou r departure. AmeriCorps Members were treated to a recognition ceremony by FEMA Community Relations and VOLAG. Each received a bag of goodies from the Island and a certificate signed by James Lee Witt . The AmeriCorps Hurricane Marilyn Recovery effort has been a success. In spite of significant challenges, we accomplished a tremendous amount of work. We would like to thank-you for the opportunity to have served in this disaster. We leave here with mixed feelings. We are aware that identified and unidentified needs continue and that many people will not have access to other assistance. However, we are proud of the work we have done and the many individuals and families we have helped. We have made a difference in peoples lives. Sincerely, Bill Fleeger Scott Burgwin AmeriCorps V.I. Recovery leaders AmeriCorps- Hurricane Marilyn Recovery U.S. Virgin Islands: October 16. through November 19, 1995. '... . . .: . . • - -. . ·, . ' , ,.- As you return to your "normal" lives, know that you have done a good thing by participating in the hurricane recovery process. You have touched many lives in the five weeks we have spent here. The projects we have completed are many and varied, just as the people we have helped. From the debris removal of a totally destroyed, and stench-ridden, trailer, to the cleaning of a small apartment of a "Ghandi-like" amputee, to the filing of Food Stamps certification forms, you have all shown brightly in this great team effort. You have all done the AmeriCorps name real good. Even as the future of the program is threatened, you have added another major victory to the AmeriCorps banner! Thank you for all you have given. "YOU CAN NEVER HA VE ENOUGH BUCKETS" LIGHTS AND VIRTUES Jackson Browne Here's to lights and virtues Here's to troths yet to be known Knowledge to light the darkness The search for things of your own Here's to lights and virtues Here's to reaching higher ground A life of hope and purpose Here's to strength yet to be found Honor-though it goes unrecognized and troth-though liars abound The pleasure of love and friendship The courage to be alone PHONE NUMBERS YOU MAY NEED: Donna Hines- (202) 690-0693 for questions about perdiem, travel and stipend Joel Berg- (202) 720-63 50 for questions about the future of AmeriCorps all questions should first be directed to your project sponsor. "REMEMBER TO LIVE YOUR LIFE ONE DUMPSTER AT A TIME" -DON'T SQUANDER THE SPACE YOU HA VE BEEN GIVEN- V.I. Recovery AmeriCorps Members Dina Kountoupes 34 Robin Park Oberlin OH 44074 Tim Craddock PO Box 244 Barboursville WV 25504 304-743-1533 Jimmy Luevanos 1144 W. Iris St. Oxnard CA 93033 805-486-7927 Abby Gage PO Box 12 Cleveland SC 29635 803-836-5647 Ana Gomes PO Box 3928 Durango CO 81302 Charlet Meredith otC.~ 702 Woodaae Rd Jackson MS 39206 Mark Van Ravenswaay RR! Box 396, 407 4th St. Estelline SD 57234 609-873-2533 Ryan Webster 219 N. Kansas Oxford KS 67119 William Glenn 1126 S Stanley Ave. Los Angeles CA 90019 213-938-7398 Jason Hansen 448 Hastings Port Townsend WA 98368 360-385-3448 Cheri Ude PO Box 145 Clinton WA 98236 360-341-1630 Yvette Bocz 9604 Ruffner Ave. N. Hills CA 91343 818-895-6178 Sammy Bausley 7241 Union Chicago IL 60621 Margaret Peters 35176 Country Rd. Tyronza AR 72386 501-358-2317 John Glenn 3504 Wilderness DR. S.E. Olympia WA 9850 1 360-923-0720 Vontese Crawford 444 S. Kingsley Dr. #208 Los Angeles CA 90020 Alex Gonzalez 710 S. 7th St. Milwaukee WI 53205 Daniel Noonan 6710 Norview Ct. Springfield VA 22152 Project Leaders: Bill Fleeger 5590 Old Hwy 99 S. Ashland OR 97520 503-899-1812 (w) 503-482-3497 (h) Scott Burgwin PO Box 346 Indianola WA 98342 360- 765-2228 Deng.ue Fever: Update tnformalTon for Response Personnel Introduction: Dengue fever 1s common throughout the pies. and is present every year in the Virgin Islands. This fact sheet will provide you with im;portant health and safety infonnatlon while you are r&sponding to the aftennath of Humcan;.~ anlyn. Cause: Dengue fever is caused by a virus transf • infected by biting a person who is sick can pass the virus to a susceptible pers common in the Virgin Islands but none ed by the mosquito e le ae,zy{'II c mosquito i:tets ~- .Jerigue her Jbout IO days the infected mosquito <;c .!r::il rt e -,pec1es () f mosquito are .·kclt's m ',t!,Y{'II 1s a domestic species. d,:: ;: ··,, •. '. I ~.1'1 h "1 11 1•11.r 111 man-made containers. never in pondt~ -· ~-.... -' - • •, • .• .11 afternoon and early morning. The oth~ - ,.. r '· - and dusk, or at night. Symptoms of dengue: Dengue usually begins with a sudden feven • nil characteristic rash may appear after a few d rare occasions. the illness may be more sev There is no vaccine for dengue. Patient st with acetaminophen ('Tylenol') but N ,. ' bleeding. Seek medical care/advice iP!1! •. "V providing medical care at various site's:in'Cl home. infonn your medical care prov.~ c may be obtained from the Centers foHJ~s, Infectious Disease Dengue Branch in Sim 5181. Prevention: Space spraying (fogging) from vehides·or mosquito is best controlled by eliminating insecticide. Personal protection measures: • Use insect repellent cot'rtainin~ • Keep mosquitoes out oflivinf • Wear long pants and lonK-sl • Eliminate all potential brcedi U. S. Public Health Service. Centets for D September 27, 1995 .1 1-1 hrccds III waler 'J1 r~ tn the ~ .. - ·s 111c at dawn 1ms. A ·1ys. but on • trolled , sk of .Service 1s . you return '.e onnat1on r Borne - (809) 766- AmeriCorps Virgin Islands Recovery Accomplishments 1. Florence Phillips- Mandal: the first outdoor job; lots of debris and nowhere to put it; built some stairs 2. Clarence Calistro- Hospital Ground: cleaned debris and garbage from a local FEMA worker's grandmother's house; cut trees with carpenter's saw! 3. Ricardo Williams- Tutu: cleaned-up trash and debris around house and helped construct temporary roof to hold tarp 4. Rastafarian Con1munity- Bordeaux Farm: assisted Mennonite Disaster Service in construction of 9 tent platforms 5. Mariann Batiste- Tutu Valley: the first roof removal; a wonderful and appreciative person; we figured out that a large crew gets more done than a small crew??! 6. Emergency response- Dorothea: Bill, along with a FEMA-CR person, helped a homeless person move their belongings from the road side to a more secure place 7. Bernadette Gonsalves- Wintberg: general debris removal from around the house and a very disgusting referigerator 8. Terry and Italia Brunn- Wintberg: general debris clean-up for a nice couple- Jimmy ramrods for the Seamsters Union. 9. Sean Penn- Coki Point: lots of debris and Scott gets taken to the cleaners 10. Herman Charles- Lower John Dunko: removal of hanging insulation and damaged ceiling; installation of tarp 11. Viola Liburd- Lower John Dunko: same as Herman Charles, but on a smaller scale 12. Vivian Queeman- Mahogany Estate: the notorious PVC adventure, directed by Jimmy, with Scott playing the gopher; removed pile of rubble 13. Beatrice Crime- Contant: three cement block walls that had fallen were removed making it safe to walk again 14. Patricia Thomas- Contant: removed small amount of garbage and realized our limitations concerning going onto and fixing roofs 15. Mary Jackson- Contant: removed damaged ceiling tiles and taught us that we can't staple into metal or glass? 16. Lutheran School- King Quarter: assisted Lutheran's in removing debris from school 17. Louis Guerra rd- Mandal: removed sheet metal from field 18. Rastafarian Community- Bordeaux: Charlet takes stoves and other goodies to the Rastas, with Brad from FEMA-CR 19. Olivia Maduro- Hospital Ground: removed sheet metal and other debris from the gut in front of her house; Tim sliced his forearm, and Richard tried walking on nails 20. Robby La Place- Mandal: the trailer; the mess; the stench; Vontese wishes she had ten hands; Ana smiles on the front page; Dan is promoted to project leader; the lunch; Jimmy tests the strength of his shin; twisted steel; hellacious pile of everything stable and moving; scorpions, tarantulas, and skeletons 21. Edna Callwood- Tutu Valley: another day another roof removed at record rate; a real sheety day 22. Jocelyn Monsanto- Tutu Valley: Tutu Valley, must be another roof; a very twisted roof and a couple of trees; John earns trip to FEMA Medical Unit with sculpted wrist 23. Muriel Brewley- Tutu High rise: Scott demonstrates the use of a Coleman stove and lantern; did anybody see his eyebrows? 24. James Webster- Bovoni: Mr. and Mrs. Webster were on hand to direct the debris removal and sorting; they wanted to save alot of things; quickly completed. 25. Trinita Hodge- Frydcnhoj: removed debris and sorted wood for a local FEMA person whose house was destroyed except for the bathroom 26. Olivia Maduro- Hospital Ground: Dan, John and Ryan rebuilt the railings on this wood bridge; it is a good one, and a definite improvement 27. St. Thomas Livestock Association- Bonne Esperance: lead by ramrod Tim, sheetmetal and other debris is removed from this non-profit's field; discovered we need monkeys in our tool bag to get sheetmetal out of trees 28. Webb Alick- Estate Tutu: Ana and Mark help Lutherans remove debris and clean home 29. Ernesto and Ester Van ter Pool- Old Tutu: another assist to Lutherans for debris removal and clean-up by Ana and Mark 30. Murphy Smith- Queen Quarter: "Scott we need 4 flatheaded screwdrivers!!!!" application of crowbars negates this previous plea; hardheaded AmeriCorps members beatdown and shred an entire roof; Tim gets his arm in way of sheetmetal again. 31. Lillian Lopez- Queen Quarter: removal of fallen branches and a dead sheetmetal fence and a well-deserved short day 32. Marva Ritter- Tutu Valley: more debris and another roof; all done not enough tools! 33. George DeWerd- Hull: a fine old man in a sad situation; a beautiful house that has suffered alot from Marilyn; removed debris, trash and Will done did what he did; we avoided the pool; for $50 Dan would have been challenged to jump into the slimy soup, but alas! Dan wasn't there. 34. Judith Goodling- Anna's Retreat: a Lutheran assist debris and damaged possession removal by the Ana and Mark Show. 35. Stove Demo- St. John: Cheri lends a hand to a small group of elderly folks on the small island. 36. USDA Food distribution- St. Thomas: help in the warehouse 37. Food Stamp work- St. Croix: Vontcsc and Yvette wow 'cm on St. Croix and help the USDA finish up their operations there 38. Food Stamp work- St. Thomas: everyone got a shot at this as it went from day one to last day; assistance was given to USDA personnel in the certification and distribution process at up to 5 locations 39. Sarah Matthews: Tutu Valley: quick work on a contact made by us removing part of a roof and clearing a path from the front yard to the backyard 40. Joe Potter- Tutu: yet another Mark and Ryan relief effort removing damaged furniture with Lutheran help 41. The Hills- Tutu: its getting boring but Mark and Ryan assist the Lutherans in removal of debris and damaged belongings 42. Leroy Boyce- Litton's Fancy: dancing on the roof by Tim, Jimmy, Ryan and Abby; reinforcing the roof and re-application of our special off-white tarp to stop major leaking; return trip on one of the primo jobs of the tour- building a two-story staircase; cudos to Cherie, Ryan, Tim and Mark 43. Molly Mills- Mafolie: lots of debris from around the house; took two days and 3 dump trucks to clear it out; one of those days with a VERY SMALL CREW!!! 44. Stove Demo- Donoe: Charlet and Dina show some scared folk how to use a Coleman stove and lantern 45. Stove Demo- Oswald Harris Court: more stove and lantern by the gas appliance queens 46. USDA- ESF 11- Special Project: Cherie hangs in the DFO doing a few reports for USDA folk 47. Earl Bedford- Bordeaux: the first of many tent platforms and tent assembly by our crack tent crew of John, Dina and Dan with a one day assist by Sammy and Will; there are very few flat spots on this island! 48. Olive Patrick- Bordeaux: tent crew number 2 offers their first rendition of the tent platform while attempting to prove that the platform can be flipped like a pancake; well.. .. you know those pancakes that you flip and they kind of hit the edge'? 