The Laduceur Family of Leogane, Haiti, is one of thousands affected by the January 12 earthquake. HODR volunteers have helped this family, and dozens of others like them, clear their property of rubble, ensuring a safe place for transitional shelter and to start to rebuild as the rainy season rolls in.
Update: Project Cedar Rapids Rebuild came to a close at the end of April. Click here for more info.
During the summer of 2008 HODR set up a project in response to the unprecedented flooding that affected more than 5000 homes in the greater Cedar Rapids, Iowa area. Our work focused on responding to the immediate needs of the community by providing them with teams of volunteers to help clean out flood-affected homes. Throughout the course of the project we coordinated over 2000 volunteers and worked on 400+ homes, benefiting hundreds of families. As the project progressed HODR moved into rebuild activities, helping homeowners navigate the permitting process, installing and finishing drywall, and providing mini-grants to cover shortfalls in rebuilding materials to get families one step closer to returning home.
HODR is happy to be heading back to Cedar Rapids for the month of April, where we will continue our work rebuilding/refurbishing homes affected by the flooding. Even though time has passed, the need in Cedar Rapids is still great as hundreds of families have yet to return to their homes. Working in partnership with the Cedar Rapids Community Recovery Center, Linn Area Long Term Recovery Committee and the Cedar Hills Community Church, HODR plans on renewing that “one step closer” spirit from 2008 and working on several homes in the community on their road to recovery.
Project Cedar Rapids – Rebuild is HODR’s first-ever “planned” response, as opposed to an immediate disaster response project. In addition to partnerships with local organizations, we are very grateful to have the support of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, AEGON Insurance and the Cedar Rapids Home Builders Association, who are providing funding for the materials and project.
This project is different from traditional HODR responses, in that the work requires familiarity with and ideally prior experience in home construction. Projects will likely include carpentry, framing, drywall installation and finishing.
We are seeking skilled volunteers to help us with theses tasks, so if you’re interested please be in touch. We also have limited space for unskilled volunteers, so if you’re interested in volunteering and do not have that experience we would also like to hear from you. Please email Tom at info@HODR.org to get more information on the project.
We look forward to being back in Cedar Rapids in April and hope to see you there!
The numbers
We’ve just passed our 100th day in the field! In that time we’ve completed deconstruction work on 95 homes and 4 school buildings – that’s almost one structure made safe for every day of project! We’ve also framed 7 transitional shelters (t-shelters), delivered Earthquake Safety workshops in 15 schools, installed 6 latrines and 10 water catchment systems, and put in over 25,000 volunteer hours!
T (shelter and transfer)
The t-shelter program has been providing transitional homes now for 6 weeks. Thanks to the hard work of volunteers Sinead and Aaron, prefabrication is completed at the HODR base and the wooden frames are going up seamlessly. An integral part of the t-shelter program is sharing the simple construction techniques with our beneficiaries while on site. To help strengthen this transfer of knowledge CARE has welcomed our beneficiaries to attend a community workshop they are hosting, in which safe permanent building techniques are demonstrated. The first workshop was held at the start of February in one of the few undamaged mosques in town, and everyone was eager to get involved in the “hands-on” session.
Rendering
We have 2 t-shelter rendering crews led by Michelle and Suzi doing some high quality work. The teams come in after the wooden frame is up to coat the mesh covered walls inside and out, resulting in a finished masonry look for the shelters. It took a few tries to find the perfect technique, but thanks to local volunteer and mason Arman, the rendering teams are making great time and are never far behind the framing team.
Ice Cream Fun
Painting crews are now putting the final colorful touches on the completed t-shelters. Most of the homeowners have chosen ice cream pink. Keep an eye on Flickr for updated photos of all the t-shelter work and especially the fun, new finished result.
Also, it’s great to see that less than three weeks after completion of her shelter, Zanibar and her husband Pa’i have built significant additions to their new home. Read the ReliefWeb report by TC to see what steps the family has already taken towards recovery using their HODR transitional shelter.
Decon 100
It is now five months after the 30 September 2009 earthquake and many families have worked hard to rebuild. It’s amazing to see that some of those we helped early in the project have already used the materials we salvaged during deconstruction to rebuild, with simple shelters and even new foundations popping up all around town.
