RELIEF SPARK, INC. – A CALIFORNIA NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT IS CURRENTLY OPERATING IN NEW ORLEANS IS CARAVANNING TO NIXA, MO TO STAGE VOLUNTEER OPERATIONS AND ENCOURAGES LOCAL RESIDENTS TO VOLUNTEER AND HELP FAMILIES IN NEED!

Dateline: Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Relief Spark, Inc. -a California based non-profit organization that is currently located and operating out of New Orleans, LA is sending a caravan of volunteers to the Springfield/Nixa, MO area to assist with debris removal and community outreach. Executive Director Sidney Ray, a Springfield native, is leading the group out of New Orleans.

"I have been tracking the storm and speaking to my family since they lost power. We have enough volunteers here in New Orleans that we can still move forward with house gutting AND help my hometown, so that is what we are going to do!"

Miss Ray launched Relief Spark from Los Angeles, CA on September 1, 2005 days after Hurricane Katrina hit the New Orleans and surrounding areas. With a team of hundreds of volunteers supporting her as well as local celebrities, corporations and local residents she collected $3M worth of donated water, food, medical supplies and other necessities and received 54 donated semi trucks and box trucks. In all her organization sent out a total of 814 pallets of goods into MS, LA and AL within 3 weeks.

"Relief Spark is a volunteer driven organization. We focus on the needs of the citizens of the United States in time of natural disasters. This opportunity fits our purpose statement and gives us the opportunity to utilize skills that we have learned while volunteering down here in New Orleans."

Miss Ray came out to New Orleans back in November 2005 when most of the city was still without power. Very few gas stations were opened and there were no grocery stores open in the area. The French Quarter was practically closed and the city was crawling with the 82nd Airborne and National Guardsmen. “It was a scene out of the movie, “Red Dawn” – the military was everywhere and there was no power, no food and not many people. Stores were closed and the city was filled with first responders and relief organizations conducting search and rescue operations.” Relief Spark volunteers began house gutting in January of last year and plan to begin rebuilding with the first crew of Spring Break volunteers.

This week, however, they are driving to Nixa, MO to set up command at the following church:

ALDERSGATE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
160 ALDERSGATE DRIVE
NIXA, MO 65714

POINT OF CONTACT: PASTOR DENNIS MILLER
OFFICE: 417.725.4949
CELL: 417.848.8607

The church has a large parking lot and volunteers from out of town will have access to sleeping quarters that are normally used as classrooms. There are bathrooms and a shower. Relief Spark is encouraging volunteers from surrounding states to drive in and help!

The all-volunteer organization is asking that all residents come out and help volunteers with organizing and coordinating volunteer teams that will head out into neighborhoods and assess the needs of residents in Mt. Vernon, Springfield and surrounding smaller towns. Volunteers will take families to shelters, deliver hot meals and with in conjunction with the Christian County Emergency department as well as the MO Disaster Relief Team. “Just like the days following Hurricane Katrina, back when we were set up on an industrial street in Van Nuys, we will work with organizations in place and provide volunteer support and first-response know-how from the largest natural disaster in US history!” states Executive Director, Sidney Ray.

"We attract such an amazing group of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures - that bring forth different ideas to get the job done. It's fascinating to see the process unfold."

Relief Spark volunteers plan on arriving Tuesday, January 16, in the evening at United Methodist church located in Nixa, MO where they will set up command and encourage those from the community to come out and help with debris removal and checking in on families without power. They are set to arrive late Tuesday afternoon and encourage the surrounding neighborhoods to bring out their chainsaws, shovels and snow boots and lend a hand for their fellow neighbor!

All interested volunteers who don’t arrive into town this evening can meet the volunteers 7:30am in the church.

For further information, please call Sidney Ray at 310.270.3332.

Relief Spark, Inc.
www.reliefspark.org

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