49. Charles Hughes- Bovoni: a good cleaning of this m~n's apartment and a ride to get him certified for Food Stamps; he had only been out of his apartment once since Marilyn; great job by Yvette, Cherie and Will 50. Fidelia Francis- Nadir: where have you heard this before: Ana and Mark help Lutherans clean-up debris and trash 51. Konger Gade Parsonage- King Quarter: Mark replants 260 year- old date palm tree "Markie Palmseed" 52. Frederick Lutheran Church- King Quarter: Ana and Mark continue their Lutheran ways and chop down a Royal Palm that is obstructing traffic- proving that what Ana and Mark giveth, A and M take away- the earth remains in balance 53. Bluebeard Hill Church- King Quarter: removal of branches from around a church as A and M near the conclusion of their religious quests 54. Reformation Lutheran Church- Tutu; set-up and construction of platforms to aid church activities as the assist to our Lutheran friends continues to turn toward a focus away from specific hurricane recovery for needy individuals; it takes us a while longer to wake-up 55. Reuben Wheatley- Havensight: a small amount of debris and some branches; referred by letter to FEMA 56. Mary Moorhead- an emergency movement of personal belongings for an evicted person; Mark creases the loaner van 57. Calvin Wheatley- Crown and Hawk: a mostly destroyed house; we cleared the property around the house and filled 2 large dumpsters over parts of three days; Calvin lavished gifts upon our members 58. Margaret Charles- St. John: removed 6 dumptruck loads from home and yard in 3 and 1/2 hours 59. I. Daniels- St. John: removed debris into dumptruck; how did these St. John's people come up with one of them? sure could have used them earlier 60. Lutheran assist: the straws that broke the camels back, or certainly thumped his or her hump; we help clean-up an old place to house volunteers; and then help clean-up another place where some of them stay; Scott and Bill finally sec the light that several members have been shining into their bleary eyes; 61. Clement Aubin- Contant: the clean-up crew of Charlet, Ana and Sammy clean walls and other parts of the house, remove some debris and offer moral support; with an assist by Joycelyn of Community Relations 62. Miriam Waters- Savan: the clean-up crew of C, A and Shelp this elderly blind woman spruce up her house 63. Ethel Hamm- Savan: another Coleman Stove demo 64. Roberto Francis- Bordeaux: the tent with the most spectacular view constructed by the loving hands of Dina, John and Dan- in the wrong place! but all was not lost, Francis will move it. 65. Nathaniel Meyers- Bordeaux: injury and sickness strikes tent crew #1 leaving only 3; this does not stop Dan, John and Dina; they forge on building one platform for every three names they collect of people needing their own tent condo 66. Leslie Payton- Fortuna: Tim, Jimmy and Jason construct a tent platform on a site where Tim had to remove some animal's feces with a decorator plastic cup before the Senator would proceed with the project; tent is for a Public Defender who is trying a major murder case 67. Warren Williams- Bordeaux: a tent platform by Dan, Dina and John (DDJ) 68. Dolly Penn- St. John: heroic work cleaning the very modest digs of this woman; all furniture was removed, simple shelving was built, and garbage was hauled away; with help from FEMA-CR, she was given a new small referigerator and clean linen. 69. Olive Greaves- St. John: removed debris to curbside on the small island 70. Sylvcstor Hamilton- Bordeaux: tent platform and truly nice man by Tim, .Jason and Jimmy (T JJ) 71.Alphonso- Bordeaux: tent crew #·1 (DDJ) steeps themselves in tent platform construction techniques 72. Clarence Cipio- St. John: removed two truck loads of debris from around St. Ursulas Church 73. Earl Forbes- Bordeaux: DDJ construct a high flying platform; the rock was a nice touch. 74. Byron Evans- Bordeaux: delivery of tent and platform materials 75. Keith Brown- Bordeaux: DDJ complete the other half of the Forbes- Brown dual platforms overlooking a rapidly recovering farm 76. Heraldo Richards- Bordeaux: Tim, Cherie and Jason build their first tent platform 77. Blanca Sandin- Havensight: the recovery crew clears off the first floor of this once beautiful home; Mrs. Sandin offers her car to Sammy and others to show her gratitude. 78. Bayside Inn- Bolongo Bay: on two separate days our recovery crew helps this small business that has helped us so much; general clean-up, painting, landscaping; thanks to Carol and Brad!! 79. Dead cat- Bordeaux: a rather bloated feline is put to rest in a shallow unmarked grave; we think it was mostly dead at the time; fresh air blows through Bordeaux once again; Scott doesn't smell too good however 80. Fitzroy Libord- Bordeaux: two tent platforms by DDJ and TJJ; the dog-fighting Rastafarian 81. Austin Todman- Smith Bay: a final assist to the Lutherans for a family that had half of its trailer destroyed; Bill and CR-Dorothy score a dumptruck from the National Guard; Cherie becomea a truckdriver 82. John Ludvig- Bordeaux: tent platform material delivery 83. Jose Belardo- Bordeaux: tent platform material delivery in the dark by two zombies 84. Charles Leonard- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 85. Dawn Knight- Bordeaux: tent only delivery 86. William- Bordeaux: TJJ construct a tent platform 87. Phil Pott- Fortuna: tent platform material delivery 88. Derrick Hodge- Fortuna: tent platform material delivery 89. Nevon Larson- Bordeaux: tent platform material delivery with an assist by Nathaniel 90. Jawini- Bordeaux: tent delivery only 91. Family #I/Tabernacle- Bordeaux: tent delivery 92. Sylvestor Grant- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 93. Jane Doe- Bordeaux: DDJ build an extension onto a Mennonite constructed tent platform to move tent and avoid the potential of falling rocks; their last work project 94. Denise Petersen- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 95. Clyde Paris- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 96. Timothy Turnbull- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 97. Family #2/Tabernacle- Bordeaux: tent delivery 98. Family #3/Tabernacle- Bordeaux: tent delivery 99. William White- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 100. Jean Chance- Bordeaux: tent delivery 101. The Tire Incident- Fortuna: what a miserable dayt Mark and Scott wait for lumber that never shows and get a flat tire which takes several attempts to replace with a spare because the the jack isn't long enough to raise the truck high enough to get the flat off; the spare is fmally put on only to find out that tti'e other front tire is flat; The TJJ crew rescues us with a trip to the tire repair shop. To: Joel Berg USDA/AmeriCorps CC: Vassi Johri Corporation for National Service Final Situation Report 11 /1 8 Margaret Peters was the only AmeriCorps member working in the Food Stamps program this week. She assisted USDA personnel tracking down duplicate applications. FEMA project work continued this week with two days spent on John. We stopped accepting referrals for FEMA Community Relations project work last Saturday. We have 6 outstanding St. project referrals we were unable to contact or did not have time to complete. We are returning these projects to Community Relations for possible referral to other organizations. However, we know of no other groups providing the types of service we performed. We continued with VOLAG tent erection projects for the Rastafarian Community. For every tent platform we constructed we were approached by several other individuals in need. Scott organized people in the Rastafarian community to build platforms for themselves and their neighbors. We arranged to have lumber delivered to a central location in the community where we could then distribute it to individual project locations. This will allow the people in the community to help each other after our departure. AmeriCorps Members were treated to a recognition ce remony by FEMA Community Relations and VOLAG. Each received a bag of goodies from the Island and a certificate signed by James Lee Witt. The AmeriCorps Hurricane Marilyn Recovery effort has been a success. In spite of significant challenges, we accomplished a tremendous amount of work. We would like to thank-you for the opportunity to have served in this disaster. We leave here with mixed feelings. We are aware that identified and unidentified needs continue and that many people will not have access to other assistance. However, we are proud of the work we have done and the many individuals and families we have helped. We have made a difference in peoples lives. Sincerely, Bill Fleeger Scott Burgwin AmeriCorps V.I . Recovery leaders AmeriCorps- Hurricane Marilyn Recovery U.S. Virgin Islands: October 16, through November 19, 1995 . . t1· ~ ·•'-".: · ·: : • -;' .. ·•' .. _ • • • . i ,·. •. • • .. _ _ • _ ~ _ . ., - . - • _ , _ .. _;;_ r-·__ - _. __ '.·• - - . · __ · _- - - - - - \. f .·.... ·.,, ' . • .. • ·.. ·~-· .. f , • ~ • •• '- , • ., • • • ., ~ • - • As you return to your "normal" lives, know that you have done a good thing by participating in the hurricane recovery process. You have touched many lives in the five weeks we have spent here. The projects we have completed are many and varied, just as the people we have helped. From the debris removal of a totally destroyed, and stench-ridden, trailer, to the cleaning of a small apartment of a "Ghandi-like" amputee, to the filing of Food Stamps certification forms, you have all shown brightly in this great team effort. You have all done the AmeriCorps name real good. Even as the future of the program is threatened, you have added another major victory to the AmeriCorps banner! Thank you for all you have given. '"YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH BUCKETS" LIGHTS AND VIRTUES Jackson Browne Here's to lights and virtues Here's to truths yet to be known Knowledge to light the darkness The search for things of your own Here 's to lights and virtues Here's to reaching higher ground A life of hope and purpose Here's to strength yet to be found Honor--though it goes unrecognized and truth-though liars abound The pleasure of love and friendship The courage to be alone PHONE NUMBERS YOU MAY NEED: Donna Hines- (202) 690-0693 for questions about perdiem, travel and stipend Joel Berg- (202) 720-6350 for questions about the future of AmeriCorps all questions should first be directed to your project sponsor. "REMEMBER TO LIVE YOUR LIFE ONE DUMPSTER AT A TIME" -DON'T SQUANDER THE SPACE YOU HA VE BEEN GIVEN- V.I. Recovery AmeriCorps Members Dina Kountoupes 34 Robin Park Oberlin OH 44074 Tim Craddock PO Box 244 Barboursville WV 25504 304-743-1533 Jimmy Luevanos 1144 W. Iris St. Oxnard CA 93033 805-486-7927 Abby Gage PO Box 12 Cleveland SC 29635 803-836-5647 Ana Gomes PO Box 3928 Durango CO 81302 Charlet Meredith 702 Wood~W€- Rd Jackson MS 39206 Mark Van Ravenswaay RRI Box 396, 407 4th St. Estelline SD 57234 609-873-2533 Ryan Webster 219 N. Kansas Oxford KS 67119 William Glenn 1126 S Stanley Ave. Los Angeles CA 90019 213-938-7398 Jason Hansen 448 Hastings Port Townsend WA . 98368 360-385-3448 Cheri Ude PO Box 145 Clinton WA 98236 360-341-1630 Yvette Bocz 9604 Ruffner Ave. N. Hills CA 91343 818-895-6178 Sammy Bausley 7241 Union Chicago IL 60621 Margaret Peters 35176 Country Rd. Tyronza AR 72386 501-358-2317 John Glenn 3504 Wilderness DR. S.E. Olympia WA 98501 360-923-0720 Vontese Crawford 444 S. Kingsley Dr. #208 Los Angeles CA 90020 Alex Gonzalez 710 S. 7th St. Milwaukee WI 53205 Daniel Noonan 6710 Norview Ct. Springfield VA 22152 Project Leaders: Bill Fleeger 5590 Old Hwy 99 S. Ashland OR 97520 503-899-1812 (w) 503-482-3497 (h) Scott Burgwin PO Box 346 Indianola WA 98342 360- 765-2228 Dengue Fever: Update lnformalTon for Response Personnel Introduction: Dengue fever 1s common throughout the tropics. and is present every year in the Virgin lslru1ds. This fact sheet will provide you with important health and safety information while you are r$Sponding to the aftennath of Hunicane Marilyn. Cause: Dengue fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the 111osquito Aedes aegyp11. The mosquito 1;ets infected by biting a person who is sick with dengue. Attcr about IO days the infected mosquito can pass the virus to a susceptible person when it feeds Several other species of mosquito are common in the Virgin Islands but none can transmit dengue. :kclt's aegy('II 1s a domeslic species. doscly associnted with human hah11nturn. It breeds III water 111 man-made containers. never in ponds or swamps. It 1s day-active. mainly biting 1n the afternoon and early morning. The other common mosqt11toes in the Virgin Islands hite al dawn and dusk. or at night. Symptoms of dengue: Dengue usually begins with a sudden fever. followed by sev1.:re headache. joint and muscle pains. A characteristic rash may appear after a few days. Most patients recover within a week to ten days. but on rare occasions. the illness may be more severe, with spontaneous bleedin·g. shock and even death. There is no vaccine for dengue. Patients should seek medical care. Fever should be controlled with acetaminophen ('Tylenol') hu1 NOT WITH ASPIRIN. as this m:iy increase the risk of bleeding. Seek medical care/advice if' fever or other symptoms appear: Public Health. Servicc 1s providing medical care at various sites including the DFO. If symptoms appear after you return home. infonn your medical care provider of' your travel to an endemic dengue area. lnfonnat10n may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Vector Bomt:: Infectious Disease Dengue Branch in San Juan. Puerto Rico. The telephone nwnber is (809) 766- 5181. Prevention: Space spraying (fogging) from vehicles or aircraft is not effective against Aedes aeK)lpti. The mosquito is best controlled by eliminating its breeding. receptacles or treating them with insecticide. Personal protection measures: • Use insect repellent containing DEET (be sure to read the instructions): • Keep mosquitoes out of living/sleeping quarters: • Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts: • Eliminate all potenriaJ breeding receptacles in the area of your working/living area U. S. Public Health Service. Centers for Disease Control. San Juan Laboratories September 27. 