So far we’ve worked on 95 homes and with six weeks remaining we’re pushing hard to top one hundred. Deconstruction jobs are led by Clare and Sean, the transatlantic super-duo that left the project and then returned to continue their work. Their skills along with their team members continue to impress our neighbors – there’s usually a curious crowd gathered for the final moment, where we safely pull the structure down by hand! Click here to see the decon team in action!
Earthquake Safety Training (+ first aid)
In January volunteers Neil and Laura started a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) program, training school groups on earthquake safety and evacuation. The program was inspired by observations of children’s behavior during a tremor and has helped increase the awareness of proper safety procedures on the part of both teachers and students. Within days of leaving Project Sungai Geringging, Neil joined HODR in Haiti and has joined a team working on the same program for schools located near Project Leogone.
Volunteer Dhaniella, also inspired by observations while out in the community, put together a basic first aid training session aimed at teachers. We’ve combined the two trainings and the new ‘extended’ program is being delivered to schools throughout the area. It’s a great way to engage and inform both students and teachers, and is easy for local school staff to repeat throughout the year!
Village Photo Project
One of the legacy programs that HODR frequently engages in is the Village Photo Project. Most families in our community don’t have access to cameras or the means to print pictures, so we are compiling a collection of images to hand out. After four months of work and play, HODR volunteers have accumulated an impressive collection of beautiful photos. Sharing these images is immensely rewarding during this time of rebuilding and new beginnings.
Upcoming
Families continue to feed us overwhelming amounts of fried snacks, ice tea, local noodle dishes and adoring smiles. In the coming weeks we will continue to welcome volunteers to help us build more transitional shelters and continue safe deconstruction of earthquake-condemned homes. While new volunteers arrive daily, we must also say goodbye to some who are making their way to join HODR in Haiti. As our volunteers carry their immense energy, dedication, and skills to the other side of the world to help the people of Haiti I wish them, all the others who join their efforts, and the people of Leogane the best of luck.
Come volunteer with us and see what all this is all about!
-Henri Fawcett
Project Coordinator
Project Sungai Geringging
Announcing Project Leogane, Haiti 2010, earthquake response project. This extraordinary disaster has had a devastating impact on the entire fabric of Haiti, and we are anxious to help.
The country has suffered over 110,000 lives lost; in Leogane, where we will focus our efforts, an estimated 90% of the buildings were destroyed. This will be a serious project, cooperating with other local and international NGOs, to help the community of Leogane recover from this massive event.
We are committed to a minimum period of 6 months, beginning February 15, 2010, when the project opened to volunteers. As always, we tailor our projects and work on the ground to the unique needs of each community and disaster. Since this event and challenge is so large, serious, and we’ve received unprecedented volunteer interest, we have established specific rules and structure for this HODR deployment:
We will have a capacity for 100 volunteers at a time and therefore may not be able to accommodate everyone who is interested in volunteering.
We will build up to this capacity over the month of February, and we will consider satellite projects later in the deployment, but not initially.
Specific skills we enumerate; at the time licensed structural engineers
The volunteer base will have no alcohol, strict curfew and lights out policies, with zero tolerance.
Our efforts will be under open scrutiny from the community, media, donors, and humanitarian world. It is an opportunity to demonstrate the special and direct impact that your volunteer efforts can make on a community in dire need.
Whether you are able to join us on-project or support our efforts with a donation, thank you for your continued engagement and commitment to the unique and effective HODR model and to supporting the people of Haiti following this overwhelming disaster.
David Campbell
Executive Director
Get Involved:
For more information about volunteering on Project Leogane, visit our Haiti Volunteer Page.
To support our efforts with a tax-deductible donation, click here.
Follow our teams on Twitter for daily notes & progress @HODRops
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 13, 2010
For more information please contact:
Beca Howard, Communications Manager
781.570.9412Beca@HODR.org
IN IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF TRAGIC EARTHQUAKE, HANDS ON DISASTER RESPONSE SENDS IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO THOSE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING
CARLISLE, MA, USA 1/13/2010 – On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake followed by a series of strong aftershocks devastated Haiti. Initial reports indicate overwhelming damage in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, affecting an estimated 3 million people with as many as 100,000 lives lost. Hands On Disaster Response (HODR), a US-based 501(c)3 nonprofit, has launched an emergency appeal and assessment in response to the recent earthquake, and has created the Haiti Earthquake Recovery Fund to accept monetary donations to support these efforts. The seasoned volunteer coordination organization welcomes interest from volunteers, but cautions that search and rescue missions are still underway.
