INDONESIA: Project Sungai Geringging Update – Week 18
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!
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
HAITI: Project Leogane Announcement
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.
- We will not be able to accept drop-in volunteers.
- We will give some priority to:
- HODR alumni, particularly our Project Gonaives alumni
- 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
MEDIA RELEASE:
Important Message for Volunteers in the Immediate Aftermath of Haiti Earthquake
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.
HAITI: Earthquake Assessment
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.
To support our efforts please make a donation to our Haiti Earthquake Response Fund today. If you are interested in volunteering, please read our Volunteer Info page.
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.
INDONESIA: Project Sungai Geringging Update – Week 12
Filed under Donate, Indonesia, Past News, Projects, South Pacific, volunteer
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
INDONESIA: Project Sungai Geringging Update – Week 6
Wow, what an amazing start to Project Sungai Geringging (still love saying that!). We opened our doors on 25 October 2009 and in the following weeks have had 65 volunteers, representing 13 countries spanning the globe from Indonesia to Canada to Ireland to Russia to Lebanon!
We are assisting survivors of the 7.9 earthquake which rocked Western Sumatra on 30 September, 2009, and was followed by a separate 7.0 earthquake the following day. The earthquake damaged over 200,000 homes and survivors now struggle to remove the ruins and erect shelter as the rainy season quickly approaches.
Decon 5 (deconstruction)
We started with it on Day 1 and we’re still busy with it – deconstruction of rural homes. During the earthquake homes shook violently and walls buckled, often leaving the roof intact. Although the affected population of Padang Pariaman is proactively working to reclaim their ruined homes, many are so severely damaged that it is beyond the community’s ability to deal with the unstable structure. So the homes sit as a haunting reminder, precariously waiting to fall. The HODR hard hat team analyzes the structure, creates a safe working environment, re-claims salvageable materials, then in a controlled fashion brings the roof to the ground. Once the overhead hazard has been eliminated, volunteers busily remove the corrugated metal (aka zinc/galvanized iron/GI), disassemble the wooden trusses, and separate usable brick/stone from mortar. To date we have assisted in the safe deconstruction of 21 homes and 1 elementary school.
Salvage
The driving force behind what we are doing is not only the elimination of unsafe structures but also the salvage of rebuilding materials. Doors, windows, ventilation block, wood, and zinc are all high value items in this area and everything we salvage translates directly to a cost saving when rebuilding. We have seen families utilizing their salvaged materials almost as quickly as we create it, turning the recycled pieces into temporary shelters and kitchens. The local household income for our area is equal to about US$70.00 per month, and our brick salvage efforts alone equates to about 2 months wages!
Infrastructure
As our numbers swell, we’ve been keeping one step ahead with the build-out of our base. Our house starts as a blank slate (a pretty spacious fantastic blank slate), and over the weeks we’ve brought in bunks, built shelves, erected large canvas tents to increase the sleeping space and common areas, and expanded our rainwater catchment system to supply our water. If you arrive at the project today, it should look like the familiar HODR setup that you’ve seen at our other projects around the world. Thanks to all the volunteers who have worked at the base, making it a more comfortable and efficient place from which to run our work in the field.
1st Time & Repeat Volunteers
One of the highest compliments to our organization is to have a volunteer repeat their service at another project. We are proud of our programs and the work our return volunteers enable us to do (38% of volunteers on this project). Project Sungai Geringging is breaking some new ground on our international front with a high percentage of 1st time volunteers (62% of volunteers on this project). It is an honor to have so many people willing to fly almost around the world to join us on their first HODR experience. Thank you!
School #9
Although, schools (particularly primary schools) suffered heavy damages in the earthquake, resources for temporary classrooms were quickly mobilized and many now sport rows of temporary timber/plywood classrooms – a more conducive learning environment than hot canvas tents! However these temporary classrooms are often built right next to a precariously damaged masonry school building. Our deconstruction team worked side by side with local volunteers to “safe” an elementary school in a neighboring korong (neighborhood). The work was complicated and the scale was much bigger than the single-family homes we have been working on. Nonetheless, we brought the huge trusses down and salvaged tin that was quickly used to construct new temporary classrooms. Now, a new 3-classroom school building is under construction on the very site we helped demolish and clear.
