To the volunteers on the recent bus trip to Arkansas:

An incident arose during last week which needs clarification and explanation. The issue, as presented to me, was the assignment of one of our work teams to work in the home of a person who appeared wealthy enough to have paid for the repairs himself. As the Administrator of Lend A Hand, permit me to address this matter. There are two significant areas of discussion: Legal and Philosophical/Spiritual.

Legal. The Internal Revenue Code establishes criteria under which an organization can be deemed a 501 C 3, non profit, charitable organization. The Code specifically states that the organization CANNOT select the homes on which it chooses to work. For example, if we stated that we were recruiting people to work on Mister Smith’s home on XYZ Street, we would be in violation of the Code and subject to revocation of our tax exempt status. Rather, we must:

1. Specifically be invited to send volunteers to an area affected by a natural disaster... In Arkansas, we were invited by the Disaster Assistance Coordinator of the Presbytery of Arkansas in Little Rock.

2. We can only work on homes as assigned by the designated local coordinator.

3.If the home is directly storm damaged, we can only refuse to work at that site if, in our determination, it is unsafe or hazardous to the health and welfare of our volunteers. For the home in question, we only did work which was the direct result of the water damage.

We refused to do other work requested by the homeowner that could have been construed as” remodeling”. We also refused to put a new floor in a hunting cabin since this was not a primary residence. These refusals were consistent with our responsibilities and the letter of the Laws under which we are governed and held accountable.

Philosophical/Spiritual. As Christians, we respond to the emotional, mental and physical suffering and anguish encountered by those who have been the victims of a natura l disaster. It is the extension of the hand of fellowship that sets Lend A Hand apart from other disaster responders. We do not inquire about financial need. We do not ask why friends or relatives have not stepped forward to offer assistance. We do not chastise the homeowner for not having started on the road to recovery themselves. We do not evangelize or proselytize. Rather, our Christian relationship among ourselves and with the homeowners silently speaks for our commitment to Christ. Our actions bear witness to His greatness. It is the mission of our volunteers to listen to the stories, to pray with victims, to console and comfort those in need. It is our blessing to share our talents and abilities to improve and restore homes, returning to the homeowner a sense of wellbeing and giving them the strength to move forward in the recovery process. These trips are just one way in which our volunteers continue on their own ‘faith journey’, growing in their faith, demonstrating the love of Christ, and bearing personal witness to their true calling. It is hoped that all volunteers experience a sense of awe and wonder, a sense of Christian community, a sense of personal mission, an enthusiasm for continuous discovery and creativity, and, a sense of well being and joy!

GOD’S BLESSINGS TO ALL OF YOU, FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF THE LORD!

Yours in Christ,

Bill Bauer, Administrator