“We had an incredibly successful six-month project in Haiti last year, and are anxious to be of assistance again,” says David Campbell, Founder and Executive Director of HODR who plans to return to Haiti as part of the organization’s assessment team. “That being said, we are not a search and rescue or medical response organization. In the immediate aftermath of such a tragic event, we need to let search and rescue efforts do their work before any potential volunteer initiatives can be explored, and I encourage those interested in volunteering to be patient as emergency services take their course.”
The HODR assessment team is reaching out to local networks and agencies in Haiti and plans to arrive in Haiti next week. The organization will be meeting with local officials, visiting affected areas and evaluating the recovery needs in order to determine further involvement and the potential for volunteer projects.
Often, following large-scale natural disasters there is an overwhelming need for able and willing hands to help families pick up the pieces and move forward. HODR harnesses the power of volunteers to bring direct assistance to survivors of natural disasters in the US and around the world. The organization has responded to 13 natural disasters in seven countries, including a deployment in Haiti from October 2008 to March 2009 in response to Hurricane Ike and a series of other hurricanes. Those interested in volunteering, should HODR launch a project in the coming weeks, are encouraged to stay tuned to the organization’s website at www.HODR.org for the latest updates from the assessment team.
HODR programs are tailored to the unique needs of each community and range from debris removal to rebuilding homes and schools. In the organization’s hurricane response project in Haiti, volunteers assisted more than 5,000 families through programs such as “mud removal” (digging homes out from severe mudslides) and well masonry. HODR is actively engaged in a volunteer project in Indonesia in response to the September 2009 earthquakes, focusing on home deconstruction and transitional shelters.
To make a tax-deductible donation to the Haiti Earthquake Recovery Fund in support of HODR’s efforts please visit www.HODR.org/HaitiEarthquake today.
For more information on HODR and how to help, visit the organization’s website at www.HODR.org and follow our team on Twitter @HODRops
For media inquiries, please contact Beca Howard – 781.570.9412, Beca@HODR.org
For donation information, please contact Andrew Kerr – 919.830.3573, Andrew@HODR.org
About Hands On Disaster Response:
Hands On Disaster Response (HODR) is a MA-based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides hands-on assistance to survivors of natural disasters around the world, with maximum impact and minimum bureaucracy. By supporting volunteers with housing, meals, tools, and organized work at no charge HODR is able to provide free and effective response services to communities in need. The organization welcomes both returning volunteers as well as spontaneous volunteers, people not previously affiliated with any disaster organization, but who are willing to help with whatever needs to be done – from clearing rubble to building homes and schools, from sanitation projects to children’s programs. Previous projects include: Indonesia (2009 Earthquakes – On-going project), New York (2009 Flooding), Arkansas (2009 Tornado), Haiti (2008-2009 Hurricanes), Iowa (2008 Flooding), Missouri (2008 Tornado), Arkansas (2008 Tornado), Bangladesh (2007-2008 Cyclone), Peru (2007-2008 Earthquake), Philippines (2006 Typhoon), Indonesia (2006 Earthquake), Mississippi (2005-2006 Hurricane Katrina), and Thailand (2004 Tsunami). For more information or to donate visit www.HODR.org.
On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a massive 7.0 earthquake and dozen aftershocks struck Haiti, near the capital of Port-au-Prince. Initial reports are of overwhelming damage in the capital city, affecting an estimated 3 million people.
HODR has launched an assessment team to determine how and where we can be most effective in the recovery efforts. Search and rescue will be critical over the next weeks, and then the work of helping the country recover will begin. Our team arrived in Haiti January 21. We have been and will continue to network with contacts from our 2008-2009 Haiti hurricane response (Project Gonaives) as well as other responding agencies, and meeting with local officials, visiting affected areas and evaluating the recovery needs in order to determine further involvement and the potential for volunteer projects.
We will update www.HODR.org as more information becomes available. You can also follow us on Twitter @HODRops for daily updates and progress.
View our 1/23/10 “Notes from the Field” by clicking here.
For media inquiries, please contact Beca Howard – 781.570.9412, Beca@HODR.org
For donation information, please contact Andrew Kerr – 919.830.3573, Andrew@HODR.org
Thank you for your interest in supporting HODR and the people of Haiti in their time of need.
