New Hope Volunteer Village
A Collaborative Mission of
Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church, Broad Street Christian Church, Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church,
West New Bern Presbyterian Church, and The Fuller Center Disaster Rebuild Team
Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church, Broad Street Christian Church, Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church,
West New Bern Presbyterian Church, and The Fuller Center Disaster Rebuild Team
Accommodation Info
Background StoryIn 2020, The Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church turned its Educational Building into a full time volunteer Hosting Site for work teams coming to New Bern to help the community rebuild. In collaboration with 4 other area Presbyterian and Christian Churches, Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church will be able to host 36 to 60 volunteers a week. The "Volunteer Village" named the New Hope Village will be affiliated with the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Volunteer Village Network that has been growing across the country.
Volunteer Villages offer overnight accommodations including showers, access to a kitchen, internet access and equipment storage for work teams rebuilding homes following disaster. Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church and the other 4 churches in the Collaborative will provide hospitality, orientation and support for the teams while they are here. They will provide an opportunity for our guests to learn about the community and how the storm has impacted the area. With over 4,000 homes in New Bern and more than 10,500 households registered for assistance with FEMA, the need for work teams to assist families who were uninsured or under-insured will go on for years. Neuse Forest is part of the Craven County Disaster Recovery Alliance made up of over 70 individuals and organizations working cooperatively to help the community rebuild lives and homes in the county. Strategically located south of the Trent River, the work teams from New Hope Village will be able to reach out to areas in the Havelock and Harlow areas in the southern part of the county and still be able to work in New Bern, Vanceboro, and Cove City. The Educational Building was itself badly damaged in Hurricane Florence and has required extensive repairs. We need financial help to cover the costs of setting up the village not covered by the insurance settlement; but we also need help for to be able to maintain this ministry. Work teams will pay a modest per diem to cover the cost of food, utilities and management; but the principal responsibility of maintaining the program and support of the volunteers will fall to this group of sister churches. You can volunteer to help with a meal, come visit with the team and hear their stories of hope that come from the day's work and be available for special requests that might come from the team. Contact Kristy Kulberg, the Village Coordinator, either via Email at [email protected], or phone at 252-571-5663, if you are interested in helping either with hosting or refurbishing the New Hope Village. |