1.  Try to put together a team of at least 5 people.  Single volunteers are harder to incorporate, but a team can be deployed more effectively. 

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2.  Call Polk County Emergency Management (515-286-2154) and identify yourselves as part of Mormon Helping Hands or members of the Church and tell them you have a team ready to deploy. Do not wear Mormon Helping Hands shirts, but the county has asked we let the know when our members are volunteering. 

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3.  Keep the following guidelines from experienced flood recovery volunteers:

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Gear

• Please wear good shoes.  You will be walking on and around debris.  No open toes/sandals/etc.

• Wear clothes that can get dirty without causing you grief.

• Take trash bags to protect your car seat if you get too dirty.

• Bring gloves if you have them.

• Bring tools if you have them, things like flat shovels, brooms, dustpans, pry bars, hammers, buckets and garbage cans. Old plastic sleds are good for hauling debris if you have them with a rope to drag them.

• Bring lots of water.

 

Safety

• Your safety is most important.  Please be careful.

• Your most significant risks are heat exhaustion and dehydration.   Please drink lots of water and work at a sustainable pace.

• Watch where you put your feet, knees and hands.  There will be sharp items.

• Please wear a dust mask.   The dust will carry mold, stuff you don’t want in your lungs.

• You may work with fiberglass insulation.  This looks like cotton candy if you haven’t seen it before.   It will irritate (itch) any skin it touches.  Use gloves and tools to move this stuff.

• You will not work in standing water.

 

Key Considerations

• Please remember you will be in the home of a family has suffered a great tragedy.  Some may take this kind of disaster in stride, others may be traumatized and upset.  Be friendly and cheerful, but considerate.

• Please be non-judgmental on what you may find in the house.

• Avoid taking pictures inside the home unless it is done with the homeowner’s permission or doesn’t reveal identifying information.  

• Be prepared to work 4-6 hours if possible. 

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4.  If you do volunteer, please send a note about your work to info@iowamormons.org so we can prepare a report for stake leaders.  THANK YOU!