1995 AmeriCorps Virgin Islands Recovery Accomplishments 1. Florence Phillips- Mandal: the first outdoor job; lots of debris and nowhere to put it; built some stairs 2. Clarence Calistro- Hospital Ground: cleaned debris and garbage from a local FEMA worker's grandmother's house; cut trees with carpenter's saw! 3. Ricardo Williams- Tutu: cleaned-up trash and debris around house and helped construct temporary roof to hold tarp 4. Rastafarian Community- Bordeaux Farm: assisted Mennonite Disaster Service in construction of 9 tent platforms 5. Mariann Batiste- Tutu Valley: the first roof removal; a wonderful and appreciative person; we figured out that a large crew gets more done than a small crew??! 6. Emergency response- Dorothea: Bill, along with a FEMA-CR person, helped a homeless person move their belongings from the road side to a more secure place 7. Bernadette Gonsalves- Wintberg: general debris removal from around the house and a very disgusting referigerator 8. Terry and Italia Brunn- Wintberg: general debris clean-up for a nice couple- J immy ramrods for the Seamsters Union. 9. Sean Penn- Coki Point: lots of debris and Scott gets taken to the cleaners 10. Hern1an Charles- Lower John Dunko: removal of hanging insulation and damaged ceiling; installation of tarp 11. Viola Liburd- Lower John Dunko: same as Herman Charles, but on a smaller scale 12. Vivian Queeman- Mahogany Estate: the notorious PVC adventure, directed by Jimmy, with Scott playing the gopher; removed pile of rubble I 3. Beatrice Crime- Contant: three cement block walls that had fallen were removed making it safe to walk again I 4. Patricia Thomas- Contant: removed small amount of garbage and realized our limitations concerning going onto and fixing roofs 15. Mary Jackson- Contant: removed damaged ceiling tiles and taught us that we can't staple into metal or glass? I 6. Lutheran School- King Quarter: assisted Lutheran's in removing debris from school I 7. Louis Guerrard- Mandal: removed sheet metal from field 18. Rastafarian Community- Bordeaux: Charlet takes stoves and other goodies to the Rastas, with Brad from FEMA-CR 19. Olivia Maduro- Hospital Ground: removed sheet metal and other debris from the gut in front of her house; Tim sliced his forearm, and Richard tried walking on nails 20. Robby La Place- Mandal: the trailer; the mess; the stench; Vontese wishes she had ten hands; Ana smiles on the front page; Dan is promoted to project leader; the lunch; Jimmy tests the strength of his shin; twisted steel; hellacious pile of everything stable· and moving; scorpions, tarantulas, and skeletons 21. Edna Callwood- Tutu Valley: another day another roof removed at record rate; a real sheety day 22. Jocelyn Monsanto- Tutu Valley: Tutu Valley, must be another roof; a very twisted roof and a couple of trees; John earns trip to FEMA Medical Unit with sculpted wrist 23. -Muriel Brewley- Tutu High rise: Scott demonstrates the use of a Coleman stove and lantern; did anybody see his eyebrows? 24. James Webster- Bovoni: Mr. and Mrs. Webster were on hand to direct the debris removal and sorting; they wanted to save alot of things; quickly completed. 37. Food Stamp ·work- St. Croix: Vontrsc and Yvette wow 'cm Oil St. Croix and help the USDA finish up their operations there 38. Food Stan1p work- St. Thomas: everyone got a shot at this as it went from day one to last day; assistance was given to USDA personnel in the certification and distribution process at up to 5 locations 39. Sarah Matthews: Tutu Valley: quick work on a contact made by us removing part of a roof and clearing a path from the front yard to the backyard 40. Joe Potter- Tutu: yet another Mark and Ryan relief effort removing damaged furniture with Lutheran help 41. The Hills- Tutu: its getting boring but Mark and Ryan assist the Lutherans in removal of debris and damaged belongings 42. Leroy Boyce- Litton's Fancy: dancing on the roof by Tim, Jimmy, Ryan and Abby; reinforcing the roof and re-application of our special off-white tarp to stop major leaking; return trip on one of the primo jobs of the tour- building a hvo-story staircase; cudos to Cherie, Ryan, Tim and Mark 43. Molly Mills- Mafolie: lots of debris from around the house; took hvo days and 3 dump trucks to clear it out; one of those days with a VERY SMALL CREW!!! 44. Stove Demo- Donoe: Charlet and Dina show some scared folk how to use a Coleman stove and lantern 45. Stove Demo- Oswald Harris Court: more stove and lantern by the gas appliance queens 46. USDA- ESF 11- Special Project: Cherie hangs in the DFO doing a few reports for USDA folk 47. Earl Bedfo(d- Bordeaux: the first of many tent platforms and tent assembly by our crack tent crew of John, Dina and Dan with a one day assist by Sammy and Will; there are very few flat spots on this island! 48. Olive Patrick- Bordeaux: tent crew number 2 offers their first rendition of the tent platform while attempting to prove that the platform can be 25. Trinita Hodge- Frydcnhoj: removed dehris and sorted wood for a local FEMA person whose house was destroyed except for the bathroom 26. Olivia Maduro- Hospital Ground: Dan, John and Ryan rebuilt the railings on this wood bridge; it is a good one, and a definite improvement 27. St. Thomas Livestock Association- Bonne Esperance: lead by ramrod Tim, sheetmetal and other debris is removed from this non-profit's field; discovered we need monkeys in our tool bag to get sheetmetal out of trees 28. Webb Alick- Estate Tutu: Ana and Mark help Lutherans remove debris and clean home 29. Ernesto and Ester Van ter Pool- Old Tutu: another assist to Lutherans for debris removal and clean-up by Ana and Mark 30. Murphy Smith- Queen Quarter: "Scott we need 4 flatheaded screwdrivers!!!!" application of crowbars negates this previous plea; hardheaded AmcriCorps members bcatdown and shred an entire roof; Tim gets his arm in way of shcetmetal again. 31. Lillian Lopez- Queen Quarter: removal of fallen branches and a dead sheetmetal fence and a well-deserved short day 32. Marva Ritter- Tutu Valley: more debris and another roof; all done not enough tools! 33. George De Werd- Hull: a fine old man in a sad situation; a beautiful house that has suffered alot from Marilyn; removed debris, trash and Will done did what he did; we avoided the pool; for $50 Dan would have been challenged to jump into the slimy soup, but alas! Dan wasn't there. 34. Judith Goodling- Anna's Retreat: a Lutheran assist debris and damaged possession removal by the Ana and Mark Show. 35. Stove Demo- St. John: Cheri lends a hand to a small group of elderly folks on the small island. 36. USDA Food distribution- St. Thomas: help in the warehouse flipped like a pancake; well.... you know those pancakes that you flip and they kind of hit the edge'? 49. Charles Hughes- Bovoni: a good cleaning of this man's apartment and a ride to get him certified for Food Stamps; he had only been out of his apartment once since Marilyn; great job by Yvette, Cherie and Will 50. Fidelia Francis- Nadir: where have you heard this before: Ana and Mark help Lutherans clean-up debris and trash 51. Konger Gade Parsonage- King Quarter: Mark replants 260 year- old date palm tree "Markie Palmsccd" 52. Frederick Lutheran Church- King Quarter: Ana and Mark continue their Lutheran ways and chop down a Royal Palm that is obstructing traffic- proving that what Ana and Mark giveth, A and M take away- the earth remains in balance 53. Bluebeard Hill Church- King Quarter: removal of branches from around a church as A and M near the conclusion of their religious quests 54. Reformation Lutheran Church- Tutu; set-up and construction of platforms to aid church activities as the assist to our Lutheran friends continues to turn toward a focus away from specific hurricane recovery for needy individuals; it takes us a while longer to wake-up 55. Reuben Wheatley- Havensight: a small amount of debris and some branches; referred by letter to FEMA 56. Mary Moorhead- an emergency movement of personal belongings for an evicted person; Mark creases the loaner van 57. Calvin Wheatley- Cro,vn and Hawk: a mostly destroyed house; we cleared the property around the house and filled 2 large dumpsters over parts of three .days; Calvin lavished gifts upon our members 58. Margaret Charles- St. John: removed 6 dumptruck loads from home and yard in 3 and 1/2 hours 59. I. Daniels- St. John: removed debris into dumptruck; how did these St. .John's people come up with one of them'! sure could have used them earlier 60. Lutheran assist: the straws that broke the camels back, or certainly thumped his or her hump; we help clean-up an old place to house volunteers; and then help clean-up another place where some of them stay; Scott and Bill finally sec the light that several members have been shining into their bleary eyes; 61. Clement Aubin- Contant: the clean-up crew of Charlet, Ana and Sammy clean walls and other parts of the house, remove some debris and offer moral support; with an assist by Joycelyn of Community Relations 62. Miriam Waters- Savan: the clean-up crew of C, A ands help this elderly blind woman spruce up her house 63. Ethel Hamm- Savan: another Coleman Stove demo 64. Roberto Francis- Bordeaux: the tent with the most spectacular view constructed by the loving hands of Dina, John and Dan- in the wrong place! but all was not lost, Francis will move it. 65. Nathaniel Meyers- Bordeaux: injury and sickness strikes tent crew #1 leaving only 3; this does not stop Dan, John and Dina; they forge on building one platform for every three names they collect of people needing their own tent condo 66. Leslie Payton- Fortuna: Tim, Jimmy and Jason construct a tent platform on a site where Tim had to remove some animal's feces with a decorator plastic cup before the Senator would proceed with the project; tent is for a Public Defender who is trying a major murder case 67. Warren Williams- Bordeaux: a tent platform by Dan, Dina and John (DDJ) 68. Dolly Penn- St. John: heroic work cleaning the very modest digs of this woman; all furn_iture was removed, simple shelving was built, and garbage was hauled away; with help from FEMA-CR, she was given a new small referigerator and clean linen. 69. Olive Greaves- St. John: removed debris to curbside on thesmall island 70. Sy Ives tor Hamilton- Bordeaux: tent platform and truly nice man by Tim, .Jason and Jimmy (T JJ) 71.Alphonso- Bordeaux: tent crew #-1 (DDJ) steeps themselves in tent platform construction techniques 72. Clarence Cipio- St. John: removed two truck loads of debris from around St. Ursulas Church 73. Earl Forbes- Bordeaux: DDJ construct a high flying platform; the rock was a nice touch. 74. Byron Evans- Bordeaux: delivery of tent and platform materials 75. Keith Brown- Bordeaux: DDJ complete the other half of the Forbes- Brown dual platforms overlooking a rapidly recovering farm 76. Heraldo Richards- Bordeaux: Tim, Cherie and Jason build their first tent platform 77. Blanca Sandin- Havensigh t: the recovery crew clears off the first floor of this once beautiful home; Mrs. Sandin offers her car to Sammy and others to show her gratitude. 78. Bayside Inn- Bolongo Bay: on two separate days our recovery crew helps this small business that has helped us so much; general clean-up, painting, landscaping; thanks to Carol and Brad!! 79. Dead cat- Bordeaux: a rather bloated feline is put to rest in a shallow unmarked grave; we think it was mostly dead at the time; fresh air blows through Bordeaux once again; Scott doesn't smell too good however 80. Fitzroy Libord- Bordeaux: two tent platforms by DDJ and TJJ; the dog-fighting Rastafarian 81. Austin Todman- Smith Bay: a final assist to the Lutherans for a family that had half of its trailer destroyed; Bill and CR-Dorothy score a dumptruck from the National Guard; Cherie becomea a truckdriver 82. John Ludvig- Bordeaux: tent platform material delivery 83. Jose Belardo- Bordeaux: tent platform material delivery in the dark by two zombies 84. Charles Leonard- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 85. Dawn Knight- Bordeaux: tent only delivery 86. William- Bordeaux: TJJ construct a tent platform 87. Phil Pott- Fortuna: tent platform material delivery 88. Derrick Hodge- Fortuna: tent platform material delivery 89. Nevon Larson- Bordeaux: tent platform material delivery with an assist by Nathaniel 90. Jawini- Bordeaux: tent delivery only 91. Family #I/Tabernacle- Bordeaux: tent delivery 92. Sylvestor Grant- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 93. Jane Doe- Bordeaux: DDJ build an extension onto a Mennonite constructed tent platform to move tent and avoid the potential of falling rocks; their last work project 94. Denise Petersen- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 95. Clyde Paris- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 96. Timothy Turnbull- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 97. Family #2/Tabernacle- Bordeaux= tent delivery 98. Family #3/Tabernacle- Bordeaux: tent delivery 99. William White- Bordeaux: tent platform materials delivery 100. Jean Chance- Bordeaux: tent delivery 101. The Tire Incident- Fortuna: what a miserable day! Mark and Scott wait for lumber that never shows and get a flat tire which takes several attempts to replace with a spare because the the jack isn't long enough to raise the truck high enough to get the flat off; the spare is finally put on only to find out that tli'e other front tire is flat; The TJJ crew rescues us with a trip to the tire repair shop. -- - - - ------ --- ----- - - - t1- 5v If/ OC:-JJd'f.. !Ju.L'U£- fl.c,~ ) ~ 1u -6&cr 3 US OA-- __ c2a'2.