Teaching English
On many of our international projects we have the opportunity to help students learn and practice English. In this case a local high school teacher invited our volunteers to come to his classes and engage students in conversational English with his students. Now, 2 days a week our volunteers engage high school students in topics ranging from life at home to life on the go.
Distribution
Project Sungai Geringging has been helped by many people so far, one of them being Pak Andreas, an Indonesian businessman based in Jakarta. He continued his support in the form of a donation of hygiene, household, and food items to be distributed to our neighbors. Our volunteers unpacked, inventoried, sorted, and repackaged the goods in suitable portions and will distribute them with the help of local Posko (community-based information exchange) organizers. In all more than 500 beneficiary families will receive needed items!
Malalak Safari
HODR is always looking for opportunities to help communities in need and for ways to engage our volunteers in meaningful programs, often in partnership with other organizations. One week ago, we started working with IBU Foundation, an Indonesian NGO at work in Agam (the district just north of us) where they are building an IDP (internally-displaced persons) camp. These families lost their entire community in earthquake-induced landslides, and now they’re working with IBU to build shelters, water systems, and latrines in their new home.
So far our work with IBU Foundation has taken us to Sini Air camp. As a HODR satellite project, our volunteer team lives and works away from our main base. In this case, they’re living in the IDP camp in a remote area (more remote than Sungai Geringging!) with no infrastructure. In the first round of this project, we installed 10 rainwater catchment systems on the transitional shelters; this week we return to help construct 2 communal latrine blocks.
People & Place
Part of a HODR project is experiencing the community we live and work in. Sungai Geringging has been friendly and welcoming to the volunteers who have come here to help. “Hello Mister!” and cheerful motorbike horn beeps ring out wherever we pass. Volunteers have become an established presence at the local warungs (streetside food stands) and in the market. We were even invited to a local wedding party! Volunteers have also explored the area on their own, taking weekend trips to Bukittinggi, hiking up local volcano Gunung Merapi, and renting boats off the beach in Pariaman. Through these activities, we gain a better understanding of the people and the place of Padang Pariaman. (Ok fine, the trips to Bukittinggi might just result in appreciation for the Big Bucket at KFC.)
With two and a half months of Project Sungai Geringging left, there’s plenty of time to come and volunteer! Taking it one house at a time, we’ll continue our deconstruction/salvage work as well as expand the diversity of our programs with the community and NGOs, bringing Sungai Geringging closer to the path to recovery.
Marc Young
International Operations Director
Hands On Disaster Response
A Day in the Life of a Volunteer – Project Sungai Geringging
Hi from Project Sungai Geringging!
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!
Happy Thanksgiving from HODR!
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.
“Happiness Is” Film Says Giving Is The Way To Contentment
If you’ve volunteered with us or donated to a HODR project, you know first hand what the film “Happiness Is” is talking about. Giving of your time or money helps others in direct and tangible ways, and it just plain feels good to get involved.
“Happiness Is,” a new film by Andrew Shapter, is about the “pursuit of happiness” in America and the power of giving. HODR is excited to be a cause the film supports and if you pay attention you’ll see a couple of our project photos in the film!
Get Involved!
The film is helping spread the message about giving, and especially now, during the holiday season, what better time to get involved?!
Host a “Happiness Is” screening to raise awareness and funds for HODR! Get a group of friends together in your home or use a classroom or auditorium to invite hundreds of people, watch the movie, and ask for a “whatever you can give” donation to HODR. Email Beca at Beca@HODR.org for more info and check out screening suggestions on the film’s website.
Support HODR’s Indonesian Earthquake Response Project! Volunteer or make a tax-deductible donation to directly support families in Indonesia left homeless by the recent devastating earthquakes. Whether you can join us in Indonesia, donate, or help us spread the word and fundraise to get others involved, your support makes a direct impact on those affected. More info »
Check out the “Happiness Is” website for a trailer and more info at www.happinessisthemovie.com and check out an article in the Huffington Post.
