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Crossroads Disaster Response Crossroads Church of the Nazarene 6150 Firestone Street All Mail: PO Box 1268 Gautier, Mississippi, 39553
Nazarene Disaster Response officially transitioned the leadership of the Mississippi site to the Crossroads Church on December 1, 2006. The Crossroads Church will continue “Restoring Hope to the Mississippi Gulf Coast” by hosting Work and Witness Teams from across the USA.
Scheduling for teams coming to Crossroads will be handled by the local disaster office. The phone number is (228) 872-2099 and the fax number is (228) 872-0255. Information packets are available upon request. Crossroads is located between Mobile, AL and New Orleans, LA just off Interstate 10 at exit 57. Turn south on Highway 57 for a mere 1/8 of a mile and you will see a 4’ by 8’ Crossroads sign. Turn east (left) and follow the road around to the right hand turn (this is the church drive way). Turn east (right) and YOU ARE HERE!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!! (If doing a search on Map Quest use 6700 Firestone St, Ocean Springs, Ms. For unknown reason if you use the actual address of the church you will end up on a two block long street in the middle of Gautier---no church there!)
The nearest airport is Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT) only about 30 minutes west of Crossroads. When planning to fly, check there first as many times flights are just about the same price there as at the larger airports----and it is much more convenient! Other airports are located in Mobile, Al (BFM) about 40 minutes east of the church or New Orleans (MSY) about 2 hours west of the church. (There is a lot of highway construction near New Orleans) Van rentals are available at all locations---check prices on these also—maxi van rentals are approximately $600.00 per week and mini van rentals are approximately $450.00 per week at the Gulfport airport.
Volunteers sleep in a large air-conditioned gymnasium. Air mattresses are available. There are restrooms for the males and females in the gym, with one shower in each restroom. Some RV hook-ups are available upon request. There are laundry facilities within 7 miles from the Crossroads church.
All meals and snacks are provided. Hot breakfasts and dinners are served in the cafeteria. Lunches are packed and taken in coolers to the job sites. There is no need to bring food. If you have any special dietary needs, please let us know before your arrival so that we can shop appropriately.
Many teams wish to know ahead of arrival what they will be doing. Please understand that “flexibility” is a very important term in disaster recovery as what you will be doing depends on what the team before you is able to accomplish. This type of Work & Witness trip is so different from others in that there is not just one project to work on, but many. Much of what you will be doing depends on how much prior teams are able to accomplish. Most of what we are doing is in the rebuild stage which includes hanging, mudding and taping, finishing and priming dry wall. In some instances we are still replacing roofs.
If you have favorite tools that you are accustomed to using, please feel free to bring them. We do, however, have most of the tools necessary to accomplish the jobs. We also have a good supply of work gloves and dust masks. Tyvek suits are available for any demolition jobs needing to be done. There is no need for you to furnish any of these items.
We encourage groups to take an afternoon and drive along the coast. Even though it is over a year after Katrina you can still see incredible damage as well as the tremendous amount of rebuilding being done. Some beaches are cleaned enough for public use but proper foot wear should always be worn.
The daily week day schedule is: 5:45 AM Lights are turned on in the gym 6:00 AM Breakfast 6:30 AM Devotions 7:00 AM Clean-up, pack lunches, gather tools and prepare to leave for the job sites. 6:00 PM Dinner---free time. (Please reserve Thursday evening for presentation of appreciation certificates and a time of sharing.) 10:00 PM Lights out (Quiet zone, but we do not guarantee a “no snoring zone”. You might want to consider bringing ear plugs.)
Church services are held at Crossroads on Sunday mornings at 8:30 and 11:00 AM. Sunday School is at 9:45 AM. Bible Study is Wednesday at 7:00 PM. At 6:00 PM the last Sunday of each month a “CELEBRATION” service is held.
Thank you all so much for your interest in the people of Mississippi. Much has been done, and there is much yet to do. Prayerfully consider sending a team to help. Church groups are well loved for restoring hope to this area!
Crossroads Disaster Response Team:
Jim Tooley Site Director Cell # 228-282-5506 Ed Boadway Project Director Rosemary Boadway Food Service Dee Tooley Office Manager Office# 228-872-2099 |