-_(aqo -SSu 7 _____ ____ F)l.~l!l'! - /r-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ __ ?,6 7--_ ~ rJli --u <:: l- __ U 5£4{ RE• ,~:.' We expect the AmeriCorps Members in the Virgin l~lands tq return to the :Mainland on or around November 20, 1995. Due to budgetary restraints, they· will go directly home from St. Thomas, and there will be no cllance -for us -to hold a Washington ceremony to recognize their efforts. Therefore, we would like to' propose a audio teleconference with our Members that would both attract regional media coverage and demonstrate our appreciation for their service. We propose that Secretary or the Deputy Secretary would have a ten to f!fte~n minute , conference call with the Members on any day between November 17 or Nov~mber 2, --- either immediately before or Immediately · after '..they returo to the mainland_. We would provide an audio feed of the progr.a.m .to ·Jocal. radio .stations· «nd ;ne"Yspapers from the hometowns of the Members. The discussion. would 'focus oh both-:the effort in the Virgin Islands and the previous year's accomplishments of,the mem~ers in their local areas. Such an event should make news in· the small and medium marke.ts that • we would target --- such as Medford, Oregon. This event could, albeit ·subtly, highlight the negative impact of Republican budget cuts in rural areas. Whether or not we can have such conference call, we hope that each Member serving in the Islands would receive a Certificate of Appreciation signed by the Secretary. These Certificates would not necessitate a monetary award. If you have any questions please call me at 690-3507. Thanks for your help. CC: Tom Amontree To: From: Re: Date: FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY Peg Rosenberry, Hank Oltmann, Steve Selby Vassilisa J ohri Virgin Islands Disaster Project de-briefing November 20, 1994 This morning, the USDA Office of Community and National Service conducted a Virgin Islands Disaster Relief Project de-briefing with representatives from FEMA, USDA, the Corporation, and the two project leaders, Bill Fleeger and Scott Burgwin. Yesterday marked the closing date for the project's five-week tour of service, and eighteen AmeriCorps Members headed home. Participants discussed what went right and what went wrong, and provided opportunities for Bill and Scott to voice their concerns and recommendations with representatives from all three organizations involved. When a national disaster occurs, the Federal Response Plan, coordinated by FEMA, goes into effect. Twenty-eight federal agencies and the American Red Cross work under 12 Emergency Support Functions, or ESFs, to assist' local resources (Some examples of ESFs are Transportation, Mass Care, Fire Fighting, and Energy). Bill explained that the AmeriCorps team essentially worked on three different types of projects. They assisted the USDA, which oversees ESF 11 (Food), with food and food stamp distribution; they worked on tasks assigned by FEMA's Community Relations cadre dealing with debris removal and assistance to the elderly and disabled; and they assisted with various projects through the Voluntary Organizations (VOLAGS) including tent erection for the Rastafarian Community. In total, the team completed 101 projects under extremely dangerous conditions. Terrain was exceptionally steep and the team needed to be careful of sharp objects, tarantulas, scorpions, and infectious diseases. Luckily, Members completed their tour with only minor injuries. The team endured harsh weather and a significant portion of their stay was without electricity or hot water. This project is a perfect example of AmeriCorps' capacity to "get things done" even when logistical support is not available. The team worked six days a week. The 19 Members were described as "outstanding and incredible." They were known as "Angels" by the Islanders. But even with this positive image, the project leaders noted that it was sometimes difficult to keep people motivated under such severe circumstances. Bill and Scott created small summaries for each project accomplished to remind the team of their achievements and their reason for being there (see attached). RECOMMENDATIONS Bill mentioned three areas that needed improvement. He felt that if these three points were not addressed, future disaster efforts would be seriously jeopardized, and should not even be attempted. The three areas are: 1) Financial Support 2) Member Selection 3) Relationship to FEMA Financial Support. Bill stated that accessing travel money, procurement, and stipends for the Members were all problematic. Money for travel and stipends did not come through when expected. In fact, stipends were received by Members only a few days before the end of their tour, and Bill had to set up a personal bank account to receive government funds. Project goals and team morale were threatened because appropriate mechanisms for money transfer were not in place. It fueled confusion among the Members, and complications within the Corps. Logistics need to be a high priority, and an implementation and planning network needs to be in place before people leave for assignments. Joel Berg faulted personnel from the Rural Economic and Community Development (RECD) office who were involved in the initial project' planning meeting before the Corporation and FEMA became involved. He explained that he had stated that his staff would not have the resources to head the logistics of this operation. He requested three full-time staff people from RECD, however, RECD did not follow through, leaving Donna Hines to head logistics among her other priorities. Another problem arose through the Rural Housing and Community Development Service (RHCDS) Vermont office that was originally designated to handle budget concerns and financial transactions (USDA responsibility for the Virgin Islands is through the Vermont state agency). The Vermont office paid one invoice; but then delayed processes by questioning the validity of basic expenditures. Midway through the project, USDA decided to handle finance and payment from Washington. Although the switch was made to expedite matters, the initial Vermont office delay, as well as, yet another task assigned to USDA's overburdened staff, detained funds from reaching the project and its Members in a timely fashion. Payroll coordination was "nightmarish" because AmeriCorps Members came from different states and programs, some of which were funded directly, others of which were sub grantees through other organizations. Donna added that part of the slow passage of funds to Members was due to caution in getting money to the appropriate people. In the future, additional staff would be necessary to take on project logistics. The lack of follow-up by RECD to ensure adequate staffing seriously affected the project. It was suggested that USDA (ESF 11) at the Disaster Field Office (DFO) could have been better utilized as an on-the-ground contact. Also, USDA HQ did not work with its emergency management coordinator who already has a rapport with FEMA, and is familiar with Federal Response Plan procedures (including mission assignment and procurement). Bill suggested using direct deposits for stipends. John Guerre reiterated the importance of having someone at the disaster immediately following its occurrence to set up logistics and partnerships. I expressed that the Corporation was committed to that, and until a protocol is in place, myself, and possibly one other person will take on that responsibility. To ensure the success of a disaster response project, an emergency management coordinator who has knowledge about the Corporation, FEMA/ the Federal Response Plan, and disasters would need to be sent to the disaster immediately after its occurrence. This person would work with FEMA at the DFO for 2-3 weeks setting up the project. The coordinator should be a person with work/ supervisor experience who can identify needs. Since the coordinator will require knowledge over a variety of topics, it is advisable to have two people fill this role together until one person can focus on all the areas. Also, since disasters are unpredictable, and identified coordinators may not always be available, a pool of people who can be called upon should be identified. Member Selection. Bill stated that all of the Members chosen were impressive, however there were some who were not appropriately chosen for the strenuousness of the project: some arrived without proper equipment and gear. It was learned that some Members nominated themselves as opposed to being nominated by their Project Managers. Also, some Members were not physically or emotionally capable to do the work (One Member was only 30 days into recovery from alcoholism. Others had pre-existing injuries, or simply could not do manual labor in the intense heat.) Overall, 14 of 19 Members were well chosen. Some project managers did not choose Members according to the request sent to them from Joel's office, which described ideal candidates, and the conditions under which the Members were expected to work. Instead, some Members were chosen because they would enjoy the experience or because they had a close relationship to their project manager. Project managers were allowed to recommend candidates with relatively little oversight from USDA because of time constraints in identifying Members for the team (there were only a few days available to access the end-of-year funds). In the future, we should not allow as much leeway in the selection process. Candidates should go through a pre-identification process, and even if they are recruited locally, they should not be selected locally. Project managers should interview each of their candidates. Expectations for the project would also need to be better articulated and stressed. This would require a better information flow, detailing what Members are getting into, what they need to bring, and what their travel arrangements will be. Conversely, the Project Leaders, in this case, Bill and Scott, would need more information about the Members. Bill suggested that a person who understands Corporation programs, especially AmeriCorps, and the needs at the national level; as well as knowing what is needed in a disaster should oversee the selection process. Relationship with FEMA. Although our new partnership with FEMA is positive and cooperative, Bill and Scott experienced some frustration with FEMA Community Relations personnel at the DFO. This can be attributed to misinformation or lack of information at the ground level. Barbara Kambouris, who succeeded John Guerre as Deputy Director of the Community Relations (CR) cadre, was not familiar with the recent MOU, nor was she able to identify a capacity in which USDA AmeriCorps could fit into the already operating Federal Response Plan. Since the team arrived after FEMA issued initial mission assignments, CR maintained that, without a mission assignment, FEMA would only be able to identify tasks, but not provide supplies, equipment, and other resources. CR would not be able to provide resources and materials to undertake those tasks. This was a point of frustration for Bill and Scott, since resources were available, but not accessible. Ironically, since most agencies work through mission assignments and funding from FEMA; the fact that this project used end-of-year funds from Undersecretary Long-Thompson's office (RECD), making it financially self- sufficient, actually complicated matters. FEMA was unable to mission assign the project, partially because USDA had already been mission assigned through ESF 11, and because mission assignment was not easily attainable in the later stages of the recovery process (the A *USDA team arrived when the Federal Response Plan was four weeks into recovery). Eventually, Bill and Scott were able to obtain tools, supplies, and equipment, some of which was through the DFO in an "unofficial" capacity. As Scott and Bill explained it, "The more we did, the more we accomplished, the more good press we received, the more resources became available." There was some initial "turfism" that emerged from the confusion of AmeriCorps' role. Barbara was unclear as to why the team was there at all since they did not fit into any one clear ESF. Also, it was unclear as to whether the team would work through CR or through ESF 11, USDA. Both CR and USDA were under the impression that the team would be working exclusively for them. They compromised by assigning 5 Members to ESF 11 and 14 Members to CR. It was a pre-requisite for the team to be "self-sufficient," however, Bill found that the term was so loosely defined