PROJECT EXTENSION
Project Sungai Geringging will be accepting volunteers until April 2, 2010! Please join us in helping West Sumatra recover from the devastating earthquakes of September 2009. We have some great projects currently running and more exciting things in the pipeline. If you are unable to volunteer at the moment we could use your help in other ways; please see our donation page and check out other ways you can help.
THE NUMBERS
Almost three months into the project, and already we’ve welcomed nearly 150 volunteers from 19 countries! Since we opened our doors on the 25th October, we’ve clocked up over 19,000 volunteer hours of service in the community! A huge thank you to all the hard-working, dust-loving volunteers, donors, and supporters who have made this an incredible first three months here in West Sumatra. Here’s a look at what we’ve accomplished so far.
T-SHELTER PROGRAM
We broke ground for our first transitional shelter in Sungai Geringging this week! (On the first day alone the volunteer team built the entire wooden frame!) We modeled our 24 square meter home on a design originated by the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN). The earthquake-resistant structure (timber frame, plastered concrete walls, and galvanized iron roof) will last for years. The timbers are laid out and pre-cut and the roof trusses built at the HODR base; then the homeowner beneficiary works with a team of volunteers to begin the set-up. The homeowner builds the foundation and floor, provides the windows and doors from their salvaged materials, and contributes to the labor for building the home; the whole process takes only about a week! This is one of the most substantial shelter-building projects HODR has been involved in. If you would like to sponsor a home for one of the most needy and earthquake-impacted families, please give today.
DECON 5 (Deconstruction)
One of our staple programs in Project Sungai Geringging is the “safeing” of unstable homes; those deemed too dangerous to inhabit or rebuild. To date we have taken down 58 structures and created clean slabs for homeowners to rebuild on. As part of this program, we’ve also developed a ‘Safe Deconstruction’ community awareness poster and reference information. These materials have been shared with other organizations and are currently being used to support their outreach programs.
SALVAGE
Following the decon phase a swarm of volunteers swing into action, disassembling the roof and salvaging windows, doors, wood, bricks and/or stone. The work is hard and long but the value of the re-usable construction materials makes it all worthwhile (especially when the ice cream man stops by!). A special thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who have toiled in the hot sun or rain to see this work through.
SCHOOL DRR (disaster risk reduction)
At a nightly All-Hands meeting, two volunteers commented that when we had a recent 6.0 earthquake they observed schoolchildren appropriately flee their classrooms only to take shelter under a damaged school roof across the yard. They suggested something should be done…. and something has. A team of volunteers created earthquake safety procedures, evacuation plans and drills, and disaster education activities for children. To date we’ve brought the program to 10 schools and will develop a teacher guide so that these skills are passed on after HODR’s program concludes.
IBU FOUNDATION PATHWAY
HODR, working in close collaboration with IBU Foundation built 30m of concrete footpath at a remote water catchment/pumping facility. The plant supplies water to more than 1,200 local families and was surrounded by a nearly impassable mud trail. IBU rebuilt the building following the earthquakes and invited HODR to help lay out, place the river rock base, and pour the finish surface of the walk. It was an “all hands” morning, where the full team of HODR volunteers set to moving tons of material from the closest road, through the coconut trees, down a hill, across the river, and up terraced rice paddies to the construction site, a distance of 500m (or more depending on how heavy your load)! I suppose it’s easier to push a heavy wheelbarrow when you’re in a beautiful setting.
IBU FOUNDATION WATER CATCHMENT CLEANING
It was like a day at the beach. Except it was miles inland, the water was actually flowing, and there was no sand – only algae. A team of HODR volunteers armed with scrub brushes, shorts, and micro-weave nets descended into the above-mentioned water plant storage tanks for a good scrubbing. The algae build-up was no match for their energy and was cleaned without a trace after a day’s work. It was also unusual to have a team return from a day’s work in the field cleaner than when they left!
VDO’s
I have always felt that some of the most creative thinkers in the world volunteer their time at HODR projects. I have attended hundreds and hundreds of nightly “all hands meetings” and heard probably thousands of “reports from the field” at those meetings, but a few weeks ago I heard the best report ever, honestly! Three volunteers stood and performed a work recap/rap parody of a Saturday Night Live parody complete with beat box, dancing, and of course rap. The response of the other volunteers was uproarious and the next day they recorded their own video. You can see it and other creative videos uploaded to YouTube. In the weeks to come, we’ll be adding more volunteer-made videos detailing the work and the day-to-day here in Indonesia.