Thanks for giving!!
MEDIA RELEASE: Music for Relief Partners to “Mobilize” Support
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 27, 2009
For more information please contact:
Beca Howard, Communications Manager
781.570.9412Beca@HODR.org
NEARLY ONE MONTH AFTER DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE IN INDONESIA,
HELP IS STILL NEEDED
Linkin Park’s Music For Relief Partners with Volunteer-Driven Hands On Disaster Response to “Mobilize” Support
SUMATRA, INDONESIA 10/28/2009 – Nearly one month after massive earthquakes devastated Sumatra, Indonesia, the needs are still great; whether physically being “mobile” by going to the disaster zone to volunteer, or sending a “mobile donation”, direct public support is still needed. Hands On Disaster Response (HODR), a US-based volunteer-driven nonprofit is on the ground operating a four-month-long response project to coordinate volunteers from throughout the world to help earthquake-affected residents get back on their feet. Music for Relief (MFR), a nonprofit founded by members of the band Linkin Park, is partnering with HODR to mobilize donations through a Text to Give campaign supporting critical recovery efforts via “mobile donation,” donations sent via text message.
HODR and MFR’s partnership will raise funds to directly support HODR’s volunteer project in Indonesia. The recent earthquake damaged over 200,000 homes and survivors now struggle to remove rubble and erect shelter as the rainy season quickly approaches. Through February, HODR volunteers will be assisting residents with debris removal, demolition of damaged homes, erecting shelters and general recovery efforts, providing the “human power” needed to begin to get devastated families back on their feet. Whether physically being “mobile” by going to the disaster zone to volunteer, or simply send a “mobile donation”, direct public support is still needed.
CRITICAL DISASTER RESPONSE INFORMATION:
• Text To Give: Text RELIEF to 90999 and a $5 donation will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. All donations will support HODR’s Indonesian Earthquake recovery efforts.
• Volunteer: Lend a hand to those in need. HODR creates a platform for anyone interested to directly get involved in the recovery efforts. In return for volunteering their time HODR supports volunteers with housing, meals, tools and on-site training at no cost. Volunteers pay their own way to project site. Visit www.HODR.org/volunteer for more information on volunteering with HODR in Indonesia.
• More Information: See on-site photos, video and more online at Hands On Disaster Response’s website, www.HODR.org.
“HODR was built by and for people whose instinct is to show up and help when they see others in need,” said David Campbell, Founder and Executive Director, HODR. “In a situation where there’s so much work to be done, there’s no greater resource than capable hands to help.”
MFR is supporting HODR’s efforts by promoting this volunteer opportunity to its supporters, making a financial contribution to the efforts, and launching the Text to Give campaign, in order to garner additional support from the public.
When the earthquake struck, the whole world was aware of the devastation. For weeks, months, and beyond the recovery efforts will continue. HODR provides volunteers with housing, meals, tools, and organized work opportunities at no charge – allowing affected communities to benefit from the outpouring of goodwill and able hands as they take the first steps toward recovery.
About Hands On Disaster Response:
Hands On Disaster Response (HODR) is a MA-based 501(c)3 nonprofit built specifically to harness the power of volunteers to provide direct assistance to disaster-affected communities around the world and in the US. HODR welcomes both returning volunteers as well as spontaneous volunteers, people not previously affiliated with any disaster organization, but who are willing to show up and 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: 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.
About Music for Relief:
Founded by members of the band Linkin Park, Music for Relief (MFR) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing aid to victims of natural disasters and the prevention of such disasters. MFR has organized a benefit concert featuring multi-platinum artists, sent musicians and volunteers to Southeast Asia and the U.S. Gulf Coast to help rebuild and donate supplies to people in need, and planted over 809,000 trees to help reduce global warming. For more information visit www.musicforrelief.org.