that he was expected to have resources available in a "resource-scarce" environment. Bill and Scott were required to create an operation plan and mission statement. It was decided that in the future, these materials would be established by the disaster coordinator who arrives immediately after the disaster has occurred. Bill and Scott created a significant rapport with the VOLAGS. VOLAGS helped the team with the acquisition of tools and supplies. The team's work with VOLAGS raised the question, "Where should Corporation programs fit into the Federal Response Plan? Under which ESF should they work?" Ideally, Bill suggested that Corporation programs be put under a separate ESF for Emergency Service Functions that can work across various other ESFs. John Guerre hoped that the Corporation would soon become an official signatory of the Federal Response Plan, making it the 29th agency. The project leaders chosen for this project needed to be informed, resourceful, and able to handle the stress of putting the concrete logistics together on the ground level. Bill and Scott did an outstanding job. They were thorough and productive in their efforts while still keeping in mind the importance of the image of AmeriCorps, and respecting its partnership with FEMA. They were wholeheartedly concerned about the well being of their Members, and they demonstrated sincere efforts to help the Virgin Island community. Many of the mechanisms that were out of place were directly due to the unique circumstances of this project: the fact that this opportunity arose when a formal protocol with FEMA had not yet been devised, the complication of an outside funding source other than FEMA, and the nature of a catastrophic disaster on an island without easy access to external resources. Despite these internal glitches, the A *USDA disaster response project was very successful. The Virgin Islanders had considerable praise for the team's work, and requested an AmeriCorps team that could provide a continuing presence in disaster assistance on the Islands. Ultimately, a strong working relationship was established with FEMA as well as with the Voluntary Organizations. We did not do any media outreach for this project and told USDA not to as well. This did not stop one local newspaper in Kansas from doing an article on a hometown Member. While we did not do any national press, the feeling in the Virgin Islands was so positive that the "Virgin Islands Daily" wrote a front page article. FEMA also featured AmeriCorps on their Recovery Channel. This channel was the only televised transmission available on the islands. It provides information and updates on the recovery process. This media coverage was overwhelmingly positive. Some of the video footage is truly compelling, and could be useful in the future for PSAs, recruitment videos, etc. Who should I contact within the Corporation about possible use of this footage and other positive aspects of this disaster activity? Enclosed: Final Situation Report Attendance List Cc: Shirley Sagawa Jay Toscano Tracy Gray Joel Berg Donna Hines/ William Fleeger Scott Burgwin John Guerre Larry Williams V.I. DISASTER RELIEF PROJECT DE-BRIEFING ATTENDANCE NAME Donna Hines Elizabeth Jones Larry Williams Earl Taylor II Connie Rothwell John M. Seymour Guanda Veney-Finch Vassilisa J ohri William Fleeger Katherine Gibney John P. Penticot Scott Burgwin Joel Berg John Guerre AGENCY USDA/OC-Nat'l Service USDA FEMA USDA/RECD USDA/RHS USDA-Forest Service USDA-Forest Service CNS-PPD /Disaster Coordination USDA-Forest Service USDA/ AmeriCorps USDA/RECD /RHS USDA-Forest Service USDA/ Dtr., Nat'l Service FEMA (CNS Point-of Contact) To: Joel Berg USDA/ AmeriCorps CC: Vassi Johri Corporation for National Service Final Situation Report 11 / 18 Margaret Peters was the only AmeriCorps member working in the Food Stamps program this week. She assisted USDA personnel tracking down duplicate applications. FEMA project work continued this week with two days spent on St. John. We stopped accepting referrals for FEMA Community Relations project work last Saturday. We have 6 outstanding project referrals we were unable to contact or did not have time to complete. We are returning these projects to Community Relations for possible referral to other organizations. However, we know of no other groups providing the types of service we performed. We continued with VOLAG tent erection projects for the Rastafarian Community. For every tent platform we constructed we were approached by several other individuals in need. Scott organized people in the Rastafarian community to build platforms for themselves and their neighbors. We arranged to have lumber delivered to a central location in the community where we could then distribute it to individual project locations . This will allow the people in the community to help each other after our departure. AmeriCorps Members were treated to a recognition ceremony by FEMA Community Relations and VOLAG. Each received a bag of goodies from the Island and a certificate signed by James Lee Witt. The AmeriCorps Hurricane Marilyn Recovery effort has been a success . In spite of significant challenges, we accomplished a tremendous amount of work. We would like to thank-you for the opportunity to have served in this disaster. We leave here with mixed feelings . We are aware that identified and unidentified needs continue and that many people will not have access to other assistance. However, we are proud of the work we have done and the many individuals and families we have helped. We have made a difference in peoples lives. Si ncerely. Bill Fleeger Scott Burgwin AmeriCorps V.I. Recovery leaders AmeriCorps- Hurricane Marilyn Recovery U.S. Virgin Islands: October 16, through November 19, 1995. ; , ~ ,, < ' :·: .. · .... · .. •.. . . · ...•.. · .· .· . . . . , , , , ;:,· - • 1 •'., • ~ - • • , • !'- '" , .. • - "I , •. • ~ - • , • - • - • As you return to your "normal" lives, know that you have done a good thing by participating in the hurricane recovery process. You have touched many lives in the five weeks we have spent here. The projects we have completed are many and varied, just as the people we have helped. From the debris removal of a totally destroyed, and stench-ridden, trailer, to the cleaning of a small apartment of a "Ghandi-like" amputee, to the filing of Food Stamps certification forms, you have all shown brightly in this great team effort. You have all done the AmeriCorps name real good. Even as the future of the program is threatened, you have added another major victory to the AmeriCorps banner! Thank you for all you have given. "YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH BUCKETS" LIGHTS AND VIRTUES Jackson Browne Here's to lights and virtues Here's to truths yet to be known Knowledge to light the darkness The search for things of your awn Here 's to lights and virtues Here's to reaching higher ground A life of hope and purpose Here's to strength yet to be found Honor-though it goes unrecognized and truth-though liars abound The pleasure of love_ and friendship The courage to be alone PHO E NUMBERS YOU MAY NEED: Donna Hines- (202) 690-0693 for questions about perdiem, travel and stipend Joel Berg- (202) 720-6350 for questions about the future of AmeriCorps all questions should first be directed to your project sponsor. "REMEMBER TO LIVE YOUR LIFE ONE DUMPSTER AT A TIME" -DON'T SQUANDER THE SPACE YOU HA VE BEEN GIVEN- V.I . Recovery AmeriCorps Members Dina Kountoupes 34 Robin Park Oberlin OH 44074 Tim Craddock PO Box 244 Barboursville WV 25504 304-743-1533 Jimmy Luevanos 1144 W. Iris St. Oxnard CA 93033 805-486-7927 Abby Gage PO Box 12 Cleveland SC 29635 803-836-5647 Ana Gomes PO Box 3928 Durango CO 81302 Charlet Meredith 702 Wood~~ Rd Jackson MS 39206 Mark Van Ravenswaay RRI Box 396, 407 4th St. Estelline SD 57234 609-873-2533 Ryan Webster 219 N. Kansas Oxford KS 67119 William Glenn 1126 S Stanley Ave. Los Angeles CA 90019 213-938-7398 Jason Hansen 448 Hastings Port Townsend WA . 98368 360-385-3448 Cheri Ude PO Box 145 Clinton WA 98236 360-341-1630 Yvette Bocz 9604 Ruffner Ave. N. Hills CA 91343 818-895-6178 Sammy Bausley 7241 Union Chicago IL 60621 Margaret Peters 35176 Country Rd. Tyronza AR 72386 501-358-2317 John Glenn 3504 Wilderness DR. S.E. Olympia WA 98501 360-923-0720 Vontese Crawford 444 S. Kingsley Dr. #208 Los Angeles CA 90020 Alex Gonzalez 710 S. 7th St. Milwaukee WI 53205 Daniel Noonan 6710 Norview Ct . Springfield VA 22152 Project Leaders: Bill Fleeger 5590 Old Hwy 99 S. Ashland OR 97520 503-899-1812 (w) 503-482-3497 (h) Scott Burg'win PO Box 346 Indianola WA 98342 360- 765-.2228 Dengue Fever: Update lnformalTon for Response Personnel Introduction: Dengue fever 1s common throughout the tropics. and is present every year in the Vi rgin Islands. This fact sheet will provide you with important health and safety infonnanon while you are r&sponding to the aftennath of Hurricane Marilyn. Cause: Dengue fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the 111osquito Aedes aegyr11 The mosquito gets infected by biting a person who is sick with dengue. A her about IO days the infected mosquito can pass the virus to a susceptible person when it feeds. Several other species of mosquito are common in the Virgin Islands but none can transmit dengue. :ll'cl1•s Ut',l.!.Yf''' 1s a doml!stic species. dosely associated w11h human hah11a11011. II breeds 111 waler 111 man-made containers. never m ponds or swamps. ll 1s - CC: va~silisa Johri Corporation £'01' N11tionnl Service Americorps Hurricane Marilyn Rec:ov(H'Y F.ffort Final Report 12/1/95 On the night of September 15th, Hurr:icane Marilyn struck the Virgin I slands. The greatest i mpact wHs on the island of St. Thomas. The following is tnkcn f1-om 8. FederH1 Emergency Manag·ement Agency (FEMA), Jlurl'.'icane Mru-ilyn synopsis . Impacts to the envj ronment were evident. 'l'rees and shrubs were dcfoljated, flooding was extensive anrl H mosquito prob) em was an imminent th real. Deb1'iH fr·om dam1:1ged ond destroyed housing, fallen Ll'ee!i, b~iHtlS tossP.d onto Veter·ans Drive ltnd downed uUlity poles ond wires ci·eated a challenge. The osscssmenL revealed thttt 70% of' the homes on St . Thomt1s recej vcd roof ane heavily cfomaged w1 th no long d.is tance service, no radio or teltwisi.on ond no satellite dishes. Seventeen sc:hools sustained damage. rood warehouses were extensively dttmoged and food, wttter and ice were identified as immediate needs. AmeriCorps Project Leaderi,; urri ved 1n St. Thomas on October' 12 t h. Although the siluKtion had stabilized, basic services on St. TI1omas were still extremely Hmited or non-exsistant. Materi~l8, supplies, lodging and tran11port0Uon were scarcP., Mosquitoes were Rtill a problem. Six. Amez.-iCorps Members arrived on St. Thomas on Octob~r 16th for immediate place1neut in the USDA emergency food distribution ~nd food Sttllllp program. The remtdrdng 13 Members cwriving on the 19th and ~0 t h of October were either integrated into the food stamp progrmu or assj gned to th<~ "RcJcovery Crew''. /\meriCorps Members were housed at the nayside Inn which :is primarily a fitness center with several guest rooms. Members slept 3 or 4 to Sm!ill rooms or on the gym flool'. A po1'table genera.tor served as an alarm c:lor.k and provided electricity for cold showHrs and toast. The genet'litor was a) so run for scvci•ol hours each evt-ming. With the help of FEMA fiml the Army Corps of Engineers, an Indus tt'ikl genera tor providing hot water, 1'efrigeration. c1nd ail' cunui tioning, was secured three weeks into our stay. Commei•cial power wt1s restored to the Rayside 3 days prior to our departure, Amcd Corps Members worked six days a. week in 90+ degree weAther· i:ind high hum.idiLy. HeHt exhaustion, pt'otruding noHs, knlf'e-likH edges on gttlvanizcd sheeL inetal roofing, steep and uncertoin t.:.erraln, helivy l\iisted utccl beams, scorpions, tornntulas, and dengue fevel' were all routine huzards. Despite the major environmentttl and logistical chullcngGs, the entire Am0riCorps team di spJ aycd perseverF-ince, stamina, flexibility, and tolerance working through obstacles which would have thwarted ordinary effort. AmeriCorps Members ass:i s tcd USD/\ pers(>IHH) 1 :in emerp;ency food distruhution and were inst.1'umenLal in p1·oc:~ssjng appJ.iCl:\tions rmd disbursing c.;vW YI _, ;3, 7jg 111?:> $lj ,332,811 . -r ~1 ~11Jrr--_ fti l.J ) [lYf · I µ_.. "{ dollttr~ in emergency 3i1tO food stamps to 28,408 households (86,818 pet'SOM) in the Virgin ls lands. Amed.Corps membera also provided comfort to cliP-nts wai tfng in long lines and ass~'ted with general adminlst.rAtiv~ tmd organjzational support. Working from FEMA Commurd ty Ile] at.ions referruls, i\meriCorps Recovery Crews cleared ~torm debris at 42 seperatc sites, primarily the homes and yards or eldez:ly c>r disabled victims. This debris removal involved tearing apart entire roof's blown onto houses and into yards. Sorting tht'(mgh household debris and fermenting refrigerntors. separating metal, wood, and rubbish for pick-up fit the cul'b or loading directly :into a dumptruck for removal to the lundf:i J J. Amet'iCorps MembePs armed with