I would like to give a special thank you to Stefanie Chang who will be leaving Project Sungai Geringging to lead our earthquake assessment team headed to Haiti. I have worked with Stef for the past 3+ years and can think of no one who is more qualified in that role, however she will be missed here in West Sumatra. Be careful and all the best to Stef, David Campbell, and Jeremey Horan on the assessment.
-Marc Young
Operations Director, Project Sungai Geringging
This is Ibu Kasmabati and her Mother (70 yrs), amidst the ruins of their family home in Sungai Geringging, Indonesia. On 30 September 2009, the 1st of two earthquakes struck West Sumatra and destroyed the dwelling that had housed their extended family since 1965.
Kasmabati works security and cleaning at the elementary school while her husband, Wan, sells chickens in the local market and works as a day laborer. Kasmabati and Wan’s joint income falls below the average monthly income for the area of $70 USD. Almost all of Kasmabati’s wages go towards uniforms, books, and school supplies for their 3 children, leaving the family with only Wan’s income to rebuild and meet the rest of the family’s needs.
HODR volunteers worked with Wan to deconstruct the home and salvage valuable materials for rebuilding. The trauma of seeing their collapsed home is now over and the rebuilding process begins.
With your donations and support we can help more families like theirs. With $250 we can supply a team of volunteers with tools to deconstruct earthquake-condemned homes, providing a clean slate to rebuild and as many as two-months-wages’ worth of salvaged bricks. With $700 we can support 20 volunteers for one week – that’s more than 1,000 volunteer hours helping families in need! We’re developing a shelter program, and while we’re still hammering out the details, for about $1,500 USD we hope to be able to build a family a transitional shelter, providing a safe place to live during the long process of rebuilding – currently many families are still living in tents.
Please give us millions of dollars so we can keep helping families in need. Okay, I guess we understand if you can’t give millions. But we do hope you’ll do all you can in this season of giving to help us provide safe space and shelter to Kasmabati & Wan, and other families like theirs. Your gift makes a direct impact.
Wishing you and yours all the best this holiday season!!
Thanks for your support!
-The HODR Team
In response to the recent earthquakes in Indonesia more than 50 volunteers from 11 countries have pitched in to help get the community back on its feet, and we’re excited to share this video that was put together by volunteers on-project. Thanks for your support!
This Thanksgiving and holiday season, know that your giving makes a direct impact.
Nearly two months after the devastating earthquakes hit Sumatra, Indonesia, the needs are still great. To date more than 50 volunteers from 11 countries have pitched in at HODR’s Project Sungai Geringging, and we’ve made a lot of progress! Check out this short video, and please do all you can in this season of giving to help families and communities recover from disaster.
During the summer of 2008 HODR set up a project in response to the unprecedented flooding that affected more than 5000 homes in the greater Cedar Rapids, Iowa area. Our work focused on responding to the immediate needs of the community by providing them with teams of volunteers to help clean out flood-affected homes. Throughout the course of the project we coordinated over 2000 volunteers and worked on 400+ homes, benefiting hundreds of families. As the project progressed HODR moved into rebuild activities, helping homeowners navigate the permitting process, installing and finishing drywall, and providing mini-grants to cover shortfalls in rebuilding materials to get families one step closer to returning home.
Project Cedar Rapids – Rebuild is HODR’s first-ever “planned” response, as opposed to an immediate disaster response project. In addition to partnerships with local organizations, we are very grateful to have the support of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, AEGON Insurance and the Cedar Rapids Home Builders Association, who are providing funding for the materials and project.
This is Ibu Kasmabati and her Mother (70 yrs), amidst the ruins of their family home in Sungai Geringging, Indonesia. On 30 September 2009, the 1st of two earthquakes struck West Sumatra and destroyed the dwelling that had housed their extended family since 1965. 
Please give us millions of dollars so we can keep helping families in need. Okay, I guess we understand if you can’t give millions. But we do hope you’ll do all you can in this season of giving to help us provide safe space and shelter to Kasmabati & Wan, and other families like theirs. Your gift makes a direct impact.
This Thanksgiving and holiday season, know that your giving makes a direct impact.