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Mennonite and Christian disaster relief groups to set up months-long bases in Augusta to rebuild storm-damaged homes
Summary
Local long-term recovery organizers said Mennonite Disaster Services and Christian Disaster Services will deploy crews this fall and winter to help repair hundreds of storm-damaged homes; organizers estimate significant supply costs and are coordinating registrations via 311 and Methodist relief channels.
Leaders of Augusta’s Long Term Recovery Group told the commission Oct. 7 that national faith‑based disaster relief groups will arrive this fall to help rebuild houses damaged in recent storms.
Deac Copenafer, who said he has been working with the Long Term Recovery Group and now serves as its executive director for an 18‑month period, told commissioners that Mennonite Disaster Services will be in Augusta from November through March and will base at Spirit Creek Middle School. Christian Disaster Services is scheduled to be in town Dec. 15 through April 4 and will establish a base camp at Windsor Spring Baptist Church, he said.
“These are highly skilled laborers that will be here for months and the labor is all free,” Copenafer told the commission. He said the Community Foundation has provided initial grant funding for supplies and that organizers are still raising money to cover materials. Copenafer said the local queue has identified more than 300 houses needing work and that the Mennonite group alone has about 40 prospects in their queue.
Copenafer said rough cost estimates place supplies for about 40 houses at just over $500,000 and that overall fundraising goals were approximately $1 million to match volunteer capacity. He urged residents to register on the Methodist relief group’s website (the city’s 311 web page provides registration links) so families can enter the queue for assistance.
Commissioners thanked organizers and encouraged continued coordination with local suppliers to expedite materials procurement. Several commissioners said local groups — from the Home Builders Association to faith congregations — are helping to set up expense accounts and base-camp logistics so volunteer crews can arrive and begin work quickly.
No formal action or city funding appropriation was recorded at the Oct. 7 meeting; organizers said private grants and donations are being used to cover supplies and that additional fundraising is underway.