mops, buckels, and disinfectant jmproved household living conditions ~nd sanjtalion for 15 elderly or disabled storm victimi;, Members improved safe acce::ig to two ~0.pnrate homes by repairing bridge railings f'or nn elderly wJ.dow i11jun~d in the storm at one site, removing and repl~cing a hazardous s~,x~ damaged staircase for~ low income family ~t unother. AmeriCorpy responded to 3 emergency calls helping homeless or evicted persons secure and transport their belongings. AmeriC01,ps Membet'S demonstrutcd the safe and proper use of ga.s l'ltoves and lantern~ to over l 00 Vit'gln Islanders. (Stoves and la.nternis were wjdely distributed early in the disaster and there were numerous reports of injuries, :including the sever'=! burning of a young child, due to J.mprope1, use of these poetable gas appliances. ) Working wiLh FEMA's Vo)unteer Agency Coordinator, ArueriCorpg supplied platform construclion materials and lenL~ t o 19 fumjlies and built 25 platf()rms wj_ th Lents, t~mpoi-arily housi1111; s ml:il] farmers whose homes were completely destroyed in the s LOt'rn. Amer:i Corps Membet'S also worked al ongside volunteer organiztttions such as the Lutheran llisaster Servi"e and the Mennonites. Lasl, but not least, Amer1Corps Members replfmted a 260 year old pa) m tree uprooted by the storm, We departed St Thomas on tho 3 9th or Novt~mber wj th mixed f~clings. We were awfi.r?. that fdentific!d nnd unJ.dentificd nP.e.ds continued in this ., disaster and that many people would not have access to othe1' assi!ftuncc. However, we were proud of the woi•k we had clone tmd the many individuals and ft1mi];ies we helped. Every member of th13 Virgin Islands Recovery Effort displayed the true ethic of service. Putting their own l.ives on hold, sacrH'icing persona) comfort, fmd dedjcating 100 percent of Lheir ~ffort to helping others in need. We made a difference in peop]es lives. As the result of tho AmeriCorps Burri cone Mat'llyn Recovery Effort many vnluable lessons were learned rt~gardj ng the deployment of AmeriCorps Members in disaster situations, The success or ftiture endeavors could be facilitlited by a coordinated planning effort integrating the following issues into Ii national and r~gional AmeriCorps disaster t'espcmse pJ an. Fir~t, a clear and formal relationship should be established with The Fedcrnl Emecge11c:y Management Agonc.:y. Second, AmeriCorps project coordinatocs sh(ll1] d be on-site soon as possiblP. after the disaster. Third, administrative and financial support procedures and responsJbiliLies should be delegutod and in place prjor to deployment. Fourth, Member selection criteria should be developed and screening should occur wiLh dj.saster coo1·dinutor involvement. Despite numerous c.:hollenges, the Vjrgin Island!=; Recovery Effort cleH.rly demonst1'Eitcd Amel'iCorps c!ipabi 11 ty !'or scrvjce in a di~iu,ter onvi ronment. Disaster wo1•k connects AtneriCorps Lo Lhe go!il s of nationul and community service in a VGl'Y dit'f!C;t ttnd meaningful way. On behalf of the ent1 re Amel'iCorps Hurric:ane Marilyn Recovery Team, we would like to thank you for this opportunity to serve. We Jook forward to bi:d ng of assistnncc in Lhe future. Sincerely, Willi am Fleeger ~i:ott nurgwin AmerjCorps V.I. Recovery LeHd~rs To: Through: From: Date: Harris Wofford Shirley Sagawa Peg Rosenberry October 10, 1995 CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL Re: New Disaster Response Initiatives We recently awarded a grant to the American Red Cross for a Rapid Response Corps that will be based in Los Angeles. The LA chapter of the Red Cross has recruited 42 AmeriCorps Members who will be trained in various aspects of emergency response and recovery, and deployed anywhere in the nation, or its territories, when a disaster occurs. The Red Cross had been unable to • implement a "team-based" approach to shelter management and other volunteer disaster efforts because of the individual recruitment nature of their current disaster response network and the highly-skilled nature of their work. Skilled volunteers in mass care, family services, disaster communication, computer operations, and mental health are also difficult to find and in short supply. With this Rapid Response AmeriCorps program, the· Red Cross will be able to send experienced and skilled teams of AmeriCorps Members to disaster sites who have already worked together and developed an efficient and effective approach to disaster management. The program will serve as a demonstration for expansion to other Red Cross chapters. Forty-two AmeriCorps Members will work throughout the Los Angeles basin continuing recovery work from the 1994 earthquake, providing earthquake preparedness training to underserved populations and responding to disasters in California. The 42 Members are divided into six teams situated in 3 sectors of the Los Angeles area Each team has at least one bilingual English/Spanish speaker. Following their training graduation on October 11, 1995, teams will be sent to assist in the Virgin Islands and the states affected by Hurricane Opal. In addition, the Corporation recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Fetleral Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This new partnership allows FEMA to call upon Corporation programs -- Senior Corps, Americorps, and Learn and Serve America -- to assist in disaster relief efforts. FEMA will reimburse Corporation programs for their costs incurred during disaster assistance. This reimbursement will vary, but it may SERVICE cover stipends, tools, equipment, lodging and transportation. l20l NewYorkAvenue. NW Washington. DC 20525 Telephone 202-606-5000 Gelling Things Done. AmeriCorps. National Service Learn and Serve Amcnca Nauonal Senior Service Corps At the time of a disaster, the most connected resources are at the state and local level. Therefore, we are developing an emergency response plan for all the Corporation programs that will be coordinated at the state level. The Corporation is creating a disaster response protocol that will describe the procedures to follow when FEMA requests disaster assistance. This procedure will also identify key points of contact throughout the process. Currently, the Corporation is working with the USDA to send an "All-Star" team comprised of veteran and second-year USDA AmeriCorps Members to assist FEMA in the Virgin Islands. The team is scheduled to leave on a five-week tour of duty on the 19th of October. 'VI(J(qI:N ISLJl:N(])S USDA/CNS Disaster Relief Trip Report St. THOMAS The island is beginning tohave, on the surface, a semblance of normalcy. Most roads are now passable. VITEL claims that 40% of phone service has been restored (vigorously contested figures in the media). Each night, more lights are seen on the hillsides (both from generators and the utility service), and is moving from the downtown area out. The downtown is first because it is the economic center of an island I 00% dependent on tourism and related services. The US Military is moving down to the docks for extraction. Houses which are livable have blue tarpaulins covering the roofs. And, the first cruise ship is scheduled for docking on October 26. Many of the larger employers are beginning to call back their workers for clean-up and preparation for a season they hope to salvage. On a micro-scale, things are much different. While the US government and NGO agencies are taking up some of the employment slack, and FEMA is providing emergency food and supplies, most families are suffering greatly. Yet, since the hurricane there has been a spirit of optimism which is just now beginning to wane. This may be attributable to being in the 'waiting' period. The emergency is over and the day to day grind of returning to normalcy is seeming to take a long time. Also, the gap between those who have adequate resources and those who are at the mercy of the relief effort, is becoming more evident. The families who are trying to sleep in the dark and heat are becoming resentful of the drone of generators, air conditioners, and bright lights from their neighbors. FEMA Operating out of the Frenchman's Reef Hotel on St. Thomas, FEMA provides overall supervision and coordination of all aspects of the hurricane disaster relief -- directing the efforts of all US agencies and coordinating work with VOLAG's (volunteer agencies). CNS Based on a successful, though informal relationship in the past, CNS only recently took steps to formalize a relationship with FEMA through a Memorandum of Understanding. Operationalizing this relationship requires an issuance of a Mission Assignment Statement to CNS from FEMA. This was not done for St. Thomas because the effort was well underway when CNS and USDA undertook their joint project. USDA USDA's Mission Assignment in the Virgin Islands consists of feeding centers, food stamps, and emergency allocations for several agency programs (housing, water, etc.). USDA AmeriCorps Because the USDA AmeriCorps program works with many of the above programs, it was most efficient to tie in with their ongoing projects. When USDA projects were not available, FEMA's Community Relations staff provided assignments garnered from VOLAG and local organizations. RECD Of the 400 RH CDS loans on St. Thomas, at least 50% are extensively damaged; requiring $25-50,000 to repair. The local staff have processed 210 applications for $15,000 each. However, FEMA's emergency grants of $15,000 have to be utilized first. They are still processing, so RHCDS is on hold until FEMA is finished. At this point RHCDS will begin to escrow additional money to complete the repairs. It is said that FEMA is searching for one major contractor to do all their rehabilitation work. Vermont State RECD Office The administrative and program staff of the Vermont State Office provided, and are continuing to provide, support and guidance for this effort. Protocols for administrative support have been established. All ongoing costs associated with the Virgin Islands AmeriCorps effort are being processed through this office. AmeriCorps Members Very capably led by Forest Service employees William Fleeger and Scott Burguin, the initial contingent of six AmeriCorps Members were quickly assigned to food stamp processing and food distribution, both on St. Thomas and St. Croix. Early reports were filled with praise for the Member's efforts. Especially notable were the Member's knowledge of the work, their bi-lingual and interpersonal skills, as well as their high level of enthusiasm and energy. Lessons Learned • The USDA AmeriCorps Office should continue to a significant role in disaster relief for four reasons: ♦ It provides a avenue for our Department and agencies to establish a high-profile through which we can target our critical programs to those most in need; ♦ It fosters inter-agency cooperation and integration; ♦ It further develops a capability for which there is a long-term demand; ♦ It provides a critical developmental opportunity to our AmeriCorps Members. 2 • The USDA AmeriCorps Office should maintain, over time, a core of staff knowledgeable in disaster relief to lead efforts of this type. It would be most effective if this staff came from projects similar to those required in emergency situations (food, construction, etc.). The USDA AmeriCorps office, despite limited staff, put this entire effort on the ground in a very short time. • Recruitment of AmeriCorps Members for emergency relief should focus heavily on those with knowledge and experience in the programs required. Additional skills which enhance the Member's success are appropriate linguistic capacity and an ability to exist with minimum amenities. • Whenever possible, USDA AmeriCorps efforts should be part of the USDAIFEMA Mission Assignment or, secondarily, through the CNS/FEMA memorandum. The current project was undertaken without Mission Assignment. At the lower operations levels, this did not present a problem. At an administrative level, without this Mission Assignment, FEMA is not able to provide support to the effort. With Mission Assignment, FEMA will not only provide critical support, it will also pay for the entire effort. SUMMARY Although less than a week old, the RECD commitment to provide substantive disaster relief to the Virgin Islands is paying dividends. • Three USDA Mission areas are working cooperatively with little to no problems; • All of the USDA agencies on the ground in St. Thomas have blended seamlessly, each contributing their human and logistical support to solve problems and meet critical needs; • Customers on the ground began receiving assistance within hours of the Members landing on St. Thomas and St. Croix; • USDA AmeriCorps is receiving recognition and high praise from island residents, USDA staff, and other cabinet departments for their work in providing food for needy island residents and home debris removal and basic habitation .. 3 ll / 1J l 95 SAT 17:37 FAX 809 693 0901 '1 o : ,J o e L Le r g U DA/Ame C p CC: Vassi ,Joh r 1 Corp ra 1 1 n ur k i I . ( E. # l 1 i ~ l. rru a I ffi 1 , t 1 op I at i n. i n t i f' ort i {' {' \' i l t f \ i. lms o, t ST THO~IAS DFO j ua n It or J/ I J . • i l t(, t . t' nd t 1 ' I T'lt F r ~et on h1 t 15 d a t l • u l 0 memb r p• It Ct 11· Pr~ i I\' d.11 ' 111 I t & I j t I "' I t ( u t• ted ",{I ( C t>O l:J • ,. If rt t J • C' r 1 Jl \ ( (I \ t ti t• I r1 I pr ,t .&( ts. \\ c nn ·u c- t c d 4 ,, f j 4 t •nt I• , • • <, r,r." 4 Ol tl11 H,, t . ' m ur 1) 01 \G \u.1.dd ( n1~ .,, ( ..,,\ ' 10 d.lla l ll us I' 1 an £1lmu~t ► I hn f A ~. • d l- l r ii >d J P l u ' •·r ¼il HJ a d ot }(' m, lt l :-, • I I. t, d I ~r h l µ f i ' )I I i t1 i II u • I t'I· l t (If I Ii l 1rtd ht·, r .1e l ~002 ek. i ~ n 0 '\ iun I:> I •• _1; I T he . i mb r r \ ' • 1 I • p 0 . . t ,j I ' . Iii cl t' I\) \OH' 'he- ua nk l i t hat amu n 'H hn, '. t hP Ame ican E pr • >f i ffi (1 f) f j f- i1 I (1 1 (Ill hdJ r1 l t i f' ' ... PHOTOCOPY PRESERVATION r ll / l1 / 9!i S<\T Ii : 38 FAX 809 693 ST THOMAS DFO @ 003 ... i" It was not the i nten l ion of our last situation report to lay blame on any indi vidual for the lack of organizational leading t o t h d la:-,, o f members traveJ man .Les . We forethought realize the tremendous e f f c rl ~ i ·, a th Jo e . out into mak' ng he P mon r fl w a that wi thou l ~ ul nnie Rockwell . and Donna Hjnes kly as possi ble. We know 1 l be br ok Ho~ever. it was our intf'n i 1 n o you f r redicamen t and P ' p r e sour lac d n si a i on . e ff'er three 0 p. V a tion fro hap n' ng in a t n ncia J feelin~s ab specif i s the f utur su ppo rt o t th o .'(h o l'rD of op r a on I .i a a i abl h du a ion uf q nicP ai,l t j tak f' pri ori l\ o\er ')lher od · pons or D1ovide a vane t B"\e 1 unj •s nt Fout ot OU ardv n m m ni e s h·ndle sole by I s 0 t: a-rn nt 0 t t a ·e 1 a \, anc t . Ame i r s r'! i a ; ,,ns p lo al lo n r p em nt 1 UI d"- c1lr a y in l ace rP u, rf-' a ' - , n in th _ r 0 i 0 C' i ve a 011 ('()J~ I • U ct r n t h f \"' i.1 dnds appn -~·a n , i n o r ma t 1 n . o L u l d ru 11t 'J'- rt_ on th f' a oon a l a n d s. tu r ~ o , i I, f' rd in p nn d or 1u ,o1n ..\rn rit'oq,-, prc,g. a ., st a ! i !J l i fl •J r i'lc.on.;nuP ·i I' t l r ug \ Mornl rig f f i. 1 pre fl t f' 11 >Ull <10<'L11 p • t l ..., ~i: U l ay ng _ unda. / 1 '~- U f'S.,1 wi t h re,·omm I ,-j l i. fJII fO! Joel 's vi i l . , 1 ·c i l 1 -v g P. r AmeriCorps \, l . e \, . r .uture i \ lJ ra• i • i \\' n a iun~ IJ --- I \.. PHOTOCOP1' PRESERVATION I VI{J((JI:N ISLJl:N(l)S USDA/CNS Disaster Relief Trip Report St. THOMAS The island is beginning tohave, on the surface, a semblance of normalcy. Most roads are now passable. VITEL claims that 40% of phone service has been restored (vigorously contested figures in the media). Each night, more lights are seen on the hillsides (both from generators and the utility service), and is moving from the downtown area out. The downtown is first because it is the economic center of an island 100% dependent on tourism and related services. The US Military is moving down to the docks for extraction. Houses which are livable have blue tarpaulins covering the roofs. And, the first cruise ship is scheduled for docking on October 26. Many of the larger employers are beginning to call back their workers for clean-up and preparation for a season they hope to salvage. On a micro-scale, things are much different. While the US government and NGO agencies are taking up some of the employment slack, and FEMA is providing emergency food and supplies, most families are suffering greatly. Yet, since the hurricane there has been a spirit of optimism which is just now beginning to wane. This may be attributable to being in the 'waiting' period. The emergency is over and the day to day grind of returning to normalcy is seeming to take a long time. Also, the gap between those who have adequate resources and those who are at the mercy of the relief effort, is becoming more evident. The families who are trying to sleep in the dark and heat are becoming resentful of the drone of generators, air conditioners, and bright lights from their neighbors. FEMA Operating out of the Frenchman's Reef Hotel on St. Thomas, FEMA provides overall supervision and coordination of all aspects of the hurricane disaster relief -- directing the efforts of all US agencies and coordinating work with VOLAG's (volunteer agencies). CNS Based on a successful, though informal relationship in the past, CNS only recently took steps to formalize a relationship with FEMA through a Memorandum of Understanding. Operationalizing this relationship requires an issuance of a Mission Assignment Statement to CNS from FEMA. This was not done for St. Thomas because the effort was well underway when CNS and USDA undertook their joint project. USDA USDA 's Mission Assignment in the Virgin Islands consists of feeding centers, food stamps, and emergency allocations for several agency programs (housing, water, etc.). USDA AmeriCorps Because the USDA AmeriCorps program works with many of the above programs, it was most efficient to tie in with their ongoing projects. When USDA projects were not available, FEMA's Community Relations staff provided assignments garnered from VOLAG and local organizations. RECD Of the 400 RH CDS loans on St. Thomas, at least 50% are extensively damaged; requiring $25-50,000 to repair. The local staff have processed 210 applications for $15,000 each. However, FEMA's emergency grants of$15,000 have to be utilized first. They are still processing, so RHCDS is on hold until FEMA is finished. At this point RHCDS will begin to escrow additional money to complete the repairs. It is said that FEMA is searching for one major contractor to do all their rehabilitation work. Vermont State RECD Office The administrative and program staff of the Vermont State Office provided, and are continuing to provide, support and guidance for this effort. Protocols for administrative support have been established. All ongoing costs associated with the Virgin Islands AmeriCorps effort are being processed through this office. AmeriCorps Members Very capably led by Forest Service employees William Fleeger and Scott Burguin, the initial contingent of six AmeriCorps Members were quickly assigned to food stamp processing and food distribution, both on St. Thomas and St. Croix. Early reports were filled with praise for the Member's efforts. Especially notable were the Member's knowledge of the work, their bi-lingual and interpersonal skills, as well as their high level of enthusiasm and energy. Lessons Learned • The USDA AmeriCorps Office should continue to a significant role in disaster relief for four reasons: ♦ It provides a avenue for our Department and agencies to establish a high-profile through which we can target our critical programs to those most in need; ♦ It fosters inter-agency cooperation and integration; ♦ It further develops a capability for which there is a long-term demand; ♦ It provides a critical developmental opportunity to our AmeriCorps Members. 2 • The USDA AmeriCorps Office should maintain, over time, a core of staff knowledgeable in disaster relief to lead efforts of this type. It would be most effective if this staff came from projects similar to those required in emergency situations (food, construction, etc.). The USDA AmeriCorps office, despite limited staff, put this entire effort on the ground in a very short time. • Recruitment of AmeriCorps Members for emergency relief should focus heavily on those with knowledge and experience in the programs required. Additional skills which enhance the Member's success are appropriate linguistic capacity and an ability to exist with minimum amenities. • Whenever possible, USDA AmeriCorps efforts should be part of the USDAIFEMA Mission Assignment or, secondarily, through the CNS/FEMA memorandum. The current project was undertaken without Mission Assignment. At the lower operations levels, this did not present a problem. At an administrative level, without this Mission Assignment, FEMA is not able to provide support to the effort. With Mission Assignment, FEMA will not only provide critical support, it will also pay for the entire effort. SUMMARY Although less than a week old, the RECD commitment to provide substantive disaster relief to the Virgin Islands is paying dividends. • Three USDA Mission areas are working cooperatively with little to no problems; • All of the USDA agencies on the ground in St. Thomas have blended seamlessly, each contributing their human and logistical support to solve problems and meet critical needs; • Customers on the ground began receiving assistance within hours of the Members landing on St. Thomas and St. Croix; • USDA AmeriCorps is receiving recognition and high praise from island residents, USDA staff, and other cabinet departments for their work in providing food for needy island residents and home debris removal and basic habitation .. 3 10/ 30/95 MON 16:17 FAX 809 693 0901 To: Joel Berg USDA/AmeriCorps CC: Vassi Johri ST THOMAS DFO . Corporation for National Service } ( ~ ~meriCorps V.I. Recovery Effort Situation Report 10/28/95 '. PHOT COPY PRESERVATION The commitment o f nine members to the USDA Food Stamp program continues wj th on ly mi nor changes. As the major rush passed this \ilfeek, only four members are required now on Saturday's . The remaining f i ve membe rs were utilized for FEMA projects. AmeriCorps memb"e-rs -'ass i sted i se t ting up and staffing certification sites, dispersal of food stamps and providing omfort and direction to clients wait i n~ in l ine. USDA personnel continue to be very helpful to ou r er all e ffo t and express their appreciation for the quality and quantity of work performed by our members. We have completed J 9 of 25 projects referred by F'EMA Community Relations fiel d worke rs. These projects have primarily ~nvolved cleaning debris from what rema ins of the homes and yards of elderly or disabled i ndi viduals We have also helped other persons and families without r esour s to perform this t y pe o f work . Thi s is tremendousl y hard . and dangerous work . As u sual, Amer i Corps members have pt' rfo rmed admira ly i n the field under v e r ~ s t ressfu] condjt i ons. The balance s t r u c k between the Food Stamps program and FEMA projec ts has wo rked out well. Be c ause o f the heat and the dangerous nature of t he field work . we have s e t up a rotation schedule so that thr e e members from the Re covf>ry Crew rotate on to 14]002 I . ' 10/ 30 / 95 MON 16 : 18 FAX 809 693 0901 ST THOMAS DFO the Food Stamp Crew every third day. This rotation schedule allows members a much needed break from the field as well as a little p.roject divers! ty. We have also been completing projects nearly as ~003 , fast as FEMA can refer them. We would not be able to keep all 19 members busy relying solely on FEMA referrals. The projects FEMA has been referrin~ to us have been good. Dorothy Andrake has been . an excellent project contact. We have still had trouble convincing her supervis rs that it is alright to offer minimal support for ( projects. I felt like a major victory when we convinced Tom Sciandra, Comm~nity Relations Coordinator, to let us use his GSA pick-up (which mostly remains parked all day at the DFO) for a debris removal project. But as far as purchasing small amounts of lumber or nails , forget it. The frustr.ating thing about this is that right next door in VOLAG they are gi'ving these things away to other volunteer agencies. Waddy Gonzales, VOLAG coordinator has been very interested in working with us and is trying to arrange to give us a vehicle and materials to do tent erection projects (his --... .,, term). Community Relations is aware of this, and I think this may he a source of tension between departments. Another discouraging situation occurred on Thursday. Last week, Dorothy refer us to the ature Conservancy, an approved VOLAG group as a possible source for tools, as we were unable to request them through FEMA. The Nature Conservancy has two native AmeriCorps members working on St. Croix renovating a historit sugar plantation. I spoke with Carol Mayes. Nature Conservancy Coordinator and she offered to allow us to use what limited tools they might have. I offered, in return, that we might be able to send several of our members over for one or two davs to work with the tr AmeriCorps members . We both agreed that this would be a 1 posJtive connect i on for both our efforts. We made the mistake of telling Dorothy and she checked with her supervisors, Al Hahn and Tom Sciandra, to see if it would be alright . She returned saying that their opinion was that this would serious ly compromise our relationship with FEMA. Because the Nature Conservancy is a private-non-profit and this work ~as pre-disaster we could expect PHOTOCOPY 1ft f':',ERVATI(Y-- 10/ 30 / 95 _ _ MON 16:19 E~~- ~09 693 0901 ST THOMAS DFO • big trouble if we wen ahead h this plan. This unneighborly attitude reenforces r ex n e with FEMA Community Relations. Where I come from, it is d i t rude not to return help offered by your neighbors and friends . We erienced the same attitude when we arrived. We could help Community Relations by giving them the ability to respond to situat~ons of need in the field, however ,, t hey would not assist us in anywar. We have received some very good publicity of our work. Yvette Bocz ,,, was interviewed on a local radio station about her work in the Food Stamp program. We were featured on the front page of the Virgin Islands Dally News (copy enclosed). There will also be an article on our work in the next edition of the Recovery Times . • We have had four members injured in the field. Tim Craddock received a laceration on his arm requiring three stitches. Richard Torres stepped on a nail. Jimmy Louvanos smashed his shin with a thr e ·pound maul . I shut John Glenn's fingers in the van door. All of those injured are filling out a Federal CA-1 form. These incidents are discouraging. Scott and T have stressed safety from the beginning. We continue to make it the highest priority in the field. We will continue to work with the members and ourselves to look out for each other and perform our work as safely as possible. The gene r ator should be installed at the Bayside tomorrow. I will try to establish a bank account so that the member'§ travel allowances can be transferred here as soon as possible . Scott and I are floating them until then . Please send more money, Scott Burgwin Ameri Corps V.I. Recovery Leaders PHOTOCOPY PRESERVATION [aJ004 From: To: Date: Subject: 1 National Service jberg 10/30/95 5:47pm VI trip, etc First, I just spoke with Grace Sheffey (FCS' Disaster Coordinator), who hears that our folks are doing GREAT!. This is from the Regional Disaster Coordinator (Pat Cumiskey), who has just come back from a week down there. Grace is going to get a memo from Pat attesting to the good work the anti-hunger team is doing. Second, I talked with Bill F. about your trip down there. He's happy for you to come, and we agreed that the best time would be for you to travel down on the 12th and return on the 14th. You should be able to stay at the same place the Members are staying (but in your own room!); if the travel times are still the same, you'll get there a little after 2:00 p.m. on Sunday and can stay at least half a day on Tuesday. Does this work for you? Also, does the money come out of your regular AmeriCorps account, or (if we can afford it) out of the RECD VI fund? in Island/ Hurricane Marilyn Recover Welcome to the U.S. Virgin Islands and the hurricane recovery effort! You are on the island of St. Thomas , which was the hardest hit of the three main islands. The other islands are St. John and St. Croix. You may get the opportunity to work on or visit these islands during your 5 week stay. You are entering an area and a project that will challenge you as an individual and us as an organization. Our role in the larger recovery effort is evolving, therefore flexibility, as well as hard work will help to keep us focused . Our primary goal is to help the islands along in the recovery process. This undoubtedly will be an experience that we will all remember for the rest of our lifes . We intend to be a shining example of "getting things done" as we represent not only ourselves, but the larger AmeriCorps program across the United States. The following are some details about our stay here that will assist you in getting settled in and the right mind frame to survive. More will come later in person and as we all learn about the environment we find ourselves in. SAFETY As always this number one . The normal safety procedures will be followed for work in the field. While doing physical labor such as debris clean-up, light carpentry, or warehouse work we will wear hardhat, gloves, long pants and work boots. While in transit by motor vehicle we will wear seat belts. Riding in the back of a pick - up is a no - no. Letting fellow team members know where we are going is a must. The buddy system will be in effect. There are safety concerns that are related more specifically to being on St. Thomas . The traffic situation here demands that you pay attention if you are driving or working near a roadway. The first obvious thing is that you drive on the left. "hug the left" is the battle cry of the new-to - the-islands driver. The roads are narrow and steep in places, and there are many traffic back-ups . This is not a place to space-out while driving. Personal safety is a concern in some areas of the island at night. These will be pointed out as the need arises. Suffice to say that like back home this island has its rough places; the disaster has only heightened the problems. The main concern is that you keep your possessions secure at all times. There are mosquitos here. One type is your regular run-of-the-mill mosquito that hangs-out at dusk and dawn and generally may just harrass you at night; the other is a special one that likes dawn and daytime primarily, and can carry with it a virus that causes dengue fever. Dengue fever is a severe flu-like experience. More information is attached. Insect repellent at all times is the rule. One with DEET in it is recommended, although DEET is a "can be hazardous to your health" ingredient. THE STAFF Bill Fleeger and Scott Burgwin are the project leaders. We work as a team in planning this adventure, and will continue to do so with divided responsibilities as the project develops . Concerns, questions and suggestions can be brought to either . For official purposes Bill is designated as the Project Leader, mainly because he is a hell of a guy. Bill is from the Rogue River National Forest in Oregon where he is the AmeriCorps Project Manager. Scott is from the Olympic National Forest in Washington state where he is the Trails and Wilderness Coordinator for his Ranger District, and is the Forest's AmeriCorps Project Coordinator. Scott is obviously a collector of titles so if you have any to suggest please feel free. WHERE WE ARE STAYING We are staged at: Bayside Inn 7140 Bolongo Bay St . Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802 Phones are iffy at present. There is a cell phone at the Inn; the number is: 1-809-690-4859. We are still working on a phones that can be used to phone home . Did you bring a calling card? WATER This is a safety and a conservation issue. We need to be drinking plenty of water everyday, and we need to remind each other to drink regularly . Do not wait until you get thirsty. The heat will bite you with, if you are lucky, heat exhaustion with its alternating nausea and intestinal cramps, dizziness, and general bad mood . Don't mess with this! At the Inn the water is not drinkable at present. There is also a conservation concern because water comes from sisterns that collect rainwater off of roofs, most of which are damaged on the island. The owners of the Inn will explain for us the conservation measures we will need to be taking. FOOD - We are arranging for you to receive $50/day for food and other personal items. The Inn will prov ide breakfast, bag lunch, and dinner, which will have a price for you to pay. There are other food options around that you may choose to use . We will make a daily list of those eating at the Inn to aid the cook in planning. The $50 "per diem" will be issued weekly, at least this is the current plan. If you have special dietary needs please let yourself be heard . Some of you have received per diem already and this will need to be accounted for so that duplication does not happen. LAUNDRY There are some possibilities, none too great at this point, but we are working on it. If we are able to obtain a generator for the Inn then laundry can be done there for a fee. WORJS §Cij§DULE -- Our basic daily schedule is: 0630 breakfast 0700 briefing on days work 0730 leave for worksites 1730 end work- return "home" 1800ish debrief as teams come in 1900 dinner 2000 group meeting when needed schedules will vary according to project and many other factors that have not even been dreamed of yet. We expect to have one day off each week, usually Sunday. This may vary according to project needs. THE WORK Four or five of our team will be committed to aiding USDA Food and Consumer Services staff on food stamp and food distribution. This effort may last the entire duration of our mission. The remaining members will likely work on a variety of projects with primary emphasis on debris clearing and light carpentry repairs on houses. Many adventures await us. LOCAL CULTURE More information will come verbally, and from other sources, but a beginning point for survival here has to ~o with how we greet local people, or "islanders". The traditional greeting is- "good morning- good afternoon- good evening- good night", depending on the time of day. Rushing right to business without the greeting a sincere "how are you" can be interpreted as rude. Look people in the eye when you talk, and listen when they talk. Almost everyone speaks English, although a local English dialect may be hard to understand at first. WILDLIFE Other than mosqui tos, some wildlife of interest are: lizards, aflying cockroach, iguanas (big lizards with striped tails that are herbavores, so unless your name is Herb, they are harmless, but impressive) ,mongooses, or is it mongeese, many other fine specimens yet to be discovered by this yanqui. THERE ARE NO POISONOUS SNAKES!! THE BEACHES Have all been cleared for swimming. and much more ...... . , 95 17:.30 '5'202 i02 4614 uSDA NAT SER OFF ➔➔-+ CORP NATL S\"C USDA AmeriCorps V'rrgin Islands Disaster Refief Team Jason Hansen-WA Abby Gage-SC Tim Craddock-WV Dan Noonan-OR Dina Koutoupes-NH Vontese Crawford-CA Will Glen-CA Richard Torres-CA • Alex Gonzalez-WI Mark Van Ravensway-SD Ryan Webster-KS Jimmy Luvanos-CA Charlet Meredith-MS Margaret Peters-AR John Glenn-WA Ana Gomez-NM Sammy Bausky-lL -Atlttf.y /4),lc!(lfG~O~ Y,.;e, rt--c.- fr:., I? Z. - CA ~00.3 Dengue Fever: Update lnformalTon for Response Personnel Introduction: Dengue fever is common throughout the tropics. and is present every year in the Virgin Islands. This fact sheet will provide you with important health and safety infonnation while you are r1'sponding to the aftermath of Hurricane Marilyn. Cause: Dengue fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the mosquito rlecles aecyp11. The mosquito gets infected by biting a person who is sick with dengue. :\tier about 10 days the infected mosquito can pass the virus to a susceptible person when it feeds. Several other species of mosquito are common in the Virgin Islands but none can transmit dcngue. : l<'des Ul',l!,V/1/1 is a domcstie spceies. closely ;1ssoeiat1.:d with human habitation. It breeds i11 water 111 man-made containers. never Ill ponds or swamps. II 1s day-active. mainly biting in the afternoon and early morning. The other common mosquitoes in the Virgin Islands bite at dawn and dusk. or at night. Symptoms of dengue: Dengue usually begins with a sudden fever. followed by sevcre headache. joint and muscle pains A characteristic rash may appear after a few days. Most patients recover within a week to ten days, but on rare occasions. the illness may be more severe, with spontaneous bleeding, shock and even death. There is no vaccine for dengue. Patients should seek medical care. Fever should be controlled with acetaminophen ('Tylenol") hut OT WITH ASPIRI '. as this may increase the risk of bleeding. Seek medical care/ad vi ct.: i r fever or other symptoms appt.:ar: Public Health Service 1s providing medical care at various sites including the DFO. If symptoms appear after you return home. infonn your medical care provider of your traYel to an endemic dengue area. lnfor111a11on may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Vector Borne Infectious Disease Dengue Branch in San Juan. Pueno Rico. TI1e telephone number is (809) 766- 5181. Prevention: Space spraying (fogging) from vehicles or aircraft is not effective against Aedes aecypti. The mosquito is best controlled by eliminating its breeding receptacles or treating them with insecticide. Personal protection measures: • Use insect repellent containing DEET (be sure to read the instructions): • Keep mosquitoes out of living/sleeping quarters: • Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts: • Eliminate all potential breeding receptacles in the area of your working/living area. U. S Public Health Service. Centers for Disease Control. San Juan Laboratories September 27, 1995 To: From: Vassi Johri, Steve Selby Joel Berg \ I) October 23, 1995 8 pages, including this cover Attached is the latest report from the Virgin Islands. As you will read, Bill is being a real good trooper not complaining too loudly about having to work without the official tasking from FEMA. However, please note their statement: "Expending our limited funds to duplicate resources already available to FEMA seriously jeopardizes our ability to maintain a five week mission especially if that mission involves purchasing truck loads of lumber. Self sufficiency becomes a euphemism for inefficiency." (My emphasis.) Can we try another attempt to get an official tasking from FEMA? It seems nuts for us to use our scarce funds to purchase stuff they already have! 10 / 23 / 95 MON 13:02 FAX 809 693 0901 ST THmlAS DFO ~ ~0~~ ~ , \ " .~ -~- .... ~ . - ... i • Fax Transmission • To: f/oel &.re;, Department (./~ From: F'eder-ai hme~gency Ma...riag~mcnc .~genc-v Disaster:- Field Office Sc. Thomas = U.S.· 'lirgin Isb::1cis ~ ~ ~~~wt,_37~n •. ;:"x t-to